Protecting bed and mattress from bed bugs

There are several things you can do to monitor, control, and prevent bed bugs reaching your new mattress or one you cleaned little while ago. Importantly, as we discussed before, you must cover the mattress with an appropriate casing. Refer to section on getting rid of bed bugs from the mattress. Secondly, if can, replace your bed linen to white bed sheets of a lighter color. Doing so will allow you to see bed bugs easily if ever will come back to bed. Most important aspect is how to block any bed bugs passing the legs of the bed or the box bed bases. If you already have or bought a traditional type of bed will legs, place each leg in a container with a liquid as regular cooking oil. This will be a great trap if any of the bed bugs that may be hiding will try to get on to your bed. As for the bed bases, only thing that suggest is sprinkling diatomaceous earth around the bed base. However, this is method is very challenging to maintain the powder in place for at least 5 days as we might accidentally step foot on it and break the barrier. 

Importantly make sure that you bed linens are not hanging too much out and touching the floor or walls. Also, if you usually connecting a phone charger or a night lamp to a power outlet close by and leaving them on the side stool or even keeping the connected phone on you bed, don’t do it as bed bugs may crawl back using the wires or power cords as a path. by Nalaka Daundaratne & Dhanush M

How to trap bed bugs that might be left

Today you have many products that claim to trap them as insect glue traps. However, Nalaka Daundaratne and Dhanush suggests a much cheaper option by simply placing folded and piled up toilet paper pieces around your bed and other areas that you commonly live in. If you covered many hiding points in your living area, now they have very limited places to stay hiding until the probable feeding time. So, they will choose the toilet paper trap to start living. All you must do is gently lift layers one by one to see if they have crawled in there and discard safely or simply spray a preferred bed bug pesticide.

Important tips about how to successfully terminate bed bugs

• Keep washed and dirty clothes in tied up or sealed bags for several days or until elimination of bed bugs is confirmed

• Minimize objects that can help them hide in your room. Keep it clear and clean as possible

• Consider using bed bug fogger as per manufacturers’ instructions at any level of infestation as it will be highly effective in killing their eggs

• Do not keep socks and similar clothing lying on the floor as they can easily cling on to them or hide

• If you have few or many shoes that don’t wear offer or at the time, treat them with heat as instructed in how to get rid of bed bugs from shoes section. Then, place them in bags that can be sealed securely and put them away.

• Place appropriately sized trays or plastic cups filled with water or vegetable oil under each leg of any table or charge that you found bed bugs. Else, apply a life of quality double sided adhesive tape around each leg of any furniture to catch bed bugs that will try to get back

• Diatomaceous earth is highly effective in killing bed bugs and you can sprinkle anywhere that you identify as probable place they would hide.

• I’m dry weather or climate, the powder can be kept for over week or more. However, when the humidity is above normal range, it’s better to replace the diatomaceous soil at least every 3 days or even sooner as needed.