Most homeowners do not want to think it, but bed bugs area menace that is creeping out of the cities and into more rural locations throughout the United States at an alarming rate Most homeowners do not want to think it, but bed bugs area menace that is creeping out of the cities and into more rural locations throughout the United States at an alarming rate. If you have had the unpleasant occurrence of waking up to red welts on your arms or torso, your home could already have a bed bug infestation. And you need to contact your local bed bug exterminator to have your home treated as soon as you find tiny little pests in your home. An infestation will not just go away if left alone and you cannot treat the problem on your own. And waiting to take action with bed bug treatments only exacerbates the problem. If you’ve found bed bugs in your home, the following guide can help you get back on your feet.

Unfortunately, the first thing you are going to have to do is throw away your mattress and your box spring. Bed bugs take up residence in your mattress and can lay hundreds or even thousands of eggs, so even if you closely inspect your mattress and rip open your box spring and don’t see a problem, there could still be a threat. The only way to be sure that the threat has been removed from your bed room is to get a new mattress and box spring. You’ll also need to pull your bed frame and headboard away from the wall so that it can be treated. Bugs love to gather behind headboards.

The next area needing attention is your clothing. Remove all of your clothing from your bedroom and wash it in hot water and dry it on high heat. Hot temperatures kill live bed bugs and, with prolonged exposure, can kill eggs, as well. Once your clothing is clean and dry, place it in plastic bags and keep it away from the original area of bed bug infestation.

Your local bed bug control experts at Young Environmental Solutions can give you information on how to handle your bedding. Items like pillow cases, sheets and even blankets can be put in the wash and treated like clothing, but pillows, comforters and other stuffed items may need to be thrown away. Depending on how bad your particular infestation is, you may be able to throw these items in the wash or have them dry cleaned. When your home is treated, the bedbug control experts will tell you which way to go. In many cases, people voluntarily choose to throw items away to err on the side of caution.

Depending on which kind of treatment you choose, you may be able to get back into your home fairly quickly. A bed bug heat treatment approach can get you back in the same day or within 36 hours of when treatment begins.

The key to beating bed bugs before they have a chance to drive you crazy is to act fast and have a bed bug exterminator in your home as quickly as possible. The longer you wait, the bigger the problem will become. Don’t wait; you can beat bed bugs before they have a chance to ruin your home.