Bed bugs are tiny insects that are difficult to detect by the naked eye. Unfortunately, people are sharing their living spaces with bed bugs without their knowledge. Until a bite appears on the body, the bed bugs will continue to remain undetected. If you decide to take the DIY route, we suggest initiating your search in your bedroom. While the bed is the best place to start a bed bug search, it will not always prove to an effective move.
Since the adult bed bug does not grow larger than 7 millimeters and the larvae and eggs are translucent-like in color, your search may not be successful. If not, we suggest driving the insects out of their hiding places by taking advantage of the tips provided in the content below.
How To Drive Bed Bugs Out Of Their Hiding Places With Ease?
We suggest trying the following tips to entice the bed bugs out of their hiding places.
- Bed bugs exhibit nocturnal behavior, feeding at night, sleeping during the day. You can mimic this behavior to catch the insects in action
- Center your bed in the room to make room for two carbon dioxide (CO2) traps. Place a trap on each side of the bed, turning the anterior panel toward the wall. Switch on the power and wait for at least 15 minutes to determine the effectiveness of your CO2 trap
- Utilize a floor steamer to drive bed bugs out of hiding. Direct the steam toward suspicious areas, switch on the power, opt for the maximum temperature setting, and wait for at least 15 minutes. It will take this long for the moist heat to penetrate deep into the structure where the bed bugs are hiding
- Utilize space heaters to drive bed bugs out of hiding. Direct the anterior panel toward the suspicious areas, turn on the power, select the maximum speed and temperature settings, and wait for 15 minutes. It takes at least 15 minutes before the heat penetrates the surface where the bed bugs are hiding.
- Place adhesive traps around the heater and steamer to capture the bed bugs as they emerge from their hiding places. Most bed bug glue traps can help up to 30-bed bugs, at which time it will need to be replaced and disposed of in an outdoor trash bin
- Place bed bug infested-linen, attire, stuffed animals, and other fabrics in the laundry. Place the infested items in a plastic bag, seal the top, and transport them to the laundry room. Select the maximum temperature setting for both the washer and dryer and set the timer for 15 minutes. The bed bugs must be exposed to temperatures over 200 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes to be effective
If Your Efforts Are Not Successful, Try, And Try Again
Bed bug detectors have been shown to offer some relief to victims. The detectors utilize CO2 and heat to drive bed bugs out of hiding. Place the detector near your bed where the bed bugs will have to travel to reach a blood meal.
Most bed bug detectors offer a service life of 90 days, which is plenty of time to do what it is guaranteed to do. We recommend combining the bed bug detector with adhesive traps to maximize the results.
Bed bugs are tiny insects difficult to detect because of their small size and nocturnal behavior. To be successful, you will need a bit of time, patience, and the right equipment. If you are not successful in your attempts, we highly recommend reaching out to our Baltimore extermination company.