How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs: Step by Step Guide

Bed bugs are small or very tiny blood-sucking creatures that can ruin your home and night sleep. These tiny bugs enter your home from second-hand furniture or luggage from other places. Sleepless nights are the start of bed bugs that can also cause your scars over the bits.

These tiny creatures often make things worse to get rid of them. You will require to clean your home extensively and remove the things that making a shelter for bugs.

Homicide was the ancestor of current or modern bed bugs. They first emerged nearly 115 million years ago, which is more than 30 million years before the bats. The C.Lectularis a common, and C.hemipterus tropical bed bugs, spread 40 million years before homo evolution. Later humans became host to bedbugs from host extension.

Bed bugs were mentioned in traditional Greece as early as 400 BC, later it was suggested by Aristotle. During Pliny’s Natural History bedbugs were first announced as circa AD 77 in Rome, it was claimed that bed bugs had medicinal use for managing diseases like an ear disease and snake bites.

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are tiny insects without any wings and stay alive with the warm blood of a human. The adult bugs generally have reddish to brown color. They look flattened with an oval shape. The new bed begs are tinier like a poppy seed.

As beg bugs have a flat structure and tiny size, they easily hide in crevice and cracks. They lay eggs near your bed only. They got name bed bugs because they found only in bed. They often hide in sofa, mattresses, furniture, and clothing.

There are two species of bed bugs, such as Cimex-Hemipterus and Cimex lectularius, which live on human blood.

Causes of Bed Bug Influx

Normally, Bed bugs come from one place to another from luggage, furniture, and bedding. It is the reason you should be careful while buying second-hand mattresses and furniture.

The vacant home looks clean, but they may have bed bugs. These bed bugs quickly spread from one home to another from holes and hollows. They can also move from tubes and pipings.

Signs Bug Bites

Bed bugs are generally known to feed and spread while sleeping. They suck blood painless, or painful manners. These bugs enter some saliva in the human skin and suck the blood. When a bug sucks blood for more time, the person becomes more sensitive to that saliva chemical and get an allergic reaction.

Bed bugs bits in their rows and they bite 2-3 times in every row. Bug bite appears in between some days to two weeks. You will get the symptoms of red and raised dot in the skin. Some people may not have any symptoms, and it can be challenging to find the bits.

However, some people also feel nauseous and ill due to biting. Scratching the bite can increase the infection. Some people also get asthmatic or anaphylactic reactions from bed bug bites.

As you notice the symptoms, do not waste time and quickly try the following remedies to remove bed bugs.

Removing Bedbugs

Bedbugs measure only 5mm across, and they are tinier than a pencil eraser. These bugs are tough, smart, and reproduce fast. They know where to hide and skip detection. They stay alive between meals, and healthy bugs produce 500 eggs in their lifetime.

No wonder these rubbish bloodsuckers lay waste in your home. If they come in your bed, then they bite you and cause itchy and red reactions on the body.

Luckily, you can remove the bed bugs from your home. Have patience and practice careful methods to remove bedbugs. There are some methods to remove bugs that need your effort and time. You need to try some different non-chemical and chemical approaches if you have a large invasion.

There are some factors, which cause bedbugs difficult to remove. You may experience a difficult time to get rid of bed bug clutter. Traveling, again and again, is the main reason to bring bed bugs in your home through luggage.

If you are unable to remove them on your own, then you will require to call professional. Here is some guide to remove bedbugs.

Step 1: Identify All Crowded Areas

When you notice bedbugs, the first thing to find their shelters before they can reproduce. It can be more easy and cheaper to remove the small crowds of bugs than the bigger infestations. You may also find trouble to hunt for smaller bugs infestations.

You can search for yourself or try hiring a professional to perform an inspection. Some experts use trained dogs to find out bed bugs by their smell.

As bedbugs are small and have narrow bodies, they easily hide in tiny spots such as a couch, mattress, and curtain folds. You can also check the following places.

• Box spring mattress tags
• Cracks of headboard and bed frame
• Baseboards
• Between couch cushions
• Furniture joints
• Inside of electrical outlets
• Loose wallpaper
• Underneath wall posters and paintings
• In between wallpaper and ceiling

Try using magnifying glass and flashlight to search these areas.

You can notice the bedbugs with the following signs

• Dark spots of bedbug droppings
• Live bedbugs with a reddish color
• Red stains on the mattress as bugs get crushed
• Tiny, pale yellow eggs or eggs shells of yellowish bugs shed.

