How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs Without Toxic Products
Bed bugs are disgusting pests that can inhabit not just your bed and bedroom, they can make their home all over your house, including in your carpeting, drapery, furniture, decor and even inside your walls. These pests can multiply and eventually take over your home. They feed off of human blood, and even animals in your home and can leave you with itchy bumps all over your body. Preventing these pests is key, but if you happen to already have them in your home, there are ways to get rid of them that doesn't include using toxic sprays. See below for helpful tips on how to get rid of bedbugs.
Inspect Your Home
In order to get rid of these pests, you first have to know if you have them. Inspect your home by first pulling up the bedding and looking closely at your mattress. These bugs are only about the size of an apple seed as an adult, so you'll need to look carefully for them. Use a magnifying glass if need be, and look in the crevices of your mattress, including around the plastic corners. If you notice any at all on the mattress, keep inspecting. Pull off the mattress and check the box spring (if you have one), then look around the walls near your bed and around outlets. Carefully check around edges of your carpeting, on dressers and night stands, as well as on decorative objects such as lamps, fans and wall decor. If you see a lot of bed bugs in these areas, chances are you may have an infestation inside your home. Check the rest of your home in the same manner.
Get Rid Of The Bugs
Kill any bug you see. This may take you some time, but it needs to be done. Kill them using a paper towel, then put the dead bugs into a garbage bag. Seal the bag and the paper towel (or whatever you used to kill them), and toss the bag into the garbage outside of your home.
Wash Bedding And Clothing
If you had bed bugs in your bed, clean your bedding using as hot of water as possible. Wash all bedding including pillowcases, mattress covers and everything else. Also wash curtains and any clothing where you may have seen bed bugs.
Remove Clutter And Vacuum
Take out all clutter around your room and in other rooms of your home where you have seen bed bugs. Remove as much clutter from the floor and around your bedroom including clothing, extra pillows and blankets. Then vacuum your entire house thoroughly, making sure to also vacuum closely to wall edges.
Use A Mattress Cover
Invest in a plastic cover for your mattress and box spring. The plastic cover will help prevent bed bugs from getting back into your bed. You can find these bed bugs at your local mattress stores, or at a big box store. Also be sure to pull the mattress away from the bed frame, then pull the bed frame away from the wall. Use a shallow dish for the bed frame legs to sit in to help prevent bed bugs from climbing up the frame.
Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth
Look for this at your local hardware store or gardening center and sprinkle it around your carpeting, bed frame and even on your mattress. Allow it to sit, then vacuum it up with your vacuum. It helps kill bed bugs, in addition to other types of bugs.
Get rid of bed bugs and prevent them from returning. Contact a professional exterminator to get rid of these bugs if you're having a problem getting rid of them yourself.