To isolate your bed, you must first remove all the bed bugs from your mattress and linens and then set up traps to catch those still in the room. While removing your bed from the rest of the house won’t solve your bed insect problem, at least you’ll be able to get some shut-eye again.
Before We Begin…
Your professional bed bug exterminator has to be involved. Bed bugs can hide almost anywhere, but an exterminator’s chemicals will destroy them on your mattress, box spring, headboard, and frame. Your pest control professional can tell you whether or not you need to take these measures. Again, consult the expert before moving further with the following strategy.
Materials Required
Mattress, box springs, and pillow encasements with zippers to prevent dust mites. Such encasements are essentially huge bags meant to trap dust mites but also trap bed bugs. You can get them at pharmacies that specialize in allergy medication.
Sizeable duct tape.
Bags of at least two or three millimeters in thickness, explicitly designed for use by contractors (not lawn and leaf bags).
Big, sticky tape with two sides.
Bed lifts are small supports that you place the legs of your bed frame into to elevate it off the floor. You may get them at any store that sells linens and bedding. Remember that you won’t need risers for your frame if it’s already elevated by a foot or more.
The bed lifts require four metal bowls of sufficient size (heavy-duty plastic bowls will do in a pinch). In any case, they must be indestructible. Excellent metal dishes can be found at pet stores and would work perfectly.
XXL Pouches à zip
Clean, safe, diatomaceous earth from freshwater sources. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a mineral powder that is abrasive enough to kill bed bugs and other crawling insects by scraping open their skins and starving them to death. In the same way that bed bugs can crawl through this material, they will also be severely injured, maybe killing them. DE can be purchased from various sources, including the internet, garden centers (where it is used to kill pests and is sometimes advertised as an ant killer), and pet supply stores (where food-grade DE is used to kill fleas on dogs). Don’t buy diatomaceous earth meant for swimming pools; it’s not right. While you’re out at Home Depot, pick up a dust mask to protect your lungs from allergens as you dust the surfaces of your bed. It’s important to note that while DE is typically safe, it’s still important to read the label and follow all safety precautions. Please apply while wearing a dust mask or respirator.
M. O. S., or Murphy’s Oil Soap. Colgate-Palmolive produces a wood cleaning called Murphy’s that doubles as a pesticide. It’s ubiquitous and easy to come by. Get the bottle of spray.
All new white linens, including the duvet cover and pillows. You’ve decided to get all-new white sheets to make seeing any traces of bed bug feces or blood easier.
New cushions: It’s possible that the ones you have now are infested, so let’s start afresh.
Bed insect killers that work instantly on contact are optional. All you need is some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. To make the alcohol last longer, dilute it with water (9 parts alcohol to 1 part water).
Next Steps
First, wash all of your bed linens and comforters.
You should remove the sheets, mattress cover, comforter, pillows, and pillowcases from your bed. Everything. Because of the risk of spreading bed bugs, these items must be discarded immediately by placing them in trash bags and sealing them.
Use boiling water to clean everything. Avoid having the infected linens come into contact with clean linens or clothing. Then, dry them for 4 hours at high heat (at least 140 degrees) or two drying cycles. When finished, place each item in a sealed XXL Ziploc bag.
Fill a contractor bag with your used pillows, seal it, and dispose of it in the garbage. It’s not easy to clean a pad, so getting a new one is probably best.
The second action is to vacuum the mattress and foundation.
You are about to rid the bed and box spring of any remaining bed bugs, eggs, or larvae.
Take the time to pull out the vacuum and go over your mattress. Since the insects and their eggs are adhered to the surface, using the end of the vacuum attachment to scrape vigorously over the harborage region is more effective than a brush. Get the mattress spotless from top to bottom, including the tufts and the sides. Just prop it against the wall and clean the other side like usual.
Thoroughly cleaning the box spring is also required. The dust cover fabric should be torn off the base, placed in a trash bag, and thrown away. Remove any dust and debris by vacuuming the interior, paying particular attention to the wooden frames, supports, and fabric.
When you’re through vacuuming, take the bag out of the machine, place it in a plastic bag, and dispose of it in the trash. Bedbugs will be in the vacuum bag, and you don’t want them to escape.
