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Megan Smith

Megan Smith has been a freelance writer and editor since 2006. She writes about health, fitness, travel, beauty and grooming topics for various print and Internet publications. Smith earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in writing from New York University.

Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed off of the blood of warm-blooded animals. Bed bugs love cool, dark places, like inside of bed frames and in the folds of mattresses. Bed bugs leave itchy, red welts on the skin, especially on the arms, legs and feet. If you think you have bed bugs, getting rid of them can be a long and complicated process that cannot always be remedied without an exterminator. Try home remedies first, and if you still have bedbugs within a month, enlist the help of a professional.

If you are experiencing itchy welts on your body and have seen evidence of bed bugs, it's time to start cleaning your bedding and clothing. Bed bugs leave waste and eggs that look like small, black specks of dirt, and the bugs look like small, brown pepper seeds. These bugs can be found in the folds of your sheets, inside pillowcases, and in the folds of the mattress. Save this evidence on a piece of scotch tape, and place it in a plastic baggie. Then, remove all your bedding and all of your clothing. Wash and dry everything on hot, and place all clothing and bedding in sealed plastic bags. Keep the bedding in the bags until you have completely vacuumed the mattress and furniture. Keep the clothing in sealed plastic bags until there is no more evidence of bed bugs, and no bites apparent on your body. Place lavender around your room, as bed bugs can't stand the smell.

Using the hose attachment on your vacuum, thoroughly vacuum inside the folds of your mattress, your pillows and your bed frame. Vacuum any plush items in the house, like couches or chairs, and any furniture made of wood, even if they are not located in the room where the bed bugs are biting. Vacuum the walls around your bed and the floors, especially the corners where the floors meet the wall. Once you have thoroughly vacuumed, replace the sheets and pillowcases on your bed. To ensure the bed bugs do not enter your mattress again, place a bed bug mattress protector and bed bug pillowcase protectors on top of your mattress and pillow. Place petroleum jelly on the posts of your bed to prevent any new bed bugs from climbing up into your bed.

As tempting as it may seem when you have bed bugs, don't go stay with a friend or sleep on the couch instead of in your bed. You may be carrying bed bug eggs on your clothing, bedding or in your hair, and the bed bugs will move to the couch or to your friend's house. The bugs will appear where the food source is, which is you. So even if you are not carrying any bugs with you, the bugs from your bedroom will make the trip to your living room. Continue to wash dirty clothes and bedding immediately and place all clothing in sealed bags. If you are still getting bitten by bed bugs within a month, contact your local exterminators and show them the samples you saved.

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Home Remedies for Getting Rid of Bed Bugs | eHow