Bed Bug Infestations Do’s and Don’ts

The decisions that you will make as you are researching the treatment options available to you, or while you are preparing your house for treatment can, and will make a dramatic difference in keeping the bedbug infestation from getting worse.

Therefore you should consider the following before you do anything. This is effective advice based on our experience and observing the frightening consequences of customers who had already made serious errors before they called us. There is good news however, no matter what mistakes you may have already made; Beyond Pest Control can and will still help you get rid of these pesky little critters.

Let’s start with the don’ts. What NOT to do when you realize, or even think you have bedbugs

1. DO NOT THROW OUT YOUR FURNITURE OR YOUR MATTRESS.

YOU ARE SIMPLY THROWING YOUR MONEY AWAY. You also run the risk of dropping bedbugs and bedbug eggs with every step you take. Also that will not get rid of your problem. Not only will you still have bedbugs, but the expense of replacing the furniture that was thrown out, and paying for treatment as well. Don’t waste hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a new bed and furniture. Invest it in a treatment from Beyond Pest Control that comes with a warranty.

2. Do not move if you have bedbugs. Treat your place first or they will follow you.

The likelihood of bedbugs following you where you may move is 100%. If you do you can leave with only the clothes on your back and your most personal items, but be careful as bedbugs will still come along for the ride. It only takes one fertilized female (which is pregnant for the remainder of her life) or a few eggs to re-infest your new home and belongings. Once your home is properly treated, we then recommend that your do not move for a couple of months. If you move within those two months you risk taking the bed bugs with you.

3. Do not move your furniture or belongings from room to room.

If you do move your pillow, your blanket, or any clothes to another room, you risk spreading the problem to other areas of your house. If you need to sleep in a different room, go there with clean pajamas, clean bedding and clean pillows that were never in that affected area. If your child simply has to have that one stuffed toy to sleep, put it in a hot dryer at high heat for 30-40 minutes. The heat will kill anything that is living on the item.

DO NOT try to treat this problem yourself.

This is definitely a job for professionals, and here are some reasons why;

(1) There’s an abundance of products that you can buy at the local grocery store or hardware store that really should never be used inside a home, especially not on a bed or in a bedroom. Just because you can buy pesticides in a store does not make them safe to use inside your home. If possible you can do your research online and look up chemicals by their brand name to get a Material Safety Data Sheet.

(2) You can chase the bedbugs into other rooms or further into your furniture and wall voids. When you use a highly repellant chemical, the bedbugs will most likely be crawling up your walls. Also, the probable reactions between chemicals you have used could obstruct the hard work of your exterminator to get rid of the problem.

DO NOT think that freezing temperatures outdoors will kill your bedbugs.

The following are the DO’S. What TO DO when you realize, or even think you have bedbugs.These are things you can do until you professionally treat your home. The following are not substitute to a professional treatment, but they may reduce the number of bites and confine the spread of bedbugs.

Do carefully clean and de-clutter the rooms where you are getting bitten.

(1) Bedbugs find clutter irresistible because it makes moving around for them so much easier. It is about that time to throw away the things you will probably never use again. But remember, anything that is taken out of the infested room should be put inside plastic bags. Put all of your sheets and bedding in the dryer for about 30-40 minutes. Commercial dryers at your local Laundromats reach high temperatures and are particularly good for pillows, duvets, and bulky items.

(2) Place rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spray the braiding of your mattress, your headboard, and the box spring of your mattress. If you have wood surfaces that are finished with varnish or lacquer that may be damaged by the alcohol, test on a small section of furniture to see if it stains. Rubbing alcohol will kill on contact, but it does not stay on the surfaces to continue killing bedbugs. If you have visitors and they bring their suitcases, or if you return from trip, spray your suitcase and place all of your clothing items in a dryer for 30-40 minutes. Remember that the alcohol is a temporary fix, so you may be spraying repeatedly until we get there to properly treat the area.

(3) Place clean, light-colored sheets or mattress cover on the bed every day. Bedbugs don’t move too quickly, so fresh sheets will offer temporary resistance. When removing the sheet, roll it instead of just pulling it off, place them in a plastic bag to bring to the laundry room, and place them in a dryer for 30-40 minutes.

BEAR IN MIND that these Dos and Don’ts are only temporary measures.

These measures will reduce the likelihood of you getting bit and will hopefully minimize the spread of the infestation into the other rooms. Beyond Pest Control offers these tips so you don’t accidentally make matters worse. However, try not let theses temporary reduction of bites lead you into thinking the bedbugs are gone. Although there are some pests that homeowners can tackle on their own, bedbugs are one type pest that should definitely be handled by professional experts.

If you ever have any bug related issues in New York City, feel free to call us either at Beyond Pest Control. Once again, and I can’t stress this enough we are on call twenty four hours a day seven days a week to kill those bugs, we aren’t kidding whether you call us at 9 am or midnight we will be available to take your call and either get rid of the bug infestation, or answer any questions you may have concerning the bug issue. I can honestly guarantee that there will be someone to answer that call. We make it our business to make you bug free!

For more information check out the rest of our site and You can also from time to time find helpful hints on http://nypestpro.blogspot.com.

Beyond Pest Control.

Our pest control specialists service all NYC boroughs, including Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island (both Nassau & Suffolk counties), Staten Island and even both Westchester & Rockland counties.