Bedbug extermination can be challenging given how quickly the insects reproduce and where they hide, such as beds, couches, upholstered chairs, and drawers. While the small, brownish insects don’t transmit disease, the red welts they leave on human and animal skin are extremely itchy. Here’s how to handle an infestation in your home.

Do:

Call exterminators immediately.

Make a bedbug extermination appointment as soon as you notice one or more insects. Timely pest control services prevent the infestation from spreading. Help the exterminators by caulking your home as necessary to contain the infestation and removing clutter that interferes with pesticide applications. 

Keep your bed.

Don’t throw out your mattress since it allows bedbugs to find new hosts. It’s possible to restore mattresses, curtains, and upholstered furniture with pest control services. For whatever you can’t save, follow the recommended disposal practices.

Use a mattress cover to protect yourself while you sleep before the exterminators arrive. Relocating to a friend or family member’s home can mean bringing the bugs along in luggage and bags. Mattress encasements cut the bugs off from their food sources and prevent new bites.

Don’t:

Use foggers or bombs.

Avoid using chemical bombs or foggers, as studies indicate they’re not effective and are more likely to make the insects scatter and infest more of your home. Bugs that are sheltered in any way, even by thin bed sheets, usually survive fogging and bombing applications. Stick to professional bedbug extermination services for the best results.

Move furniture.

Keep your furniture where it is and focus on disposing of clutter. Moving furniture to different rooms simply allows the infestation to take over new spaces.

Enclose the pieces with plastic furniture covers instead. Avoid purchasing new furniture prior to eliminating the infestation since they provide additional bedbug shelters. 

If you discover a bedbug infestation in your home, contact Bugout Termite & Pest Control Inc. The commercial and residential pest control service has served the Baltimore, MD, metro area since 1988 and is a member of the Maryland Pest Control Association and National Pest Control Association. Call (410) 760-6065 today to schedule an appointment for bedbug extermination, or request a quote online.