Is It Normal to See a Bed Bug after Treatment?
Call a pest control company if you find bed bugs in your home. These critters can quickly spread throughout your home if you do not take immediate action. However, getting rid of them is not easy.
A bed bug infestation can require extensive treatment, which may involve several sessions that occur over several months. Is it normal to see a bed bug after treatment? What should you do if you see one?
Why You Still See Bed Bugs After Treatment
You may still see bed bugs after the initial treatment. More bed bugs may appear a few days after the first treatment session. You should see fewer bed bugs with each service.
The infestation should be eradicated by the third session or sooner. One of the reasons why you still see bed bugs is that these critters can get into hard-to-reach areas such as beneath or between floorboards, beneath window frames and behind baseboards.
The surviving eggs will hatch and start breeding again. Call a pest management professional as soon as you see surviving bed bugs. The company will most likely tell you how many treatment sessions are needed to completely get rid of bed bugs.
The baby bugs should not survive long after being exposed to the chemicals. However, you should remain vigilant to make sure that the bed bug treatment is working efficiently.
You can also buy bed bug sprays for extra protection against these critters. Continue working with pest management professionals until the problem has been completely solved.
What to Do When You Spot Bed Bugs
An adult bed bug can live for 2 to 4 months. That is why you should learn how to treat bed bugs properly. Do not apply pesticides by yourself to get rid of bed bugs that appear between service visits.
These critters should be physically removed from the area or killed. You can use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of live bed bugs. Remove the vacuum bag and seal it in a plastic bag after vacuuming. Throw it outside your house in a garbage receptacle.
You can also capture and crush bed bugs with a tissue. Discard the dead bugs immediately. Over-the-counter pesticides should not be used on bugs that are spotted between visits. The pest control company already applied pesticides, so you do not need to apply more.
Over-the-counter pesticides may also interfere with the other bed bug treatment methods you are using. Keeping a record of the areas where you saw bed bugs between visits will help you understand changes in their activity.
Remember to launder bed linens in hot water cycle at 140⁰ F or hotter. Eliminate crowded closets, piles of clothes, boxes packed with items and other messy conditions. The more cluttered space, the harder it is to control a bed bug infestation. Pull the bed away from the wall to prevent contact between them. Do not store items underneath the bed and put box spring or mattress encasement.
Can You Sleep in Your Bed After the Treatment Session?
There are a lot of reasons why you can and should sleep in your bed after treatment. You do not want the infestation to spread to other areas of your home. If you sleep on the couch, you will just encourage the bed bugs to invade the couch.
By sleeping in your bed, you will encourage these tiny bloodsuckers to come out of their hiding spots and feed. This is exactly what you need after a treatment session. Residual sprays will continue killing bed bugs for weeks afterward.
By acting as bait, you will get the bugs to look for you. It will be easier to monitor for bed bug activity and get rid of them fast.
Tips to Prevent Bed Bugs from Coming Back
Keep your home bed bug free by identifying their hiding spots and where they came from. Did you get them from a recent trip or work?
- You can prevent these critters from getting into your house by keeping your outdoor items in sealed plastics and only wearing them when you need to go out.
- Seal up any holes or cracks in the walls as these areas offer the perfect hiding place for bed bugs.
- Wash your clothes in hot water to kill bed bug eggs that might be stuck in there. Read the care label on the linens and garments first. You do not want to ruin your clothes after all.
- Insecticidal sprays will continue repelling and killing bed bugs for a while, but the effect usually only lasts 2 months. The residual effect of this product is not enough to kill bed bugs.
Bed bugs are hard to find and eliminate, so it can be difficult to ensure that all possible hiding spots have been treated correctly. Follow-up treatments can prevent bed bugs from starting another infestation in your home.
