How to Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

If you want to know how to get rid of bed bugs, the best way is not to bring them home in the first place! As global travel increases, more and more people are finding that they have a problem with bed bugs.

Bed bugs are not only found in beds! They can also be found in headboards and bedside cabinets, wardrobes, skirting boards, chairs, throws, in carpets and underlay, in skirting board cracks, and also on luggage stands. They like to live close to where their next meal is and that is in your bed.

If you want to know how to get rid of bed bugs the first thing is to know what they look like. Adults are a reddish-brown colour and 5 – 6 mm long. You may see dark stains on sheets and blankets, and this is their excreta after they have had a good feed on your blood. You may also see red stains if they have been crushed after feeding, and that is blood after it has been eaten but not digested. 

Bed bugs can lay up to 500 eggs over a couple of months and these are 1 mm long and white in colour. As they grow, bed bugs shed their skin until they become full adults and if you see signs of shed skin it usually means that you have a large infestation. They also give off a sweet scent which is reminiscent of almonds.

If you have been abroad, you want to take every precaution against bed bugs and the first thing to do is to wash all your clothes at a temperature of at least 60° and tumble dry them for 30 minutes. You should inspect your luggage, beds, clothes and furniture for any signs, and keep your rooms tidy since you can more easily see sings of infestation.

Furthermore, if you want to know how to get rid of bed bugs, the best thing to do is to call in the professionals. There are some DIY pesticides that you can buy, but they are not all that effective.