Bedbugs are stressful. They’re hard to see, hard to kill, and hard to keep away.
Just remember that you can beat them.
If you suspect (or know for sure) that you have bedbugs in your home, you’ve probably tried to get rid of them. You may have come across many different solutions, and a lot of guides on what to do if you have bedbugs.
However, it can be tough to figure out what not to do — by that, I mean the many things that people tend to do incorrectly when they’re trying to kill bedbugs in their home. I’ve seen it all, and I don’t want you to make the same mistakes.
What “not to do” according to the website bedbugsupply.com
Panic.
That sounds a little cliché, I know, but it’s something that I see all the time from victims of bedbugs. Waking up to dozens (sometimes even hundreds) of itchy bites is stressful. People living with bedbugs lose sleep, and it’s on their mind day and night. It’s hard, but it’s important that you stay calm. When people panic, they make rash — and often unwise — decisions. Not only will bad decisions not help with your treatment process, they might make it worse.
Get out of the house. Go get some coffee. Sit down somewhere, collect your thoughts, and formulate a plan.
Do as much research as you need to make sure that you’re confident with your plan. When you buy products to get rid of bed bugs, make sure you follow the instructions and warning labels carefully.
This will ensure that the products work the way they’re supposed to, and that you don’t damage your property or expose anyone to health hazards.
Throw furniture out.
This is probably the most common thing people do in response to a bedbug infestation. They see bedbugs in their mattress, box spring, even a couch in the living room, and they think, “This is full of bedbugs! It’s ruined!”
It’s not ruined! It just needs to be treated correctly. Wash and dry the bedding on high heat, if possible.
Then, hit the mattress, box spring, and/or furniture with a vacuum and steamer, taking care to move slowly over every crack, crevice, and seam.
This heat treatment will kill any bedbugs or eggs hiding in the upholstered material.
Sealed encasements and bedbug traps will help ensure that the furniture stays bedbug free.
Please don’t put your furniture on the curb, or in the dumpster. Definitely don’t sell it on Craigslist, knowing (or even just suspecting) that it has bedbugs.
You’re not getting rid of your bedbug problem this way.
All this will do is spread the bed bugs to another location, and cost you money in replacing your furniture.
Sleep somewhere else.
It can be very tempting to want to flee from the bed where you’re being bitten. You might want to sleep in another room, or even want to spend the weekend at a friend or family’s home.
You really shouldn’t do this, though. If bed bugs are hiding out in your clothes or overnight bag, they’ll hitch a ride to wherever you decide to crash.
Plus, bedbugs don’t need to see or hear you to find you — they can detect the carbon dioxide emitted when you breathe, and can find you in any room you’re sleeping in.
Since you can’t choose not to breathe when you sleep, this makes it tough to hide from bedbugs if they’re in your home.
The best defense, as they say, is a good offense; the sooner you begin treating the problem, the sooner you can stop worrying about where you sleep.
