Finding bed bugs in your home can be alarming. These pesky, often stubborn critters can be difficult to see—and even more challenging to eliminate once you realize they’re there. It’s important to act fast if you do find these bugs. Here’s how to handle the problem before it becomes a crisis.

A Guide to Dealing With Bed Bugs

1. Strip Your Bedding

Bed bugs may leave behind signs such as excrement stains, shells, or odors. Once you detect these signs, strip the bedding immediately and inspect every part of the bed. At this stage, you’ll want to check the corners of the mattress, the seams of the box spring, and even the bed frame. Note that it might be difficult to spot these minuscule bugs on the frame, but pest control companies can detect them. Wash all of your bedding in hot water and make sure it’s dried on the highest setting. The mattress should be thoroughly scrubbed to eliminate both the existing bugs and any eggs.

2. Inspect Your Home

Unfortunately, bed bugs don’t limit their interest solely to your bed. They can easily migrate to the floor, surrounding furniture, and even behind wallpaper. Vacuum the area around the bed thoroughly. If you aren’t purchasing a new mattress right away, enclose it and the box spring in a protective cover to lock in any bugs that might still be present. Since these critters can survive for an entire year without any food source, it’s critical to keep both pieces covered for at least that long. Reattach loose wallpaper after ensuring that nothing is hiding behind it.

3. Contact Pest Control

The only way to ensure that bed bugs are properly eliminated is to hire a pest control professional to treat the problem areas. Using advanced products, your exterminator will thoroughly inspect your property to determine the severity of the infestation. They’ll then determine the best course of action. In nearly all cases, you’ll need to empty cabinets or dressers that require treatment and leave your home for at least a few hours to allow for safe treatment of the premises.

Bed bugs can be a nuisance, but you can trust the exterminators at Advanced Termite & Pest Control to help you resolve the problem. Serving Crossville, TN, and surrounding areas, these pest control professionals take the time to properly and thoroughly treat all infected areas of your home. Visit them online to learn more about how to prepare for bed bug treatment, then call (866) 636-2687 to schedule an appointment.