How to protect yourself from bedbugs at home? - briefly
Inspect bedding, furniture, and wall cracks regularly, and wash or heat‑treat any suspect items at 60 °C for at least 30 minutes. Encase mattresses and box springs in zippered covers, seal openings, and place sticky traps to monitor and suppress infestations.
How to protect yourself from bedbugs at home? - in detail
Bedbugs are small, nocturnal insects that hide in seams, cracks, and fabric folds, emerging to feed on exposed skin. Early detection relies on spotting live insects, shed skins, or rust‑colored fecal spots on bedding and furniture.
Inspect each sleeping area weekly. Remove all linens and examine mattress edges, box‑spring seams, headboards, and bed frames. Use a flashlight to scan crevices in nightstands, baseboards, and wall outlets. Record any findings and isolate affected items.
Wash all removable fabrics in water hotter than 60 °C (140 °F) for at least 30 minutes, then dry on high heat for a minimum of 30 minutes. For items that cannot be laundered, place them in a sealed plastic bag for 14 days, a duration that exceeds the bedbug life cycle and ensures mortality.
Encapsulate mattresses and box springs with zippered, pest‑proof covers designed to trap insects. Install bed leg risers to create a gap of at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) between the floor and the furniture, preventing easy access to hiding places. Seal cracks in walls, baseboards, and furniture using silicone caulk.
Apply approved insecticide sprays or dusts to cracks, crevices, and the undersides of furniture. Follow label instructions precisely, wear protective gloves, and ventilate rooms after treatment. For resistant infestations, consider professional heat‑treatment services that raise ambient temperatures to 50 °C (122 °F) for several hours, a level lethal to all life stages.
Place sticky interceptors under each bed leg and in nearby furniture to capture wandering insects and monitor population levels. Replace interceptors weekly and document captures to assess the effectiveness of control measures. Maintain a clutter‑free environment to reduce hiding spots, and repeat inspections monthly for at least six months to confirm eradication.