DIY bed bug control: Yes or No

A bedbug infestation can cause menace in your home and make it inhabitable. These blood-sucking pests can make it difficult for you to sleep.

If you find your home infested, you may wonder, can you get rid of the bugs yourself or do you need a professional to do it?

Well, this article has DIY bed bug information to guide you.

Bed bugs multiply very fast and you can move from finding a few of them to a full infestation in a short period. That’s why DIY bed bug treatment may not work, and you may need to work with an exterminator.

However, there are DIY bed bug control measures you can take to reduce the level of infestation before an exterminator arrives and to keep the bed bugs from coming back after treatment

Wash Your Bedding with Hot Water

Bed bugs are common in beds. Therefore, if you wake up with bites on your arms, back, and neck, chances are, there are bedbugs in your bed. If you inspect further, you may find the bugs or their eggs.

To minimize their numbers, wash your bed linen with hot water and dry them at high temperatures. Store the cleaned bedding in disposable bags so they don’t get contaminated again with bed bugs.

Vacuum Your Home

Vacuuming can help to slow down the bedbug infestation. Vacuum all the areas of your home where the bedbugs are likely to hide. Start with the bed and vacuum it thoroughly covering all the areas such as the headboard, the mattress, bed frames, and any cracks.

Vacuum the furniture and focus on joints, seams, and cracks where the bedbugs are likely to hide. Vacuum the whole house including the floors, wall joints, and carpets.

Use disposable bags to vacuum and after you are done seal them in plastic bags and place them in a sealed trash can outdoors.

Isolate the Bed

One of the common places the bed bugs infest is the bed. Most people think that getting rid of the bed can reduce the number of bedbugs. Unfortunately, the infestation continues since the bugs may have infested the other parts of the home.

However, you can isolate the bed bug making it difficult for the bugs to go into and out of the bed. It can remain where it is but you place bedbug frame cups around the bed’s feet. This way, the bedbugs will fall into these cups while trying to get into bed.

Treat the Mattress

The mattress is another favorite place for bedbugs. By treating it, you can get rid of the bedbugs and their eggs. You can remove the bedbugs using a brush and then vacuum them including the areas surrounding them such as the headboard and floor. Put the vacuum bag in a sealed plastic bag and place it outdoors in a sealed trash can so that the bedbugs don’t get out. Cover the mattress with zippered protectors to prevent re-infestation.

Apply Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth kills bed bugs by dehydration. Apply it on the bed frames, mattress, and furniture. Use enough of it but not too much. To be effective, use it together with other methods such as washing clothes and linen in high temperatures as well as vacuuming to get the best results.

Is it a yes or no for DIY bed bug control? It’s a yes. Bed Bug control helps to reduce the level of infestation in your home before and after treatment. However, it doesn’t completely eradicate the bedbugs, and it’s best to consult a professional exterminator to do the extermination.