After Bed Bug Service cleaning and vacuuming is important to eliminate all bed bugs!
After service, use a vacuum with a hose attachment and crevice tool to thoroughly vacuum all bedrooms, bed furniture, living room furniture, and living room. Make sure to empty the bag or cup outside to prevent any from escaping.
Once mattresses and box springs are dry, wrap in Bed Bug PROOF covers which can be purchased online, or at Walmart, Target, Home Depot Stores, Walgreens. All bed sets and both mattress and box spring must be wrapped!
Heat treat (30 minutes on high in the dryer) all stuffed animals, shoes, and items that can withstand the high heat in a dryer. Scrub all plastic toys with soap and hot water, rinse thoroughly, or place them in the dishwasher if they can tolerate the heat!
Inspect all floor (and table) lamp bases, pole, and shades, vacuum up any bed bugs found.
Inspect all curtain rods, hooks, and brackets – vacuum! Heat treat curtains that will tolerate the heat, and vacuum shades.
Move beds (and living room upholstered furniture) away from walls so they do not touch any walls.
Purchase bed bug climb-up interceptors or comparable trap (available online, Home Depot, Walmart, most drug stores) and place under all bed frame feet. Do not leave mattresses on floors, place them on the bed frame. Air mattresses do not prevent bed bugs, only prevent them from living inside the mattress and allows them access to a blood meal easily because it’s on the floor close to where they crawl.
Vacuum all rooms thoroughly several times a week for several weeks until you see no more bed bugs, paying particular attention to bedrooms, bed frames, baseboards, and around all furniture in all seating and sleeping areas. Vacuum edges of upholstered furniture, backs, seats, especially seams and sides.
Thoroughly vacuum dressers, remove drawers, and vacuum inside the dresser itself as well as inside and bottoms of all drawers paying particular attention to the inside bottom edge and back of the dresser.
Re-examine all toys, books, CD/DVD cases, pictures on walls, knickknacks, decorative items for bed bugs before putting them back. Vacuum/capture any bed bugs seen or found.
Weekly inspect and launder all bedding; heat treat pillows, quilts, and blankets.
Weekly examine the back, side, and bottom of furniture in the bedroom and living room for bed bugs — vacuum thoroughly.
For anything that cannot be heat treated, Home Depot has a product that can be used to treat bed bugs on items that cannot be heat treated – you must read the label and understand the instructions before use!
Before putting items away, inspect shelves, dressers, and closets for bed bugs; vacuum up any found. Reline dressers and shelves with dry shelf paper before putting items away.
If you throw furniture or bedding out –Destroy it so no one else can pick it up!
To prevent another infestation –
- Limit visitors you know have bed bugs, if at all possible. If they do visit, seat them on non-upholstered seating.
- Don’t accept used furniture such as mattresses or box springs, bedroom furniture, bed frames, couches, chairs or used clothing, toys and shoes.
- If you’ve been in a home that has bed bugs, once in your house/apartment, immediately remove, bag, (and launder) all clothing worn. Inspect shoes for any bed bugs (and bag as a precaution).
- When visiting, do not leave or place personal belongings on the floor, don’t sit on upholstered furniture or place personal belongings or items on upholstered furniture, and place items (book bags, purses, etc.) on a table or non-upholstered chair.
- Avoid upholstered booths, furniture, and benches in public or waiting places.
It may take up to 30 days or more to entirely eliminate bed bugs with your cooperation and help! Once they cross the insecticide, it may take up to 3 days for them to die so vacuum immediately ANY bed bugs seen to capture and prevent a possible pregnant female from laying more eggs prior to dying. If you see one, capture and destroy it!
Cleaning is the most important factor in eliminating bed bugs after a professional pest control service. Bed bugs crawl, they do not jump or fly. They do not bite like fleas, ticks, or mosquitoes! Eggs can hatch in 30 days, under ideal conditions (heat and blood meal). It takes a bed bug anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes to feed– generally, you will not feel them feeding because they anesthetize the area first and is usually while you are sleeping. Feeding sites generally will not show until after 12 hours or longer — up to two weeks, while some show no visible signs, or are not bitten. After repeated bites, individuals become sensitized to the saliva and show irritation at bite sites within 12 hours or less.