It can be quite difficult to get rid of bed bugs completely if they have once entered your home. You would need the help of professional Pest Control Operator or PCO to do this. They will generally give you a list of things to do for getting prepared for this exercise. Lack of preparation can be unsafe and cause re-infestation of the pests and so professionals will not treat a building if it is unprepared. You and your family members should leave the home at the time a PCO is carrying out the treatment. So be prepared to stay away at least for 4 hours.
Image by Michael Aulia
Also consider the following points:
1. Check all the rooms of your home thoroughly with the help of a bright flashlight. If you have a magnifying glass, you can also make use of it. It is important to give close attention to the areas where people sit or sleep for long periods. Bed bugs are visible to eyes and they leave a reddish-brown spots on mattresses. They also have a distinct smell. However, only the grown-ups can be identified during this inspection and the larvae and eggs can’t be found.
2. If you have any pets at home, send them away during the time of treatment. However, you can keep fish tank inside. But it should be covered tightly with a plastic cover.
3. Personal things like clothes, blankets, shoes, stored materials, plush toys, etc. should be thoroughly cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and stored in a plastic bag. Remove them from your home.
4. Completely remove all the things from all the closets in your home. Also, empty the bedroom drawers, wardrobes, bathroom shelves, bookcases, etc. prior to the treatment.
5. You have to be cautious when you remove the items from infested areas since the bed bugs may get accidentally transferred.
6. It is important to dismantle the bed frames if there is severe infestation in the bed.
7. Try to clean all carpeting, backs of wall hangings, bedding and other areas thoroughly with the help of a vacuum cleaner where you see bed bugs. Empty the vacuum cleaner bag soon after you finish cleaning and dispose it in an external trash can.
8. Caulk and seal all holes if any pipes or wires go through the walls. Also, fill the cracks around baseboards to reduce infestation.
9. Infested bed linen, curtains, comforters and clothing can’t be treated with insecticide. Hence, you have to wash it in hot water. If washing is not a feasible option, you can put them in a cloth dryer for several times. This should work in most cases.
10. If you have any furniture near the wall, pull them away and check thoroughly. The PCO may need access to all things and also the places beneath the furniture. You can bring them back to the position after the treatment is over.
11. If you have any furniture or mattresses in poor condition that are infested, you can place them in large plastic bags that are available at storage shops. Once you have packed them tightly, you can remove it from your home and discard it.
12. During the treatment you can place your things on kitchen stands, coffee tables and dining room tables.
You should give sufficient time for the treatment to work. It is not recommended to use shampoo or soap to clean the floors for at least 3 weeks. If needed, you can use the vacuum cleaner. After 3 weeks, it would be good to clean the infested rooms completely. You can also scrub the floor with a stiff brush and an effective disinfectant, so that you can remove from the surface any eggs that remain. To see the complete effect of the treatment, you have to wait for a time of three weeks. If the problem exists even after that, you can contact the PCO.
To know more steps for preparation of Bed Bugs Treatment Melbourne? You can contact us, and get know more ideas.