Once you find a live bedbug, keep it a sealed jar with one tsp rubbing alcohol to kill them.

Step 2: Have the Infestation

As you know you have bedbugs, try to keep them contained to remove them. Trap them with a quick and easy method using a vacuum. Run a vacuum cleaner over the hiding places, including the following places.

• Dresser
• Bed
• Electronic such as TVs
• Carpets

Seal your vacuumed content in a good plastic bag and throw it miles away. Then clean your vacuum thoroughly.

Try sealing up all the lines and infected clothes in plastic bags till you wash them. Wash these clothes with hard was using high temperature and dryer. If your item can not be washed, then keep it outside in the highest sunlight or heat setting area.

If there are things that cannot be washed, then keep it’s in the plastic bags and keep away for moths till the bugs die.

Regarding your furniture, throw it away from home. Open all parts and do spray paints and clean it.

Step 3: Prepare for Bedbug Removal

Before you begin to remove bedbugs from home, do some preparation work to reduce the odds of getting success. Make sure you have cleaned all the carpets, linens, drapes, clothing, and hiding places.

Remove bedbug from hiding places. Pick up magazines, books, clothes, and everything lying over the floor and under the bed.

Throw out whatever possible. Do not move anything from bugs crowded place because it may spread everywhere.

Seal and open the areas. Remove the movable wallpaper from the wall. Seal the cracks in baseboard and furniture in your home. Open up the electrical outlets.

Try moving your bed 6-inches away from the wall so the bedbugs cannot climb up.

Step 4: Kill the bedbugs

Clean Home

First, try removing bedbugs without using chemicals. You can easily kill the bugs using high heat, nearly 115°F (46°C) or extreme cold with 32°F (less than 0°C).

Here are some ways to clean the home.

Applying Heat or Laundry

Use a cloth dryer to remove the beg bugs crowd from your things like shoes, toys, clothing, and bedding. The portable heating device can also help, which are designed for killing bed bugs, including eggs.

Vacuum Cleaning

Try to do the vacuuming in the infested areas to remove bed bugs. Use proper vacuum in the crevice and crack on baseboards, furniture, rails, bed stands, bedding edges, buttons, and carpets.

Caution

Skip using a bristle attachment as it moves the attached bugs to another place. Take out the trash can to dispose of vacuum cleaner bags.

Rubbing Alcohol

Ingredients

• A sprayer
• Rubbing Alcohol

Instructions

• Sprinkle some rubbing alcohol in the sprayer.
• Spray the rubbing alcohol in all corners where you see the bed bug shelters.
• Use rubbing alcohol over the surface as a repel to bed bugs.
• Practice this remedy every day until all bed bugs get killed.

How Does This work?

According to the evidence of anecdotal, rubbing alcohol helps kill bed bugs by dissolving cells. It also works as a good repellent.

Caution:

Rubbing alcohol may cause stains over the fabrics. Hence, perform a patch test before using it on infested fabric.

5.Dryer Sheets with Fragrance

Dryer sheets with fragrance have soft fabric and make your bedding and cloth softer. They remove electrostatic charges that stay on top of washed fabrics and repel bed bugs. However, dryer sheets only prevent and reduce bed bugs.

6.Sealing Crevices and Cracks

Sealing all crevices and cracks helps to remove bed bugs from coming in your home. It also prevents the bugs from spreading in another home. Caulk is a famous material that helps to seal the cracks. It is generally used for sealing the leakage in structures or piping.

7.Disinfect and Clean

Cleaning and disinfecting infested parts by laundering clothing, linens, vacuuming, scrubbing from heating devices help to prevent bed bugs. You can perform this yourself or take the help of pest control.

8.Essential Oils

Ingredients

• Rubbing alcohol – 8 ounce
• Cedar oil or lemongrass oil – 10-15
• Spray

Instruction

• Include 10-15 drops of cedar or lemongrass oil in rubbing alcohol.
• Add this mix in a sprayer.
• Spray this mix in corners of your home.
• Do this remedy every day to remove bed bugs

How Does This work?

The essential oil has a strong aroma that helps to repel bed bugs and kill them. Studies issued in Journal Insects tell that pesticide containing essential oil helps lower the bed bugs.

