Skip to main content

Great Bed Bug tips

  1. Make sure you really have bed bugs, not fleas, ticks or other insects.

    You can compare your insect to the pictures on our Identifying bed bugs Web page or show it to your local extension agent. (Extension agents are trained in pest control issues and know your local area.)

  2. Don't panic!

    It can be difficult to eliminate bed bugs, but it’s not impossible. Don’t throw out all of your things because most of them can be treated and saved. Throwing stuff out is expensive, may spread the bed bugs to other people's homes and could cause more stress.

  3. Think through your treatment options -- Don’'t immediately reach for the spray can.

    Be comprehensive in your approach. Try other things first. Integrated pest management (IPM) techniques may reduce the number of bed bugs and limit your contact with pesticides. If pesticides are needed, always follow label directions or hire a professional. There is help available to learn about treatment options. (4 pp, 480 K, About PDF) Exit

  4. Reduce the number of hiding places -- Clean up the clutter.

    A cluttered home provides more places for bed bugs to hide and makes locating and treating them harder. If bed bugs are in your mattress, using special bed bug covers (encasements) on your mattress and box springs makes it harder for bed bugs to get to you while you sleep. Leave the encasements on for a year. Be sure to buy a product that has been tested for bed bugs and is strong enough to last for the full year without tearing.

  5. Regularly wash and heat-dry your bed sheets, blankets, bedspreads and any clothing that touches the floor.

    This reduces the number of bed bugs. Bed bugs and their eggs can hide in laundry containers/hampers Remember to clean them when you do the laundry.

  6. Do-it-yourself freezing may not be a reliable method for bed bug control.

    While freezing can kill bed bugs, temperatures must remain very low for a long time. Home freezers may not be cold enough to kill bed bugs; always use a thermometer to accurately check the temperature. Putting things outside in freezing temperatures could kill bed bugs, but there are many factors that can affect the success of this method.

  7. Kill bed bugs with heat, but be very careful.

    Raising the indoor temperature with the thermostat or space heaters won’t do the job. Special equipment and very high temperatures are necessary for successful heat treatment. Black plastic bags in the sun might work to kill bed bugs in luggage or small items, if the contents become hot enough. Bed bugs die when their body temperatures reaches 45°C (113°F). To kill bed bugs with heat, the room or container must be even hotter to ensure sustained heat reaches the bugs no matter where they are hiding

  8. Don’'t pass your bed bugs on to others.

    Bed bugs are good hitchhikers. If you throw out a mattress or furniture that has bed bugs in it, you should slash or in some way destroy it so that no one else takes it and gets bed bugs.

  9. Reduce the number of bed bugs to reduce bites.

    Thorough vacuuming can get rid of some of your bed bugs. Carefully vacuum rugs, floors, upholstered furniture, bed frames, under beds, around bed legs, and all cracks and crevices around the room. Change the bag after each use so the bed bugs can’t escape. Place the used bag in a tightly sealed plastic bag and in an outside garbage bin.

  10. Turn to the professionals, if needed.

    Hiring an experienced, responsible pest control professional can increase your chance of success in getting rid of bed bugs. If you hire an expert, be sure it’s a company with a good reputation and request that it use an IPM approach. Contact your state pesticide agency for guidance about hiring professional pest control companies.   Also, EPA's Citizen's Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety provides information about IPM approaches, how to choose a pest control company, safe handling of pesticides, and emergency information.

source:http://www2.epa.gov/bedbugs/top-ten-tips-prevent-or-control-bed-bugs
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How many times do the some mice reproduce?

How many times do the some mice reproduce? Mice are fertile every 3-4 days. Are pregnant for 20-21 days. And are VERY fertile as soon as they give birth so if you keep the male and female together she will most likely have a litter every 21days or so as long as both are interested in breeding. Also depending on the size of the snake, there may only be a small age range of mice that it can eat......and snakes dont eat very often. Yes 2 males that are not housed together since birth will fight and likely kill eachother.....and sometimes ones that are will too. If you want a companian for him but do not want litters maybe see if you can get a retired breeder female. Would be older, unlikely to mate, and if she did, would likely only have small litters.
3 comments
Read more

Left untreated, bed bugs can spread quickly in multi-dwelling housing

Left untreated, bed bugs can spread quickly in multi-dwelling housing.  Both the housing and health codes require that property owners address infestations promptly. The surest strategies to keep bed bugs from spreading are prevention, early detection and rapid treatment.  As a tenant, the first action you should take if you believe that you have bed bugs is to notify your landlord.  As a landlord, the first action you should take is to conduct an inspection of the reported condition. Knowing what to look for is key! The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (DOHMH) Bed Bug Website at http://nyc.gov/bedbugs  provides detailed information for tenants, property owners/agents and homeowners on how bed bugs thrive, how to recognize and inspect for their presence, steps to take to prevent them from infesting a home, how to safely rid an area of bed bugs if they do occur, and how to select and work with a pest management professional. You can also go to the Department of Hous
3 comments
Read more

Yellow Jacket

Yellow jacket Scientific classification Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Arthropoda Class:Insecta Order:Hymenoptera Family:Vespidae Subfamily:Vespinae Genus:Vespula or Dolichovespula Yellow jacket is the common name in North America for predatory wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of these are black and yellow; some are black and white like the bald-faced hornet, Dolichovespula maculata. Others may have the abdomen background color red instead of black. They can be identified by their distinctive markings, their occurrence only in colonies, and a characteristic, rapid, side to side flight pattern prior to landing. All females are capable of stinging. Despite having drawn the loathing of humans, yellow jackets are in fact important predators of pest insects.[1]
1 comment
Read more