Should You Throw Out Your Mattress After A Bed Bug Infestation?

Bed bugs are small and difficult to see with the naked eye. In fact, the first sign that you have an infection is when you noticed small red marks all over your body and rust stains in your bed. The marks are where the bed bugs have bitten you, they are generally very itchy. The rust stains are where you’ve rolled over in bed and squashed the bugs while you’re sleeping. The good news is that bed bugs don’t carry disease, they will make you very itchy and possibly make it hard for you to sleep. However, bed bugs are surprisingly tough and very good at hiding. That means it can be difficult to locate them all and eliminate the issue. It’s definitely a good idea to get your local pest control company involved to deal with the problem.

In most cases, you’ll need the exterminators to treat your entire house. This is because bed bugs are very good at traveling, they can hide in the folds of your clothes, bedding, and even bags, allowing them to move from room t room and house to house. They are also not easy to kill although high temperature is an effective method of elimination.

Your Mattress

Your mattress is often considered the center of the bed bug infestation because this is where you are attacked. But, while bed bugs may live in the edges of the mattress, they are more likely to be in the edge of the bed and any other furniture you have that offers a dark space. In short, you’re not about to get rid of all your furniture and there is no need to. Professionals can eliminate the bed bugs and giving you your house back. In fact, throwing your mattress away isn’t just a costly exercise, it is environmentally damaging and will increase the spread of bed bugs.

Eliminating Bed Bugs

The best step you can take is to call your local professional and have the matter dealt with. You can also do some of the work yourself. For example. You need to strip all the bed linen from your bed. It should be placed in a plastic bag and carried to your washing machine, this prevents bed bugs from falling off the linen into other areas of your home. Then, wash your linen or a hot setting and dry on high for at least twenty minutes, this will kill any bugs on your soft furnishings.

Your mattress should be left where it is to avoid spreading the bed bugs. The professionals will use heat to treat it. You can do this yourself with a high heat steam cleaner. But, you’ll need to be methodical to ensure all the bed bugs are got. Remember, you can’t usually see them with your naked eye. Once you’ve treated everything you should be vigilant, this will help to ensure you spot any signs that there are still bed bugs and allow you to re-treat the area. Of course, the professionals will offer a guarantee to give you peace of mind.