What Happens When an Exterminator Comes for Bed Bugs?

Bed Bugs are a huge problem. They can hitch a ride on your clothing, luggage, or furniture and infest your home in no time. If you think you might have bed bugs, the best thing to do is call an exterminator right away.

Now, you might be thinking, what happens when an exterminator comes for bed bugs?

This article will discuss the process of getting rid of bed bugs from start to finish. You will also learn how to prepare your home before extermination and preventive measures. So, keep reading the article if you want to learn more.

How To Get Your House Ready for Bed Bugs Extermination?

Before the exterminator arrives, you must prepare your home for the treatment. If you don’t do that, chances are high that you will not get the maximum benefit of the extermination process.

Here are some tips on how to get your house ready for bed bug treatment:

1. Declutter Your Home

The first step is to declutter your home as much as possible. The more clutter there is, the harder it will be to treat the problem.

Remove clutter from your bedroom and other infested areas. This will give the exterminator more access to the areas where bed bugs are likely to hide.

2. Wash All of Your Linens

You should wash all your linens, including sheets, pillowcases, pet beds, and blankets, in hot water.

You must also launder all bedding, curtains, and clothing in hot water and dry them on high heat.

Dry cleaning is also effective. This will kill any bed bugs that are hiding in them.

3. Vacuuming Your Home Thoroughly

Vacuuming is an integral part of getting rid of bed bugs. Be sure to vacuum all your home’s carpeted areas and upholstered furniture.

Pick up and clean all loose debris from the floor, under furniture, and corners.

If you have cats or dogs, vacuum their sleeping areas thoroughly. This will help get rid of any bed bugs that might be lurking there. Ensure to empty the vacuum bag afterward.

4. Seal Up Any Cracks and Crevices

Bed bugs can hide in cracks and crevices, so it’s important to seal up any that you find.

You can do this with caulk or another sealant. This will help to prevent the bugs from spreading to other parts of the house.

Also, move beds, dressers, and other furniture away from the walls so the exterminator can treat the room’s perimeter.

5. Remove Anything That Can’t Be Treated

Some items can’t be treated for bed bugs, such as electronics. If you have any of these items in your home, you’ll need to remove them before the exterminator arrives.

Follow the steps below to get the maximum out of the extermination process:

• Put all trash in plastic bags and seal them tightly.
• Collect all loose items from your nightstands and dressers and put them in plastic bags.
• Put all stuffed animals, blankets, and pillows in plastic bags and seal them tightly.

6. Prepare Your Kitchen

It is also necessary to prepare your kitchen before bed bugs’ extermination.

Wash all dishes, silverware, and cooking utensils in hot water. Remove all food from the pantry and cabinets and keep the dishes and other small kitchen items in sealed storage containers.

You’ll also need to remove all items from the top of the counters, stove, fridge, microwave, and other appliances. Finally, sweep or vacuum the kitchen floor.

Precautionary Measures

In order to keep you and your loved ones safe during the bed bugs extermination process, you should take the following preventive measures:

Move Out Timely

Designate a safe room for yourself and your family during the extermination process.

Choose a room that will be off-limits to everyone during the treatment process. This should be a room where no one sleeps or spends a significant amount of time.

It is even better to leave the house when the exterminator comes for bed bugs extermination. If you have a baby or someone in your family who is under 18 months old or has breathing problems, staying away from the house for at least 12 hours is best.

If you are pregnant, you should also avoid the area.

However, if none of these apply to your family, you should still leave the house for at least four hours. You can book a hotel room for your stay during the extermination process. Alternatively, you can choose to visit your friend or relative.

Move Your Pets Out

Your furry friends are just as vulnerable to bed bugs as you are, and taking preventive measures is important before and during the extermination process.

Before the treatment, it’s best to remove your pets from the affected area and keep them elsewhere until the treatment is complete.

You can crate or confine your pets to a specific room. Alternatively, you could make arrangements for someone to take care of your pets while the extermination is taking place. For instance, you can leave them at your friend’s home for that day.

Make a List of Any Questions You Have

Before the exterminator arrives, list any questions about the treatment process. Also, ask them what to do after extermination and what precautions to take during and after the operation. This will help ensure that everything goes smoothly.

