What should I do if there are bedbugs at home? - briefly
Inspect sleeping areas, wash all bedding and clothing in hot water, vacuum thoroughly, seal cracks and crevices, and immediately contact a licensed pest‑control professional for treatment. Isolate infested items and consider discarding heavily contaminated furniture to prevent further spread.
What should I do if there are bedbugs at home? - in detail
Discovering bed‑bugs in a dwelling requires immediate, systematic action. First, verify the infestation by inspecting seams of mattresses, box springs, headboards, furniture joints, and cracks in walls. Look for live insects, shed skins, or small rust‑colored spots of excrement.
- Isolate the affected area: remove bedding and clothing, seal them in plastic bags, and wash at 60 °C (140 °F) or higher; dry‑clean items that cannot be laundered.
- Reduce spread: vacuum floors, mattress surfaces, and upholstered furniture; discard the vacuum bag or clean the canister immediately; place double‑sided tape around bed legs to catch crawling insects.
- Apply treatment: use a registered insecticide label‑approved for indoor use, following manufacturer directions precisely; consider heat treatment (room temperatures of 45–50 °C for several hours) or steam for fabrics and crevices.
- Eliminate harborages: declutter rooms, seal cracks in walls and baseboards, and repair damaged wallpaper or plaster that can hide insects.
- Monitor progress: install interceptors under bed legs and set up sticky traps in rooms; repeat inspections weekly for at least two months, as eggs may hatch after the initial treatment.
If the problem persists or the infestation covers a large area, contact a licensed pest‑control professional. They can assess the situation, apply advanced methods such as fumigation or professional heat treatment, and provide a documented eradication plan.
Maintain vigilance after treatment: wash bedding weekly, keep clutter to a minimum, and inspect second‑hand furniture before bringing it into the home. Consistent follow‑up prevents re‑establishment of the pest population.