What To Do After Bed Bug Treatments
If you've discovered a bed bug infestation in your home, the best thing to do is contact professional bed bug exterminators in Green Cove Springs, FL. Bed bugs can be extremely difficult to remove from your home, and professionals have both the expertise and tools needed to make sure the bed bugs and their eggs are all destroyed. Even professional treatments don't guarantee you'll never see a bed bug again; however, there are some things you can do after professional treatments to increase the likelihood of the treatment's success. Here are some things to think about.
Vacuum Properly
Where and when you vacuum is dependent on the type of bed bug treatment the technicians used. If insecticide dust or powders were used on the edges of carpet you'll need to wait to vacuum until given the okay. This is a common treatment method near the baseboards if there's carpet. If you only had thermal bed bug treatment, you should be able to vacuum right away. Vacuum the bed area every day and regularly vacuum the closets, drawers, and around the baseboards.
Avoid Used Furniture
Bed bugs are easily transported on luggage, clothing, and linens. But you can also end up with another bed bug infestation from used furniture. While it may be financially tempting to use previously owned beds or other furniture, this greatly increases your risk of another bed bug infestation because the bugs can live in tiny cracks in the furniture and then easily infest your home as well.
Stay On Top Of Laundry
Whether you have pesticide treatment, thermal treatment, or a combination of both treatments, it's important to make sure the treatment is successful by treating any clothing or linens that may have been affected by bed bugs. Try to stay on top of laundry and use the hottest water and drying temperature setting as possible. Heat is one of the most effective ways to kill bed bugs and eggs, which is why bed bug heat treatment in Green Cove Springs, FL, is becoming such a popular method. It's also a good idea to transport the laundry in a disposable plastic bag so that you can throw away the bag. Otherwise, you may actually spread the bed bugs to non-infected items through a reusable basket or laundry bag.
Replace Items
If you had to empty the closets and drawers as part of your bed bug treatment, wait until the pest control technicians tell you it's safe to replace the items. In the meantime, it's best to either steam clean these items or place them in a dryer on the highest heat setting just to be safe.
Cover Electrical Outlets
Bed bugs will get into any crack or crevice they can find, which includes electrical outlets. The covers to outlets and switches should be removed for treatments, so once the treatment is complete you should replace these covers.
Continue Monitoring
Finally, the pest control company should come to check for any remaining bed bugs a couple of times in the month following treatments. For additional peace of mind, you should encase your mattresses and box springs and you may also want to purchase bed bug monitoring devices to detect remaining bed bugs as early as possible. Contact Champion Termite & Pest Control today to learn about other options for preventing another bed bug infestation.
