If bedbugs have already invaded your home, the best way to eliminate them is to hire a professional exterminator. If you cannot afford one, you may still be able to kill bedbugs on your own. Most people find this to be quite a daunting task, however. You will need to spend a lot of time methodically cleaning your home and just about everything contained in it. There are many insecticides you can purchase that will aid in killing the bugs, but they should be used in addition to thorough cleaning, not as a substitute for it.
Hiring pest control experts to kill bedbugs is generally the most effective solution. They will most likely ask you to prepare your home in advance of the exterminator’s arrival. Since the insects like to hide in dark places, you should expose areas where the bugs are most likely to seek shelter. For example, picture frames, dresser drawers, and even inside light-switch plates, which bedbugs will often use as a safe-haven.
If you choose to kill bedbugs without hiring an exterminator, you will need to do a lot housecleaning. You should start with the bedroom. The most effective way to begin is to wash all of your bed sheets, comforters, blankets, rugs, clothing, and even drapes, in very hot water. Temperatures above 115°F (about 46°C) is generally required in order to kill bedbugs. Hot, dry steam also works well.
Then, disassemble bedroom furniture so you can locate the pests’ hiding places, which can often be found in and around the mattress, box spring, and even the metal frame support. Clean everything very well with hot water. If there is carpeting in this room, you should vacuum it and then change the bag. Bedbugs are very small and are capable of finding their way out of vacuum cleaner bags and back into the home. Additionally, steam cleaning your carpets and upholstery is also recommended.
Bedbugs can often be found in other parts of the house, too. For this reason, meticulous cleaning of each room will be necessary. You should inspect all of your furniture to make sure bedbugs are not hiding in other areas. If there are any holes or cracks in the wall, fill them with caulking, since the little pests may hide in the small spaces. It is important to locate and treat all areas of the household in order for your hard work to pay off and effectively kill bedbugs.
