Bed Bug Preparation Checklist
DO
React quickly – The quicker you get a bed bug extermination service to treat bed bugs in your home, the sooner you can contain the problem. Small problems require small solutions. Big problems are more costly and time consuming to eradicate.
Call a bed bug extermination service – A bed bug extermination service has access to treatment options and expertise that are more effective for bed bug removal than anything you can do on your own.
Speak to your landlord if you have one – You landlord may cover some or all of the cost of bed bug removal and can alert other tenants in the building.
Remove piles of clothes in your bedroom – Bed bugs hide in nooks and crannies during the day. Eliminating the places they can hide makes it easier for bed bug extermination technicians to kill them. Use a bag to take the clothes directly to washer and make sure you dry them on the highest heat for at least 20 minutes. Do not bring these clothes back in the unit unless they are in a CLEAN bag that is sealed with tape or a sealable plastic/rubber tub.
Save bed bugs/molted skin you find – Save evidence of bed bugs in a sealed plastic baggie. It will help your bed bug extermination technician determine that you have bed bugs.
DON’T
Try to treat the problem yourself – Using bug sprays or bug bombs for bed bug removal can cause bed bugs to scatter to different rooms, making it harder to treat.
Wait to see if the situation improves – Bed bugs are extremely resilient and reproduce quickly. One female can lay up to 4 eggs a day. Waiting will not make bed bugs or their eggs go way, it will only make things worse. Call us today.
Use Insecticides on bedding or linens. – These items should be dry cleaned or laundered in hot water and dried using the “hot” settings.
Sleep on the couch or anywhere but your bed – It may seem like a smart idea, but it’s not. Bed bugs will follow you and you will have two infested rooms rather than one. You are better off sleeping where you are and treating the area with the bed bug infestation.
Stay with a relative or a friend – Just like bed bugs will follow you to another room, they will travel to another house with you. Unless you’re extremely careful, you can spread your bed bug infestation to another home.
Throw away furniture – This is usually unnecessary if you act quickly to treat bed bugs. Also, if someone else takes the furniture it can spread the problem. You can also spread the eggs to other parts of the residence by dragging the edges along the ground. Keep the furniture contained until you have a chance to inspect the residence.
Heat Treatment Items for removal
- Compressed gases, flammable or combustible chemicals including gasoline, propane, butane, cigarette lighters, lighter fluid/fuel, gun powder, black powder, ammunition, lamp fuel, oxygen tanks, fire extinguishers, etc.
- All aerosols and pressurized cans including hairspray, spray-on deodorants, bug sprays, spray paints, asthma inhalers, any aerosol containers.
- All foodstuffs including any candy that melts. These items may be placed in the refrigerator.
- All medicines. These may be placed in the refrigerator.
- All wax figurines, candles, fruit, etc or oil paintings or items you are unsure of that may be affected by the treatment.
- All musical instruments that could be damaged by heat, such as guitars, drums, woodwinds, piano’s etc.
- All indoor plants including seeds and bulbs. Fresh fruits and vegetables may be kept in the refrigerator.
- Carbonated beverages or drinks under pressure such as 2 liter colas, wine bottles, canned soda and/or beer, etc these items may be left in the refrigerator.
- Any items of value that might be damaged by temperatures ranging between 120F – 140F. After treatment you will notice clothing, mattress, blankets, sofa cushions, etc. are not the way you left them. We must move these items to get even heat distribution.
Limited Prep Available for a Fee.
Bed Bug Preparation Treatment Checklist
Prepare the Bed
Step 1: Remove all bedding (sheets, blankets, pillows, pillowcases, bed skirts) and tie in a plastic bag. (See Proper Bagging Technique) Put through hot dryer for at least 20 minutes before using the bedding again. Afterwards put the cloths in new clean bags. The old bags may have eggs or larvae in it.
Step 2: If possible, purchase high quality mattress encasements (fabric only) and install it on the mattress. If you wait and install it after we leave, you will cover up the treatment. The encasements are available at Walmart. Plastic covers nearly always rip, and actually make things worse. A torn cover creates more harborage area for the bugs, and also significantly hinders treatment. Please remove any plastic covers before treatment. If fabric en-casements cannot be purchased, the mattress will instead be treated with a product that is safe for use on mattresses. If you purchase the encasement after the treatment, wait until bed bugs are gone to install.
Step 3: We highly recommend your bed be on a bed frame. The main need is to get the bed off the ground. Anything will do, bricks, milk crates etc. Treatment is significantly more effective when the sleeping surface is raised off the ground. The legs need to be coated with a residual pesticide so the sleeping area is fully protected. Avoid using bed skirts and keep the bed slightly away from the wall until you do not see any more bed bugs.
Step 4:Clear away all items and clutter underneath the bed and around the bed area.
Prepare Items near Bed
Step 5: Empty out nightstands and dresser drawers near the bed. Clothing should be bagged (see Proper Bagging Technique) and put through a dryer for at least 20 minutes; other items can be left in the room in boxes or other open containers. Please see below for items you cannot wash/dry.
Step 6: Move all furniture and items about a 6 to 12 inches away from the walls if possible!
Step 7: Thoroughly vacuum under the bed and around the edges of the room. This especially applies if you have put down your own dust-based insecticides!
Prepare Items near Bed
The bugs in the bedding or clothing nearby the bed must be quarantined and destroyed using the heat of your clothes dryer. To be sure bedbugs cannot escape from the bags you should tie them as follows:
Step 1: Place items in a large sturdy garbage bag, to fill the bag about ¾ full.
Step 2: Twist the bag as far down as you can.
Step 3: Tie a single knot and tighten it.
Do Not USE:
Twist ties
‘Easy-tie’ garbage bags
Drawstring type garbage bag
Step 4: Once the fabrics have been put through a dryer for at least 20 minutes, place them in a new bag.
Be sure to discard the old bags immediately in an outdoor garbage.
Step 5: Do not put clothing back in dresser drawers nearby the bed. It is best to keep the clean clothing in bags in a separate room until you know the bed bugs are completely gone.
Additional Things to Know
- Be patient.
- Before we begin treatment, all occupants, including pets, must leave the unit and not re-enter for a minimum of 5 hours. Anyone who is more prone to allergies, has asthma, the elderly or children under 2 years of age should leave the building for an extra 2 hours for a total of 7 hrs or overnight.
- You may leave aquariums, but make sure you turn off filtration and aeration systems. Then cover the tank with a damp cloth or blanket. Please leave the cover over the tank for an extra 2 hours when you get back home.
- When you re-enter your home you may put the items you have moved back to where they were. Please do not wipe or mop the floors within 12 inches of the base boards for 28 days. You may vacuum, but do not use a wet towel or mop. If needed, you may open doors and windows when you first come home to air out your home.
- Do not put any clothing back in drawers or side tables until you are sure the bed bugs are gone Unfortunately, you will have to live out of the bags you have put your heat treated clothes in until you are sure the bed bugs are gone.
- Always, always…If you have any questions before we start, please don’t hesitate to call us 414-446-3030