Once a bed bug moves into your home, it will spend the biggest portion of its day between feedings and hiding. Why do these tiny insects feel the need to hide from their hosts? First, and foremost, hiding is just a natural bed bug instinct. They hide to conceal their identity because they know the repercussions of sharing the same home with humans, humans who are not fond of bed bugs. Bed Bug Exterminator Detroit.
Where Do Bed Bugs Hide?
If your home is infested with bed bugs, you are in for a rude awakening. This definitely applies to first-timers. If this is your second, third, or fourth-bed bug infestation, you already know what to expect. But, you must ask yourself why is my home being targeted by bed bugs?
Normal Bed Bug Behavior
Bed bugs are no different than other insects. They exhibit unique behaviors that ensure their safety in the most extreme situations.
- Venture out at night to feed
- Hide behind loose wallpaper, electrical outlets, light switches, wallboards, floorboards, and loose paneling
- Hide in bed linen, mattresses, pillowcases, and box springs
- Do not venture very far from their hosts
How To Search For Bed Bugs In Residential Settings
Bed bugs living in residential settings are worrisome for everyone involved. There is always the concern of being bitten, sleeping with an insect, and having insects crawling on your body while sleeping.
To ease your mind, it is recommended to conduct your own bed bug search. Here are a few places to look:
- Underneath your pillow, mattress, and box springs
- Behind dressers, chests, and bureaus
- In toy boxes
- Near ceramic heaters, clocks, and other electricity-powered devices
How To Drive Bed Bugs Out Of Their Hiding Places
During your search, you detect a colony of bed bugs living inside your mattress. What should you do next? Well, there are two options available. The first option is to toss the mattress in the trash. The second option is to clean the mattress with an upholstery cleaner.
There are several techniques that have been shown to drive out bed bugs. These techniques include the following:
- Blow them out with a hairdryer
- Suction them out with a powerful vacuum cleaner
- Steam them out with a steamer
You can also hire a licensed extermination contractor to bring your bed bugs to the surface. Most exterminators utilize the top bed bug treatments – Cryonite and heat. Cryonite is a type of bed bug treatment that utilizes extremely cold temperatures to drive bed bugs out of their hiding places. Once the bed bugs are exposed, the exterminator will spray the Cryonite directly toward them.
Bed bug heat treatment is applied in the same manner.
Utilize Your Dryer To Generate Heat
Even if bed bugs are not found in your bed linen, clothing, and accessories, it would be a good idea to treat them with heat. Utilize your clothes dryer to produce a heat that is hot enough to eradicate the bed bugs within 15 minutes of exposure.
If you want to take your bed bug effort to the next level, you can put your bed linen and clothing through a full washer and dryer cycle. If you opt to go this route, it is recommended to utilize the highest setting for both the washer and dryer cycles.
Bed Bug Traps
To maximize your results, it is recommended to combine all of the above techniques with bed bug traps. These products utilize a thick adhesive to trap the bed bugs. Once the trap is full, you simply dispose of it in the trash bin.
All-natural pesticides are also effective. You can purchase these products at most retail and big-box stores. They are both affordable and accessible.