Even though bed bugs have been a problem for many years, most of us have been able to keep them out of our homes. However, there is a growing concern in recent years over the increasing number of bed bug infestations in hotels and houses from coast to coast.
You know you have a bedbug problem if you:
- See them in your linens.
- Notice a slight musty smell, which comes from the bug’s glands.
- Find droppings or small specks on your bedding or if you find skins or shells that have been shed.
- Wake up with small, itching red marks on your skin.
If you find that you have a bedbug problem you may be tempted to throw out your bedding, including your mattress. These extreme measures are unnecessary, and will not solve the problem if the bedbugs are also in your carpet or elsewhere in your home. Let’s look at some of the steps that you can take to get rid of bed bugs in your mattress.
Remove and wash all bedding in hot water, then dry it on the highest dryer setting. Any stuffed animals in the bed should also be dried on high heat for at least thirty minutes. Nearby fabrics and upholstery, such as curtains, will also need to be washed and dried. Clear away all clutter from around your bed and wash anything that may have bed bugs in it. They like to hide in dark crevices.
Scrub your mattress with a stiff brush to loosen bed bug eggs, especially around the seams. Vacuum thoroughly around the bed, and then throw away the the stiff brush and vacuumed materials.
Dismantle your bed frame and scrub and vacuum it as well. Purchase a zippered cover for your mattress and box springs. After vacuuming, enclose your mattress and box springs with the protective cover. Keep the cover on your mattress for at least a year. Bed bugs can live that long without feeding.
You may now be safe from bed bugs if you have done a thorough job of cleaning your mattress and the surrounding area. However, if they have spread into other areas of your home then your bed bug problem could resurface.
To ensure that that the bed bugs are completely gone once and for all, you can hire an exterminator to get rid of them. Pest control technicians can inspect and treat your home to kill bed bugs. In some situations, a few treatments may be needed, and they will likely recommend some conventional measures to make sure that all of the bed bugs are eliminated.
