Do you have plans to get bed bugs exterminated from your home? The kind of treatment and inspection to be performed determines the specific stages and conditions that must be met for bed bug preparation. The following are some general procedures you may do to assist your exterminator in efficiently carrying out their job.
1. Bedrooms
First, take everything out from under the bed so it can be inspected. Second, remove all the sheets and linens from your beds, cots, sleeper sofas, cribs, and any other places you sleep, and then wash and dry them as needed. Take the box springs and mattresses from the bed frame and position them against the wall. It would be best to leave any foldable beds, cots, or sofas that convert to beds open for treatment.
2. Cabinets and other Furnishings
Move the furniture away from walls and baseboards at a minimum of two feet distance. This will make it easier for the exterminator to treat those spots that are difficult to access and are familiar hiding places for bed bugs.
Empty bookcases and look through the books for any evidence of bed bugs, paying specific attention to the spines of hardcover books. You will want to empty pretty much everything and investigate the objects that are stored in bookcases. Desk drawers should be emptied, and the contents of those drawers should be placed on the desk’s top surface.
Some shoes, like sneakers, may withstand being washed, while other footwear, like dress shoes, should be left in the apartment while it is being treated. Make sure that any suitcases or types of luggage are open and easily accessible to the professionals performing pest control.
Electronics may be left in the home in most circumstances; however, they should be turned off and unplugged before doing so.
3. Walls and Floors
All treated areas should have clear floors. Decluttering increases exterminator access and lowers bed bug hiding spots. Behind picture frames and mirrors on walls, you may locate bed bugs. Check your walls for bed bug spots and notify your exterminator if you see any.
4. Pets
Clean and cover pet food dishes. Pet bedding should be cleaned thoroughly. During service, remove fish tanks. Birds and reptiles should be deserted for 24 hours.
5. Kitchens
Put dishes, glassware, utensils, food, cleaning materials, etc., in sealed bags or containers.
Opened cereal, crackers, cookies, sugar, flour, spices, canisters, etc., should be refrigerated or sealed in plastic bags. Empty garbage, and recycling bins, and dispose of paper/plastic grocery/shopping bags.
6. Washroom
Bring your laundry to the laundromat in sealed, biodegradable plastic bags to protect others.
Anything that can be cleaned in hot water and dried on high for 20-50 minutes will destroy bed bugs and eggs. Whatever can’t be washed should be dried on high or cleaned at a bed bug facility. This includes curtains, cushions, pet bedding, plush animals, futon coverings, and dirty and clean garments. Newly cleaned objects should be sealed and stored separately. Airtight garment storage bags can assist.
Elimination of badly contaminated areas is a task that should be left to the professionals. Vinx Pest Control has been exterminating insects for decades, and we are confident that we can rid your home of bedbugs. Contact us right now to find out how we may assist you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Take everything out from under the bed so the area can be inspected. Strip all sheets and linens from beds, cots, sleeper sofas, and cribs, then wash and dry them. Pull the mattress and box spring off the frame and stand them against the wall, and leave foldable beds and convertible sofas open so they can be treated.
Move furniture at least two feet away from walls and baseboards so the technician can reach the hard-to-access spots bed bugs favor. Empty bookcases and inspect the books, especially the spines of hardcovers, and empty desk drawers onto the desktop. Open suitcases and luggage so they are accessible, and leave electronics in the home but turned off and unplugged.
Yes. Every area being treated should have clear floors, since clutter both blocks access and gives bed bugs more places to hide. Also check behind picture frames and wall mirrors, and point out any spots you find to your technician before treatment starts.
Bag laundry in sealed plastic bags before carrying it out so you do not spread bugs to others. Anything washable in hot water and dried on high for 20 to 50 minutes will kill bed bugs and their eggs. Items that cannot be washed can still go through a high-heat dryer or be taken to a bed bug treatment facility, and freshly cleaned items should be sealed and stored separately, ideally in airtight garment bags.
Clean and cover pet food dishes and wash pet bedding thoroughly, remove fish tanks during service, and plan for birds and reptiles to be out of the home for 24 hours. In the kitchen, seal dishes, glassware, utensils, food, and cleaning supplies in bags or containers, and refrigerate or bag opened cereal, crackers, sugar, flour, and spices. Empty the garbage and recycling and get rid of paper and plastic grocery bags.