Bed Bug Dos and Don’ts

DO – Eliminate Clutter

Clutter is a bed bug’s best friend and could be you’re worst enemy. Clutter provides an infinite number of areas and harborages for bed bugs to hide and creates spaces that are difficult to treat during a heat inspection. If cluttered conditions persist, you may only be able to reduce the number of bed bugs and never completely eliminate the problem.

De-cluttering tips

Plastic containers with lids and large zip lock bags are perfect for shoes, linens, storing toys, books, extra clothing, and miscellaneous items when not being used.  A bonus is that these bins will offer a “protected zone” where bed bugs cannot enter.

Don’t let papers and magazines stack up.  Throw them away or shred them to reduce cluttered areas that bed bugs can hide. Important documents can be stored in plastic file storage bins.

Never leave your laundry piled on the floor.  Use hampers instead.

DON’T – Donate bed bug infested items

Many people like to donate unneeded items during their de-cluttering efforts.  Which this is a great way to clean the clutter from your home, you should NOT donate or remove any items from your home if you suspect a bed bug infestation.  All items should be treated for bed bugs, and the treatment verified successfully BEFORE removing them from home.

DO – Be careful in public places

Pay attention to where you go and how you place your purses, luggage, backpacks or anything that could “pick up” the hitch hikers.

DON’T – Throw away your stuff

DO NOT just toss bed bug infested items into a garbage can or on the street or alley. Many people are grossed out by the very thought of bed bugs and want to throw everything away. This is unnecessary and could make the problem worse.

As you disturb the bed bugs and carry items through the home, bed bugs can fall off of the item and be spread throughout the home to uninfected areas. Just keep everything in place, and instead begin prepping your home for a heat treatment. Learn more about heat treatment prep here (https://convectex.com/blogs/blog/bed-bug-heat-treatment-prep-tips)

Also, never leave bed bug infested items on the curb or by dumpsters. Innocent people may become victims to bed bugs when they see a perfectly good mattress, dresser or couch, grab it up and take it home with them only to cause an infestation in their own homes.

If you must discard an item it must be wrapped and sealed in plastic so that the bed bugs cannot drop off during transport. Make sure that all items are 100% properly contained by wrapping them in plastic, taping and boldly marking each bag with  “CAUTION – BED BUG INFESTED” before you move them through your home or out on to your sidewalk or dumpster for proper disposal. If you call a disposal company to remove infested items let them know that what they are picking up is infested with bed bugs.

DO – Research and learn more about bed bugs

We have found that the more educated a person is about bed bugs, prevention and treatments, the more effective their treatments are.  Read blogs from reputable sources that provide in-depth info about bed bugs.  Ibbra.org has a great blog with endless articles featuring different bed bug topics every month.

Help others become more educated in bed bug basics by talking about what you’ve learned about how bed bugs spread.  This will not only help in the overall “War on Bed Bugs” but it will also keep your friends and family safe from infestations that could be inadvertently spread to you.

DON’T  – Be in denial about bed bugs

If you should experience bed bugs, or suspect that you have them, let people know that you have them so that they do not come over and pick up a few to take home with them. Bed bugs do not mean that you or your home is “dirty” and you shouldn’t be ashamed to admit that you have a bed bug issue. Plus, you will be doing your friends and family a great service to tell them NOT to come over until you have the problem taken care of. Or, if your friends have been to your home and then you discover you have bed bugs call them immediately!!!

DO  – USE HEAT

Heat is 100% the BEST way to kill bed bugs, hands down.  No other treatment works as quickly and effectively as a properly performed heat treatment.  Buy, rent or hire a professional that uses Convectex heaters to perform your bed bug treatments.  Did you know that all of the Convectex packages pay for them self in just 3-4 treatments?    You could kill bed bugs yourself for a fraction of the cost of hiring a traditional exterminator. 

To find a Convectex heat treatment provider visit (https://convectex.com/pages/providers), or check out Rent Bed Bug Heaters (https://www.rentbedbugheaters.com/) to schedule a pro heater rental.

Always remember - Think safety first and foremost when seeking solutions for bed bug problems. Mistakes lead to re-contamination, spread of and possible damage to you or your home.