What NOT to do when you have bed bugs

 



Bed Bugs suck!

Bed bugs are creepy. They are like tiny little vampires that crawl into bed with you and suck your blood. You feel violated, grossed out, maybe even angry and all you want to do is set your house on fire and walk away. Yes, they are frustrating. Yes, they are nasty. But, there are ways to get rid of them that don't require a gallon of gasoline and a box of matches.

First, let me just say that the fact that you have bed bugs does not make you a dirty person. It is probably not your fault that you got them (unless you are allowing complete strangers to crash in your bed, then it probably is your fault). Most likely, you were unlucky enough to have one hitchhike its way back home with you from a hotel you were staying or from sitting in a chair where they were nesting. So, don't buy into the stigma that there is something to be ashamed about because there is not. You got them. That's it. Let's deal with it.

Now, these little blood sucker are unfortunately very hard to get rid of. It is my opinion that it is near impossible to exterminate them without some of the stronger products that require a pesticide license to purchase. This article is NOT about how to use mint seed oil and cedar chips to get rid of bed bugs because I have never seen those methods actually work. At my company, we believe in "Green" pest control and use it whenever we can, but natural pest control products are just not going to cut it. That is not to say that the products that I am going to suggest to you are in any way "unsafe", they are just not the plant based products that we might suggest on a different, less difficult pest. Also, a can of raid or a bug bomb is not going to get the job done either and is actually just a waste of money. It just will not work. What I am suggesting is that you call me or someone like me in the pest control industry to get this problem handled for you.

But, regardless if you take that bit of advice, I at least want to walk you through some things NOT to do when you have a bed bug infestation

-Don't wait too long to get a professional out to treat. Bed bugs reproduce quickly and you can have a small problem turn into a big problem in just a couple of weeks. The bed bug infestations that I have gotten rid of the quickest are the ones that just started. If you allow them to reproduce and get deeper into the cracks and crevices of your home, it makes in exponentially harder.

-Don't throw away your mattress. If it is really bad, we might end up suggesting this, but not in the beginning. It is unlikely that all of the bed bugs are confined to the mattress anyway and by hauling that big mattress through the house, you are potentially spreading the infestation all over. Usually a mattress cover is an excellent idea and will be even more effective than throwing the thing away anyway.

-Don't sleep in a different room. Bed bugs are attracted to carbon dioxide and will follow you. So, instead of having an infestation in just one room, you now have it in two or three. This sounds horrible, but staying put is the best thing for you. Once you apply pest products , the best thing you could do is stay in your bed and let the disgusting things come to you, cross the spray and die a few days later.

-Don't use bug bombs. I already mentioned that these are not going to work, but more than that, they are actually counter productive. Basically they just kick out a light repellent with very little residual. It rarely ever kills any bed bugs and then just pushes them deeper into walls, cracks, crevices, etc making it even harder to get them under control later on.

-Don't freak out. I know that this one is hard because they are so creepy. I believe that the hardest part of a bed bug infestation to get rid of is the mental agony. Long after they are gone, you will think you still feel them crawling on you. Try to stay calm and know that we will get these suckers under control. If you call me, just know that I have never come across an infestation that I couldn't get exterminated. So, even know you feel super creeped out right now, we can beat these guys!

I hope that this advice is helpful to you. If you are ready to contact me to help you get it under control or just to ask a few questions, I welcome the call. Also, mention that you read this article and use the coupon code (BB 222) and receive $50 off your bed bug treatment.  Or, you can use the coupon above with coupon code (BB 101).