Caution:

Rubbing alcohol may stain the fabrics. Therefore, it is advised to test before doing spray over the infested fabric.

9.Kidney Bean Leaves

Ingredients

• Leaves of Kidney Beans

Instructions

• Put some kidney bean leaves everywhere in the infested area of bed bugs.
• Trap the bed bugs and dispose of used leaves.
• Note: It is suggested to destroy the bugs before deploying to prevent extra infestations.
• Practice this method once in a few days till all bugs get eliminated.

How does this work?

Kidney bean plant leaves contain microscopic hook type hairs known as trichomes. Trichomes trap the bed bugs stabbing their feet.

10.Diatomaceous Earth

Ingredients

• Diatomaceous earth

Instructions

• Pour some diatomaceous earth in all corners of your home.
• Practice this remedy once in some days till bed bugs get killed.
• You may do this once every few days until you get rid of all the bed bugs.

How does this work?

Diatomaceous earth is one of the non-toxic remedies, but it works effectively to remove bed bugs. Constant exposure to diatomaceous earth helps to destroy adult bugs in 9-10 days.

Prevent Bed Bugs

Once you successfully remove the bed bugs, practice the following prevention.

• Try to avoid purchasing second-hand mattresses and furniture.
• If you plan to purchase second-hand things, check for signs and bugs infestations.
• Decrease the clutter at your home.
• Do vacuum cleaning frequently.
• Be careful while buying a shared laundry.
• Cover the power outlets.
• Clean your pets for bed bug infestation.
• Regularly clean your furniture.

These are helpful life-saving tips for getting rid of creepy bed bugs. They prevent further infestation of bed bugs in your home.

Practice caution while doing these prevention. If you are unable to remove bed bugs with the above methods, then call pest control and avoid further problems.

Chemical And Non-Chemical Treatments

Insecticides help to prevent bed bugs at home. Try to find products that are registered with EPA, and they should be marked as bedbugs.

Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are common chemicals to kill bedbugs. Still, some of the bedbugs remain resistant to these chemicals.

Pyrroles: Chlorfenapyr help to kill bedbugs by destroying their cells.

Neonicotinoids are nicotine version made by man. They destroy the bug’s nervous system. This chemical works effectively for bedbugs resistant to any other pesticides.

Desiccants are elements that kill the bugs’ outer layer. There are two types of desiccants, such as diatomaceous earth and silica aerogel. The benefits of desiccants that it prevents bedbugs less resistant. These products may take some months to kill the bugs.

Bug bombs or Foggers helps to kill bedbugs, but they may not enter in the crevices and cracks where the bugs hide. It can be toxic to humans if used inappropriately. Make sure to read the product label carefully. Go out of the room before setting a fogger.

Plant-based oil products such as Bed bug PATROL and EcoRaider are less toxic than the chemical insecticides and work effectively for removing bedbugs.

Health Problems Occurred by Bed Bugs

Bedbugs are the most annoying problem and cause serious health problems. These bugs bite anybody and suck out the blood. It leaves red bumps over the skin and causes itchiness. There are mild treatments that help to reduce itching, but other problems remain active if not treated properly. Here are the health problems you might experience.

Allergic Reaction

Some people experience mild to extreme allergies reaction from the bedbug bites. It is a similar reaction like a bee-stung. If you are allergic to bedbugs, immediately get medical help.

Infection

It is especially rare that bed bug causes infections. However, some people may experience infections from pest bites. As you scratch, the germs and pathogens infect the wound. Make sure to check that bed bugs are not causing infections.

Insomnia

Bed bugs are active in the night so, they wait until you sleep in the bed. While bite, it may be mild irritation and cause you to wake up from the middle of your deep sleep. Frequent waking from sleep causes your health issues like insomnia, irritability, depression, anxiety, loss of appetite, psychosis, and difficulty focusing.

Additionally, it harms your health, and bed bugs can be a social stigma. People may feel awkward to visit your house as they don’t want to get the bed bugs to their homes.

You might also feel hesitant to go out as you may do not like to spread the bed bugs. As these creatures attach over cloths, they will easily spread everywhere. It is best to remove and kill them as soon as possible.

Healing BedBug-Bite

Most of the time, bedbug bite may not threat your health. However, it can cause constant irritation and distress and pain. The first thing you have to do is clean the bitten area with mild soap and clean water. Let soap over the irritation area to relieve the discomfort and itchiness. You can also try anti-itching nominal cream to lessen itchiness.

