How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in a Mattress | Slumberfy

 

 

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in a Mattress

Do you want to know how to get rid of bed bugs in a mattress?

Bed bugs often send shivers down people's spines thinking about them. They are little, brown, oval insects living off other animals' blood. They are gross little bloodsuckers that can be difficult to get rid of once they show up. Their bites often leave red, itchy bumps.

Since bed bugs live on blood, they are not a sign of a dirty home. They are as likely to live in a well-kept home or hotel as in a dirty one. 

Bed bugs are a significant problem for many people. They can make sleep difficult and will leave painful bites. Once set up in your mattress, they can be challenging to kill.

Yet, there are some steps you can take to get rid of unwanted guests. We will tell you what bed bugs are and what to look for when determining if bed bugs have infested your mattress. We will also notify you of how to protect against future infestations.

 

Where Bed Bugs Hide

The prominent place you will find bed bugs is on your mattress. But they live in different areas. They tend to be in bedrooms but can also live elsewhere.

Bed bugs can enter your home in luggage, clothing, used furniture, or other items. Unlike ants and bees, bed bugs do not create nests. Instead, they cluster together in groups. While they find their way to beds and mattresses, they will often spread out to other areas.

Wallpaper

The bed bug can hide behind wallpaper and around baseboards. They can fit between any small gaps to hide. You may want to remove the wallpaper if bed bugs become a problem to give them one less place to hide. 

Cupboards

Bed bugs do well on textiles and fabrics. They can attach themselves to clothing, towels, or bedding. If you find a bed bug on your clothes, you can freeze them for two days or wash them in hot water. Bedding or towels should also get cleaned to prevent the spread of the bugs.

 

 

Books

Bed bugs can sometimes live in the pages of old books. Old, dusty books are the favorite hiding spots for these pests. If you like to read at night, be on the lookout for these little bugs.

Electrical Outlets

The small holes in the outlets are perfect spots for the bed bug to crawl in and out. They can hide in these spots until they spot their prey. Outlet covers help keep them out of these areas. 

Couches and Chairs

Bed bugs can live in all types of furniture. If you move your furniture around, you could spread the bed bug without knowing it. If you get used furniture, inspect it for bed bugs before bringing it home. If you find a bed bug on your furniture, call a pest control company to kill them.

 

 

Carpet

One of the most troublesome places for bed bugs to hide is carpets. They can be challenging to get rid of, even with constant vacuuming. You will need a professional exterminator to get rid of them.

Your bed is not the only place that bed bugs like to hide. They can spread to other areas of your home or neighboring apartments. You must kill bed bugs and prevent them from returning.

 

When Bed Bugs Bite

Bed bugs are most active at night. This time is when they will feed on their prey while they sleep. Bed bugs feed by piercing the skin and then sucking on the victim's blood. A typical bed bug will feed between three to ten minutes before they become engorged. Then, they will crawl away back to their hiding spot.

 

 

It is hard to know when a bed bug has bitten you. So, you may not even know they bit you. You may not even realize until days later, when a red mark may appear. When a bed bug bites, it releases an anesthetic and anticoagulant.

The bite marks are like a mosquito bite and are small, red, swollen, and may be sore or itchy. You may also experience insomnia, anxiety, or skin irritation.

To confirm that bed bugs are biting you, you must identify them first. Many people identify bed bug bites as those of other insects. They can look like mosquito bites at first. This is the time to contact a pest control specialist to identify your problem.

 

Signs of Infestation

To learn how to get rid of bed bugs in a mattress, you must first identify that they are there. There are several signs that you may have a bed bug infestation.

Several other indicators can point to bed bug infestation. These include:

• Blood stains on your sheets or pillowcases

• Dark or rusty spots from bed bug excrement on sheets, clothing, or walls

• Bed bug feces, egg shells, or skin shards where bed bugs hide

• A musty odor produced by the bed bug's glands

Female bed bugs can lay hundreds of eggs the size of a speck of dust. It can take no time at all to have a significant problem on your hands. 

There are several steps you can take to confirm you have bed bugs.

• Remove all bedding and check for signs of the bugs or their excrement.

• Remove the dust cover from your box springs and examine the wood seams.

• Check the mattress seams for signs of bugs.

• Check the area around the bed, including the walls, outlets, and inside books. 

If you are uncertain if you have bed bugs, call an exterminator to be sure. 

 

Bed Bug Treatments

You can take a few steps to treat the bed bug problem without calling an exterminator. The first step is cleaning up around where they live. 

• Clean bedding, linens, curtains, and clothing in hot water. Then dry them using the highest setting. 

• Items such as shoes, stuffed animals, or other things that are not washable should be in the dryer. Run the dryer on the highest setting for 30 minutes.

• Scrub the mattress with a stiff brush to remove the bugs and their eggs.

• Vacuum your bed and surrounding area often. This includes your mattress. After vacuuming, empty it in a plastic bag and take it outside to the trash.

• A mattress cover will trap any remaining bed bugs. The cover should go around your mattress and box spring. Bed bugs can survive up to a year without feeding. So keep the cover on for at least a year to ensure any remaining bed bugs are dead. 

• Repair cracks in plaster. Also, glue down any peeling wallpaper. This will help cut places for bed bugs to hide.

• Get rid of clutter around your bed.

If your mattress gets infested, make sure to replace it. For this step, you may need the help of professional exterminators. It would be best to kill the bed bugs in your home, or they will reinfest your new mattress. 

 

Bed Bug Extermination

Cleaning up your home can prevent bed bugs from infesting your home. But, often, you will need the help of a pest control company to get rid of bed bugs.

 

 

Professional exterminators use a chemical treatment to kill bed bugs in a mattress. You should be aware that treating your bed and mattress with insecticides can be harmful. You need to make sure you are using products that are safe to use in the bedroom. Check the manufacturer's label for recommended treatment.

If you do not know how to get rid of bed bugs in a mattress with chemical treatments, don't do it yourself. Instead, contact a pest control company. They have the equipment and training to remove bed bugs from your home.

 

Further Prevention

Once you know how to get rid of bed bugs in a mattress, you need to keep them from returning. 

• Keep your home clean and check bedding and furniture often.
• Inspect any furniture you buy second-hand. Look for signs of bed bugs before bringing them into your home.

• Buy a high-quality mattress cover to keep bed bugs out of your mattress.

• Take care when using shared laundry facilities. Keep your clothes and other items away from other people's things.

Bed bugs can be a nuisance and are challenging to kill.

Yet, with some precautions, you can keep your home free of them. 

If you find that you have some unwanted guests, you now know how to get rid of bed bugs in a mattress. You can take the steps needed to eliminate them and prevent them.