Bed bugs can be one of the worst things to happen to your house. They are difficult to catch and can multiply in numbers before you know it. They might look like small, unproblematic creatures but can create a nuisance in the house. If you are tired of removing bed bugs, but they keep coming back, you might need to call Stride Pest Control.
While some people choose the easy road and call professional services for the job, others like to take it upon themselves. If you are among the latter, you must have researched some ways to remove bed bugs. However, there are certain improper ways that you should be aware of.
Improper ways of dealing with bed bugs
Do not toss your mattress.
Although bed bugs can be found literally anywhere in the house where they can get their food source, that is, human blood, they are most commonly found in mattresses. Since bed bugs are nocturnal creatures, they prefer to hide inside mattresses and come out to suck human blood when people are asleep.
However, this does not mean you can get rid of them by tossing them on the curb. Bed bugs are not easy to remove. When you throw your mattress away, these bugs will travel to another person’s home and create an infestation. If you are throwing away your mattress, make sure to wrap it in plastic to prevent the bugs from invading another home.
Do not rely on cold weather conditions.
Yes, bed bugs can be killed with cold environmental conditions, but only if the temperature is severe and the duration is long enough. Winters in the US are not cold enough to kill an entire infestation of bed bugs. Moreover, bed bugs have a high cold tolerance and have adapted to survive in cold weather conditions for months without food.
Therefore, if you are considering leaving your house for the winter, it is only a waste of time. When you come back in the summer, these bugs will be waiting for you.
Do not use homemade solutions.
If you are considering taking care of the bed bug situation on your own, you must have done some Internet research. The thing about Internet articles is that you never know if you can trust them or not. Many articles boast about having DIY homemade solutions that can permanently eliminate bed bugs without professional pest control.
Some sites might even suggest you use highly inflammable materials, such as rubbing alcohol, kerosene, and gasoline, to suffocate the bed bugs. This is not only dangerous but an unappealing option. Moreover, you won’t be able to remove them permanently anyway.