Step 3: Scrub the Bedstead
If your frame is made of metal, you’re lucky because they’re simple to disinfect. Get out of the vacuum and give everything a good going over. Focus on the nooks and crannies where bugs can hide, such as inside corners, joints, and the points where the wheels connect to the frame.
Rubbing alcohol can be used to kill any remaining germs. Use caulk or duct tape to seal any openings between the metal parts to prevent bed bugs from hiding in the cracks and crevices.
Bed bugs will make their home in the crevices of your bed’s frame (occasionally, the legs are hollow). Using alcohol, spray the inside and then vacuum them up.
Get rid of your headboard if you have one. If you have a headboard, it’s almost sure that the bugs have taken up residence there, as it’s one of the most common areas for them to hide and lay eggs. Throw it in a trash bag, label it BED BUGS, and then take it to the nearest dumpster. Before moving the headboard out of your bedroom, wrap it in plastic. You don’t want insects to spring into your path on your way to the front entrance.
Wooden bed frames require disassembly and good washing with Murphy’s Oil Soap. Once you’ve taken the mattress and box spring out of the frame, you may vacuum it just like you would the mattress. Bed bug eggs and bed bugs can become stuck in crevices, so you might need a stiff brush to get them out. Now spray Murphy’s Oil into all the nooks and crannies of the frame.
Fourth, tidy up the space under your mattress.
To prevent bed bugs from returning, you should place the bed in a location that is not near any walls or other pieces of furniture. Mattresses are typically placed in the middle of a room, with nightstands or tables placed on opposite walls.
The space under the bed needs careful vacuuming. Carpets and rugs should be rolled up, placed in a garbage bag, and stored in a dry, dark place for the next 18 months, in my opinion. However, talk to a professional about eliminating bed bugs. It’s up to you to decide whether or not to use chemical treatments on your rugs.
After mopping, lightly dust the floor with DE. Instead of piling it up, use a baby powder or similar plastic bottle to distribute a thin layer evenly.
Be warned that it may take some time to adjust to the near-weightlessness of DE. Read the label and observe all safety instructions before using any pesticide. Please apply while wearing a dust mask or respirator.
Fifth, put together the bed again.
Reconstruct your bed and place it in the room’s center, directly atop your dust barrier. Bed lifters go into bowls, and bed frame legs go on top. To rephrase, the bed frame rests on the lifter, which is situated in the bowl on the floor.
If you’re worried about bed bugs, you can trap them using plastic wrap (ordinary Saran Wrap will do) and double-sided tape.
Vaseline should be applied to the legs in addition to the double-sided tape to provide even more protection. This method dates back to the turn of the century and provides still another barrier between you and the bed bugs.
Cover the box spring with the enclosure. Install the box spring in the bed’s frame. Be careful not to damage the packaging! Use duct tape to seal the case’s zippered seam. Extend the video about four to six inches past the end of the zipper and use a lot of it. You’re taping the zipper up because baby bed bugs are so minor that they can squeeze through the opening created by the teeth.
Place the mattress carefully atop the box spring. Carefully wrap the case around it, then secure the zippers with tape.
It is now time to add soapy water to the dishes. Soapy water acts as a mini moat, preventing bed bugs from reaching your bed’s legs.
Your new white sheets should cover the encasements. If you get fresh sheets, you can quickly identify any signs of invasion, such as dried blood, feces, or squashed bed bugs.
Phase 6: Border Protection
A circular piece of double-sided carpet tape, about three to four inches wide (make sure you vacuumed in this area), should be placed on the floor around your entire bed. If you haven’t already, you should. Any invading bedbugs will be stopped in their tracks by the tape.
Finally, ensure a 12-inch circle of DE dust around the bowls of soapy water. You should ensure the DE is between the bowls and any insects that might try to climb up there. Once more, a light coating of DE is all that is needed. There shouldn’t be any white showing through; slimmer is ideal. More than that, and the plan falls apart.
And that’s it! Doesn’t it feel good to be on the offensive? Assuming your efforts were successful, you should now be free of bed bugs in your bed, and the mite cover should prevent any more from entering. An opportunity at rest at last!
The Bed Bug Battle Plan, found at [http://www.bedbugbattleplan.com/], is the brainchild of Jens Alexander. Links, information, and photographs of bed bugs may be found at BedBugBattlePlan [http://www.bedbugbattleplan.com/], where you can also find out how to eliminate them.
Read also: https://journalall.com/category/home-improvement/
