Just the word “bed bug” sends a shiver down my spine, especially after hearing my neighbor’s encounter with them. Like me, she is a big fan of shopping at thrift stores for deals, and was overjoyed to find a new futon for her family’s den at a deeply discounted price.
Within a couple of weeks, guests from out of town visited her and insisted they’d be fine to sleep on the futon. Imagine her shock and embarrassment when they arrived at the breakfast table the next morning, their skin covered in bright red, swollen bug bites.
The pillow that accompanied the futon was apparently full of bed bugs. The guests were leaving just after breakfast, which was convenient as she quickly arranged to have an exterminator come out that same day. She thought her troubles were over.
Sometimes They Come Back – Why One Treatment Isn’t Enough
The worst part was that the bed bugs came back. This time she used a wide variety of treatments, and kept using them for the next two months until every last bed bug had bit the dust. She found that using a wide range of products was the key to eliminating them.
However, with what she spent recovering from bed bugs, she could have outfitted a whole new guest room, with a brand new mattress, instead of just a new futon for the den. Here are some of the type of treatments she used, and what she had to say about them.
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Bed bug sprays –
This is for use on cracks and crevices in furniture, as well as the perimeter of the room to kill current bed bugs a well as prevent new infestations.
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Bed bug traps –
These are less for catching every last bed bug, and more for monitoring the level of infestation in the room where you suspect the bed bug have taken up residence.
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Bed bug dusts –
There are several type of dusts you can place in cracks and crevices in furniture as well as around the perimeter of the room. These are very messy, and require gloves as well as protective masks so you will not breathe the dust into your lungs.
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Bed bug steamers –
These primarily work for wherever you cannot use dust, such as on upholstered items of furniture, carpets, and personal items.
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Bed bug heaters –
You can get a heater to treat personal items that cannot otherwise be steamed, dusted, or sprayed.
Treating a Mattress Infested with Bed Bugs
When your mattress is infested with bed bugs, it does not necessarily mean replacing the entire mattress. If you catch the infestation early enough, then you could get by with buying a mattress cover. The cover will seal in the current pests and their eggs.
The cover will prevent the current bed bugs from spreading. It will also make it easier to continually gauge the level of bed bug infestation in that room where the bed bugs currently reside. This is a common method used by professional exterminators.
Bed bugs can get into anything, not just your bed. Eliminate clutter and wash any affected linens and clothes in hot water to help kill any bed bugs that have infested them. And if you’re ever in doubt about how to use a product, read the label or ask a professional for advice.
Melissa Cameron is a freelance writer from Austin, Texas. When brainstorming and researching for freelance writing topics she uses various sites such as, http://www.best-mattress-reviews.com/. In her spare time Melissa likes to spend time with her husband and their two children, practice yoga, and watch movies.