If you are using any OTC cream, then follow the given instructions on the pack. If you still feel the pain, do contact your doctor and get bug bite treatments.

Take Doctor’s Help

If you are experiencing extreme distress, then taking the doctor’s help is a good idea. Proper diagnosis is essential to reduce the effects of bits. The bed bug bite may look like other insect bites. Therefore, you need to inspect your home.

Your doctor will prescribe strong medications such as corticosteroid ointments (topical), which will lower the itching. These ointments will be more powerful than general OTC.

Generally, a doctor’s help is not necessary, but it is important if you get blister’s reactions.

Is Unorganized Living Increase Bedbugs?

Bed bugs infestation is common, and they are not linked to sanitation levels. The cleanest area can also have a large bug infestation and improving your sanitation level will not remove them. Cluttered conditions make bed bugs easier to shelter near humans. Everyone is at risk if they have bed bugs at their home.

Can Bed Bugs Cause Any Serious Physical Problem?

According to scientists, a natural infestation of bed bugs is common. They have been documented in 28 different types of human pathogens in human bodies. However, studies have shown that bed bugs may not transmit any infection during a lab test. They also not transmit human disease.

As bed bug sucks the blood, they leave saliva to contain reactions causing proteins in humans. The timing and severity of the bite will cause an allergic response. The allergy response is also different from person to person. Typical reactions include minor swelling, skin reddening, itching, and inflammation.

A person with repeated bed bugs bite may get reddish and uncomfortable itchy welts, which reduces sleep quality.

If You Are the Owner of The Home and Bugs Population, Is Cleaning Necessary?

Generally, people prefer to call pest management professional in U.S urban areas. Unfortunately, cleaning the home will not help. As mentioned above, you need to clean and find all the hiding places.

General people may not know how to remove the bugs and how they infest in less time. They should require to use a labeled insecticide to work effectively for controlling bugs in the U.S.

The U.S. EPA recommended insecticide products that are presently labeled against bed bugs that should be used in a proper way to get effective results. If you have complete knowledge of bedbugs and its home remedy, then only do this because without knowledge doing anything could increase the manifestation.

Why Is It Difficult To Remove Bed Bugs?

As we mentioned above in this article, the common bed bugs are tiny thin and easily disappear in a narrow place. They become active only in the night time to suck the blood. They have a routine to travel at 20-foot space from their hiding places in a night. Bedbugs are more adaptable and move quicker to skip from human eyes.

Additionally, there is a report from ancient literature that tells certain infestation of bed bugs have grown physiological resistance to particular chemicals like insecticides and made reduce the effectiveness of these products.

How to Avoid Bed Bugs When You Regularly Visit Hotels?

One of the best things you can do when entering a hotel room is to inspect everywhere before keeping your bags. Also, check the bedding and bed headboard, nightstand, luggage holding rack, drawer, dresser drawer, closet shelves, and carpets. Check everything within the 5-feet away from the bed.

If you notice anything of bed bugs, report to hotel management for quick action. Moving to another room cannot be the solution you have to inspect another room again. While checking out, it is important to inspect your luggage and find the signs of bugs.

Laundering your cloth with hot water and detergent and drying over high heat may kill the bugs. Still keep these cloths used in a hotel in a separate packet, which prevents by chance entered bugs from spreading.

Safeguard Your Suitcase

Try wrapping your bags with a trash bag during trips. It will prevent bedbug’s infestation during vacation. Wrap your whole suitcase with a trash bag just before you can check in the hotel. Instead of keeping your language over the floor, try to keep over extra beds.

After arriving back home from vacation, make sure to vacuum your suitcase before entering the bags in the home.

Clean Your All Clothes After A Trip/Vacation

After arriving from your trip or vacation, make sure to wash your all cloths even if you did not use any. It will prevent bed bugs from entering in your closet. Bed bugs are more attracted to dirty clothes mentioned by Nature study of 2017.

After coming back home, wash your clothes using hot water to kill the bugs. It will prevent the bed bug infestation from clothes to home.

Hope, you got the complete knowledge of bed bugs and way to get rid of it. Keep patience and remove the bed bugs with the proper strategy listed above. Additionally, keep your home clutter-free, remove unnecessary things, which hold space, and become a shelter for bugs. Practice all the ways to remove bed bugs and always be clean to prevent infestation.