Bed Bug Extermination Process

Bed bug extermination is a process that involves using a variety of methods to eliminate pests that spread disease, cause destruction, or otherwise are a nuisance in your home. While many do-it-yourself products are available, it is often best to hire a professional exterminator to ensure the job is done correctly.

Here’s a four-step process to follow for bed bug extermination:

1. Heat Treatment

The first step in the bed bug extermination process is heat treatment. This is a highly effective way to exterminate bed bugs. This involves raising the temperature of the affected area to a level that is lethal to bed bugs.

Exterminators do this by using specialized equipment that emits high levels of heat. The heat penetrates all surfaces and kills the bed bugs instantly. It also prevents any future infestations since heat treatment eliminates eggs as well.

However, heat treatment is not always the solution for bed bug eradication. In some cases, a combination of heat treatment with powder or spray treatment and vacuum cleaning may be necessary for complete extermination.

2. Powder Treatment

The tiny pesky pests hide in cracks and crevices, making them difficult to eliminate. Here comes the second step of the powder treatment of the bed bug extermination process.

Powder treatment involves applying a special powder to your home’s infested areas, tiny crevices, and cracks that bed bugs might inhabit. The powder works by sticking to the bugs’ bodies as they crawl through it, killing them on contact or when they ingest it.

Powder Treatment also removes and prevents future infestations by creating a barrier that repels and kills any new bugs attempting to enter the treatment area. While this extermination method may require multiple applications for full effectiveness, powder treatment can provide long-lasting results for a bed bug-free home.

4. Spray Treatment

The next step is to spray the entire area with a special insecticide.

It involves applying a specialized spray to all areas of the living space at risk for bed bug infestations, such as mattress seams, wooden slats of bed frames, gaps between furniture like couches and armchairs, and all other potential hiding spots.

The spray treatment is the safest and most advanced bed bug extermination method. This treatment is highly effective in getting rid of bed bugs, and it is also very convenient because it can be done quickly and easily.

5. Vacuum Cleaning

The last step in the bed bug extermination process is vacuum cleaning. This will remove any dust and debris that may be present, as well as any dead bed bugs.

Be sure to vacuum all areas of the room, paying special attention to any cracks or crevices where bed bugs may be hiding. Once you have finished vacuuming, dispose of the bag immediately to prevent the bed bugs from escaping.

How Long Does It Take Bed Bugs To Die After Extermination?

If you’re dealing with a bed bug infestation, you’re probably wondering how long it will take for the bugs to die after extermination.

The amount of time it takes for bed bugs to die after treatment depends on several factors, including the type of treatment used, the size of the infestation, and the level of infestation.

Using a conventional treatment method like chemical pesticides will usually take 1-3 hours for the bed bugs to die. However, it may take longer for all the bugs to be killed if you’re dealing with a large or severe infestation.

If you’re using a more natural treatment method, like heat treatment, it will also take 6-8 hours for the bed bugs to die. However, depending on the severity of the infestation, some bugs may survive and need to be treated again.

Can Bed Bugs Show Up Again After Treatment?

Bed bugs are very pesky, and you may think you’ve gotten rid of them after treatment, but sometimes they can return.

Here are a few things that can cause bed bugs to come back after treatment and how to handle it:

• One is if you don’t treat all the infested areas. Bed bugs can hide in cracks and crevices, so it’s important to make sure you treat these areas when you’re applying insecticide. Otherwise, the bed bugs will move to a new location and continue to thrive.
• Another reason bed bugs might come back is if you don’t use a suitable insecticide. Some insecticides are more effective against bed bugs than others, so be sure to ask your pest control professional who is best for your situation.
• Finally, bed bugs can become resistant to certain insecticides over time. If you’ve treated your home multiple times with the same insecticide and the bed bugs keep coming back, they may have developed resistance. In this case, you’ll need to switch to a different insecticide.

When dealing with a bed bug infestation, carefully following the treatment instructions is important to ensure the best results. Otherwise, you may find yourself dealing with these pests again.

Conclusion

When an exterminator deals with a bed bug infestation, they will first assess the situation to determine the best course of action. If the infestation is small, they may be able to treat it with a chemical spray.

However, if the infestation is more widespread, they may need more potent chemicals or heat treatment. Whichever method they choose, the exterminator will work diligently to eradicate all the bed bugs from your home. With their help, you can finally get rid of those pesky bed bugs.