How to Check Your Mattress for Bed Bugs | Sleep Foundation

Key Takeaways

Although bed bugs dont cause any known health problems, an infestation of the small insects in your home can be a stressful experience. The best way to ensure your home is free of bed bugs is to regularly inspect your home for signs of them and take steps to prevent infestations.

However, bed bug infestations can sometimes go unnoticed. If youve noticed bites on your body or other signs of bed bugs in your home, there are a variety of solutions involving pesticides or heat treatments that you can use to help rid your home of them.

Well discuss where bed bugs come from, how to recognize an infestation, and what to do if you find bed bugs in your home.

Bed bugs are reddish-brown insects about the size of a poppy seed that feed on blood from humans and other animals. Bed bug infestations have become a common problem around the world. Since they can survive for months without eating, bed bugs can easily spread between locations.

Bed bugs often make their way into homes and other spaces from other infested items, such as luggage, backpacks, and clothes. Bed bugs can also travel between rooms in apartment buildings and hotels. Since they can hide in seams, folds, and pockets, it can be easy to transport bed bugs into your home without knowing it. Once theyre in your home, they seek out places where people sleep and are typically most active at night.

While bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases to humans, their bites can still be troublesome. You may find small, red marks on your skin if youve been bitten by bed bugs. Some people may have allergic reactions to the bites or experience skin infections from scratching them. If you are extremely uncomfortable or believe youre experiencing an infection or allergic reaction, contact your doctor.

While itchy bites are often the first clue that bed bugs have entered your home, its important to look for other signs, as bites can also come from other bugs like mosquitoes. Several signs can help you detect a bed bug infestation.

If you discover bed bugs in your home, there are several methods to get rid of them. These techniques can involve chemicals, heat, or simply vacuuming. Combining approaches can also be effective and make it more likely that the bed bugs wont come back.

The best way to get rid of bed bugs is to call a licensed bed bug exterminator. These professionals inspect your house and customize treatments based on your situation. They typically use a targeted combination of pest control chemicals, vacuuming, and heat to remove the pests. Exterminators tend to be the most expensive option for removal, so you may want to try home remedies first if youre on a budget.

The high heat from steam can be an effective method for killing bed bugs without the use of chemicals. Move a steamer slowly over all surfaces where you see bed bugs or believe they could be hiding in your home. Its important to use a high-quality steamer. A clothing steamer may not be powerful enough, but you may be able to rent commercial steamers from a local store.

If you see bed bugs, you can use a vacuum to remove them from the infested area. Use the strongest suction possible on your vacuum cleaner and use a crevice tool attachment to get deeper into the folds and corners where bed bugs may be hiding. After you vacuum, its crucial to remove the vacuum bag from your house immediately and dispose of it so that the bed bugs cant escape back into your home.

Similar to steaming, targeted high heat can effectively eliminate bed bugs from clothing and bedding. Run any items that may be contaminated through your dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes. You can also use portable heating devices specifically designed to remove bed bugs to apply heat to your belongings. Its important that the temperature reaches at least 113 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes to kill any potential bed bugs.

You can find a variety of mattress-safe insecticides online and at hardware stores that can help kill bed bugs. One method for spraying your mattress is to tidy your room, then flip over the mattress and spray the bottom immediately, targeting any bed bugs before they can escape. You should also wipe down any folds and crevices in the mattress or on any surrounding furniture.

There are several ways bed bugs can find their way into your home. However, there are also a variety of measures you can take to prevent an infestation from happening in the first place.

While a bed bug infestation can be worrying, its a very common occurrence. Feelings of anxiety and worry are normal. People who experience a bed bug infestation may experience psychological effects such as nightmares, flashbacks, trouble sleeping, and anxiety. If youre experiencing lingering side effects after a bed bug infestation, consider talking with a therapist.

A big component of bed bug anxiety is the stigma around having an infestation in your home. It helps to know that a bed bug infestation is not the result of poor hygiene and can happen to anyone. Many people experience bed bugs in their home and have successfully removed them.

If youre too anxious to stay in your own home, consider staying with a friend or family member while the bed bugs are being removed. The best thing you can do is take action immediately to get rid of bed bugs in your home. Most infestations are easily manageable if theyre caught early.

Medical Disclaimer: The content on this page should not be taken as medical advice or used as a recommendation for any specific treatment or medication. Always consult your doctor before taking a new medication or changing your current treatment.

Here is the original post:
How to Check Your Mattress for Bed Bugs | Sleep Foundation