Banish bed bug infestations ‘quickly’ with pest control expert’s ‘best method’ that works
Bed bugs are the most disruptive of all the common pest infestations in the UK. Luckily, an expert has shared a four-step method to "quickly" eliminate them.
Bed bugs are commonly known to be most active from June until the early months of October, but they can be a challenge to spot.
These pests average around 5mm long and 2mm wide. Bed bugs have rounded bodies and smaller rounded heads with two antennae protruding from the top. They are reddish-brown in colour with vestigial wings that cannot function.
They are typically found on beds, mattresses, and headboards, as well as crevices and cracks in rooms, and can be easily transmitted on clothing and suitcases.
If they have recently eaten, bed bugs take on a redder colour and temporarily look swollen.
While bed bugs are “notoriously hard to get rid of”, it’s “not an impossible task”, claimed Jonathan Kirby, pest control expert at NOPE! With his “best method”.
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He said: “Once you’ve correctly identified that bed bugs are in your home, this four-step pest control strategy will help you get rid of the critters.”
1. Wash bedding and laundry at high temperatures
Shake all bedding and clothes outside of the home to remove eggs, moulted casings and dead bed bugs.
Then, wash all bedding and clothes affected at a high temperature of over 60 degrees.
Lowering the temperature to 40 degrees will kill adult bed bugs, but only about 25 percent of the eggs.
2. Clean the surrounding areas
Vacuum all areas of suspected bed bug activity, including along mattress edges, under and around beds, and use a coarse brush to get rid of debris.
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Bed bugs can escape the kitchen bin, so immediately empty the vacuum cleaner, and remove its contents from the home. Don’t forget to reach skirting boards or anywhere bed bugs could be hiding.
Jonathan recommends starting at the furthest edge of known bed bug activity and working inwards. He added: “This also helps minimise the accidental spread of bed bugs elsewhere in the home.”
3. Treat the area
Once the cleaning steps are done, apply a bed bug killer to mattresses, furnishings and furniture to “eradicate living bed bugs” and “prevent re-infestation for up to three months”.
Bed bugs hide inside cracks and gaps so ensure to spray those areas. One bed bug remover the expert recommends is the NOPE! CP Bed Bug Killer Spray as it “kills bugs quickly”, while remaining safe for home use.
Households can pick up the NOPE! CP Bed Bug Killer Spray Treatment from Amazon for £12.99 or from ToolStation for £15.99.
Alternatively, households can purchase the Rentokil PSO51 Bed Bug Killer Spray that works similarly on Amazon for £9.50 and from B&Q for £11.53.
4. Prevention
The last step is to make sure to regularly vacuum mattresses and bedding, paying particular attention to seams and corners, and repair cracks in walls, skirting boards and any small defect a bed bug could infest.
Additionally, before bringing items into your home, like second-hand furniture and clothing, check for signs of bed bugs.
