Comprehensive Guide to Effective Pest Control Solutions

Bed Bug Pest Control Strategies: Finding the Best Treatment

Bed bugs are a true pest, invading what’s meant to be the most comfortable parts of our homes and leaving us with uncomfortable, itchy bites. If you are suffering from an infestation in your home, it may seem like a professional extermination is your only option. Still, there are many effective ways to deal with the problem yourself.

We’ve put together this blog to break down the basics and cover some simple DIY bedbug treatment options.

Bed Bug Control Basics

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are a relatively common pest in Australia, named for their preferred hiding/feeding spot, although they’ve been known to house themselves in sofas and other pieces of furniture as well. These tiny wingless insects generally complete all their work at night, coming out of hiding in the evening to feed on their meal ticket, namely you.

They’re known for populating quickly when they have a steady supply of food, spreading countless eggs across their habitats in no time at all. Most are a flattish-oval shape, coloured a light brown, while they’re known for becoming red and engorged directly after feeding.

Detecting Bedbugs

Sadly, it’s hard to detect bed bugs prior to them becoming a real problem, but there are definitely some telltale signs that you can look out for to start doing away with an infestation as soon as possible. You’ll generally find them around the seams of your mattresses or on the bed frame in the early days of an infestation; however, once they’ve spread, they will make their way into as many nooks and crannies as they can. They may also leave the bed and set up nests in areas such as the carpet or powerpoints.

While bedbug larvae and eggs are almost invisible to the naked eye, adult bedbugs themselves are around the size of an apple seed (1-5mm), meaning spotting them isn’t impossible. Still, as stated before, they’re basically nocturnal. A sign to look out for includes brown or reddish marks on your sheets, duvets, and upholstery – these can be either squashed bedbugs full of blood or spots where they’ve chosen to excrete. If an infestation is particularly bad, there may be an offensive, sweet, and sticky odour given off by the nest.

Leading Causes of Bed Bugs

These nasty pests are usually picked up from somewhere outside the home and brought in through luggage, purses, and backpacks. Another common way that they find new homes is by travelling in on used furniture and upholstered items or from adjoining apartments through the powerpoints.

Unlike many other pests, bedbugs aren’t attracted to spaces with decay or filthy organic matter build-ups. Instead, they will stay where they can source food, meaning once they get in your home and on your bed, your body is all they’ll need to be convinced to stay.

Bed Bug Bites

Bedbugs feed on human and animal blood, meaning, of course, that they bite. Reactions to bites will vary from person to person, with some feeling little to nothing from a bite, even in its aftermath, while others may suffer from uncomfortable, irritating, and itchy spots across their bodies. The bites themselves will often be found in uniform rows rather than randomly distributed in patches. If a bite is allergic, the bites can cause larger red welts and even anaphylactic shock in very severe cases.

Because the bites contain a natural anesthetic, it’s uncommon for someone to feel a bedbug bite in the moment; however, the after-effects are genuinely distressing. Bedbug bites are shown to cause severe anxiety and stress issues when it comes to sleep, making it very difficult for people to relax in bed properly. Getting rid of bed bugs is equally essential to your mind as it is for your body.

Now that we know better, let’s take a look at some of the ways you can get rid of these bloodsuckers, ideally in a DIY context, without having to incur the cost and inconvenience of an exterminator or fumigator.

Bed Bug Control

If you’re looking to complete a DIY bedbug eradication, you’re unlikely to achieve it comprehensively with just one method. You can take multiple steps to deal with a bed bug infestation and prevent another one, and they generally work better in combinations than they might in isolation. The methods include the use of chemicals, temperature control, and hygiene practices.
It’s important to note that while the chemical sprays used by most exterminators do a good job of killing the adults, they do little to stem the lives of unborn eggs, which can still come to fruition after incubation periods of up to 2 weeks. If you’re dealing with an infestation, you need to get the eggs as well.

What Kills them Instantly?

A few things will kill bedbugs, including besprays, powder, and even alcohol, but if you want to kill them in a flash, then your best bet is using steam. Bed bugs and their eggs can’t withstand temperatures higher than 122°F (50°C), which is why a good steaming is a near surefire way to deal with an infestation.

