St. George, Utah
It is summertime! The weather is great for exploring Southern Utah, camping at National Parks, and travelling to spend time with loved ones. When travelling and staying in a hotel, something to always remember to is check for bedbugs. If you need some tips on knowing how, check out our post How to Check for Bedbugs in Hotels. But, what happens if you still get bedbugs anyway? How do you get rid of them? Have no fear, we are here to help.
What does a bed bug look like?
Bedbugs are small, oval, brownish insects that live on the blood of animals or humans. Adult bedbugs have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. After the feed, their bodies swell and turn into a reddish color.
Bedbugs can move quickly across floors, walls, and ceiling. Female bedbugs can lay hundreds of eggs that are about the size of a speck of dust. Because of the amount of eggs each female can lay, bedbugs can quickly take over your home.
Where do bedbugs hide?
As discussed in How to Check of Bedbugs in Hotels, bedbugs can enter into your home undetected through luggage, clothing, used furniture, and other items. Their flat bodies make it possible for them to fit into very small spaces. Bed bugs don't have nests, but tend to live in groups in hidden places. Their initial hiding places typically include mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and headboards --places where they can have easy access to bite people at night.
Overtime, they may move about the bedroom and house, eventually moving into any hidden location. Because bed bugs live on blood, having them in your home is not a sign of dirtiness. You are as likely to find them in immaculate homes and hotel rooms as in dirty ones.
How to get rid of bedbugs:
Getting rid of bedbugs begins with cleaning up the places where they live. This should include:
- Wash bedding, linens, curtains, and clothing in hot water and dry them on the highest dryer setting. Place stuffed animals, shoes, and other un-washable items in the dryer and run on the highest setting for about 30 minutes. The bed bugs will die in the extreme heat conditions.
- Before vacuuming, use a stiff brush to scrub your mattress seams to remove bedbugs and their eggs.
- Vacuum your bed and surrounding area frequently. After vacuuming, immediately clean out the vacuum outside to insure that the bedbugs don't stay in your house.
- Repair cracks, peeling wall paper, and chips in paint on the walls -- this gets rid of places bed bugs can hide.
- Get rid of clutter around your bed.
- If your mattress is infested, it is recommended that you purchase a new one. Wrap it in plastic and dispose of it in a place where it cannot infect other homes.
Getting rid of bedbugs can be hard, but it is possible. If these tips don’t work, give us a call at Bybee Pest Control. We have the tools needed to protect your home against bedbugs. We service Northern and Southern Utah, including Saint George, Cedar City, Washington, Dammeron Valley, Diamond Valley, Parowan, Hurricane, La Verkin, Toquerville, Enoch, Santa Clara, Ivins, and Salt Lake City.