Steam naturally appears at 212°F (100°C), meaning that a thorough application of steam to your bed and furniture’s folds and crevices, perhaps after employing some other methods, could easily kill the bed bugs and eggs instantly. Steam is also a preferable option when compared to bedbug poison, as it leaves behind no chemical remnants.

Non-Chemical and Non-Temperature Based Methods

Now you may be wondering, “How do you kill bedbugs without steam or chemicals?” which is what we’re going to expand on now. Methods for dealing with bed bugs that have been growing in popularity are the use of furniture accessories and tools that make it harder to access the beds themselves and/or survive the conditions of the bed. Products like barriers that block access to the bed via the legs are becoming increasingly common. Similarly, mattress encasements that trap bedbugs inside, starving them and keeping them from spreading, are also available in the modern market.

Now, these may not come across as solutions that kill and eradicate bedbugs comprehensively, but they are options that can provide your bed with a sense of security so you can, at the very least, rest easy at night. Used in conjunction with one another, an encasement and a barrier might be everything you need to regain a comfortable night of sleep.

Permanent Treatment – Adults and Eggs

When it comes to permanently dealing with bed bugs and their eggs, your best course of action is hitting your compromised furniture and spaces with a variety of different home techniques. Begin with a thorough search of your bed, mattress, and bed frame, along with any other potential hiding spots for the critter collective. Once you’ve identified their habitats with some certainty, it’s time to start getting rid of them.

Once you feel you’ve expended all potential hiding spots, going through each of them meticulously with a vacuum cleaner is a solid way of removing both the bugs and their eggs; however, it’s vital to remember to throw the bag away outside as to avoid suffering another infestation. Alongside, or in place of a vacuum cleaning, you can use an organic powder or spray to kill off any straggling bugs. Once each of these processes is complete, a good steaming will never go amiss, being one of the most reliable ways to kill the bugs and their eggs.

In particularly severe cases, it might be appropriate to completely dispose of compromised furniture. Removing the bed frame, mattress, or sofa from which the problem started might be one of the key steps in getting the fresh start you need. Remember to label the furniture clearly, so as not to spread the infestation to an unassuming furniture enthusiast who thinks they’ve stumbled upon a great street find.

But if you don’t want to throw out furniture, then you can use the Bed Bug Barrier system that treats the bed only, with killer bed leg barriers that kill all the bedbugs in your room at night when they leave your furniture to access your bed.

How to Prevent these Nocturnal Vampiers

At Bed Bug Barrier, you can purchase our Luggage Encasements to effectively encase your bags, clothing and belongings whilst travelling, preventing bedbugs from hitching a ride inside your luggage and into your home or hotel.

Restrict Bedbugs

Bed Bug Barrier also provides barrier solutions to restrict the spread of within your home or between neighbouring dwellings. Stop the movements between rooms using our eco-friendly Killer powder in powerpoints. Block bedbugs from crawling into your bed using our Floor Barrier and Screw-in Barrier.

Exterminate the Bedbugs

Finally, the most critical part of a successful control system is an effective, safe, and long-term treatment. Don’t waste thousands of dollars on pest controllers that can use harmful chemicals that don’t provide guaranteed solutions. Bedbug Killer Powder is a natural, non-toxic treatment that provides years of ongoing protection. For the instant killing of bed bugs and their eggs, look no further than our Steamer. With the domestic Steamer, you will see instant results using no toxic chemicals, providing a treatment solution at a fraction of the cost of commercial steam cleaning approaches.

Final Thoughts

Bed bugs are a truly disgusting and frustrating pest to find yourself dealing with, but with a better knowledge of what you’re looking for, some easy DIY techniques, and even some great value products to look out for, you should be better equipped to cope with them than ever before.

Of course, professional exterminations might do the job, but they’re expensive, powered by harsh chemicals, and often leave your home uninhabitable for days on end. Before you reach in your pocket, use your head and follow some of these home guidelines. Sleep well guys.

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