Do I need a seperate cover for the box springs, or is it included?by It looks like you are not signed in. To proceed you will need to either sign in or create a new accountSign InDo I need a seperate cover for the box springs, or is it included?by It looks like you are not signed in. To proceed you will need to either sign in or create a new accountSign Inwill the bed bug blocker help if you already have them but cant afford a new bed just got the bed 4 months agoby It looks like you are not signed in. To proceed you will need to either sign in or create a new accountSign InIs this cover also waterproof?by It looks like you are not signed in. To proceed you will need to either sign in or create a new accountSign InPreparing for Treatment Against Bed Bugs Información relacionada disponible en español Whether you are hiring a pest management professional or trying to eliminate the bugs yourself, properly preparing your home is an essential first step. Taking these steps before starting out will help speed the process and reduce control costs.
Make your Bed an Island Clean All Items in the Living Area Eliminate Bed Bug Habitats Reduce Clutter--a Great Hiding Place for Bed Bugs When reducing clutter take care that you don't spread the bed bugs: Don't move items from the infested area to a non-infested area. Place trash or other infested items directly into plastic trash bags. When full, immediately carry the bags to an outside bin. Get rid of excess magazines and newspapers. Keep clothing off the floor. Eliminate all cardboard boxes (the bugs can hide in the cardboard). Replace with plastic boxes, if you need the storage. Get rid of clothing and other items you no longer use (but make sure they are free of bed bugs first so you don't spread them). Make Your Bed an Island Move the bed at least 6 inches away from the wall. Ensure all bed bugs, larvae, and eggs are removed from the bed, frame and headboard. Place bed-bug-proof covers (often called encasements) on your mattress and boxspring (available in home stores or online).
Take care that these covers have zippers that close completely and that they are sturdy enough to last for a year. Any bed bugs trapped inside will eventually starve to death, and other bed bugs won't be able to hide in the bed or box spring. Make sure all bedding is tucked under mattress and does not touch the floor. Place bed bug interceptors under each leg of the bed (available in home stores or online). Interceptors will trap any bed bugs that try to climb the leg of the bed. In the beginning, you will inspect them daily. Plan to use the interceptors for at least a year - they will be important to your post-control monitoring efforts. Remove anything under the bed. Store in the same room to avoid spreading the infestation. Inspect and clean or discard as appropriate. Clean All Items Within a Bed-Bug-Infested Living Area Heat treat clothing, bedding, and other items that can withstand a hot dryer (household dryer at high heat for 30 minutes), which will kill bed bugs and eggs.
Washing alone might not do the job. Store clean items in a sealed plastic bag to ensure they remain bug free Physically inspect and clean furniture, baseboards, behind outlet and switch covers, etc. to remove visible bed bugs or eggs. Use sealed plastic bags to transport any items that are being moved from one area to another (e.g., clothing or other items to be heated in the dryer). Remove and clean drapes and the drapery hardware. Look for bed bugs, eggs, and other bed bug evidence (e.g., shed skins, hatched eggs) on furniture and remove--this will also help in evaluating treatment success. Vacuum thoroughly, then remove and dispose of the vacuum bag: Seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag. Place in trash outside. Caulk cracks or crevices around baseboards. Repair any wallboard damage, ensure wallpaper is not loose. Check electrical outlets and wall switches for evidence of bed bugs. Tape or caulk the rims to prevent bed bugs from getting behind the plates.
Preparing Your Home for Bed Bug Treatment (PDF) About PDF) -- North Carolina State University Exit Preparing Your Home for Bed Bug Treatment -- Michigan State University ExitTranscript We are going to look at several options for bed bug proof storage. After you heat treat your items you’re going to want to store them in bed bug proof bags or containers until you finish treating the rest of your belonging. If you have any items you can’t heat treat storing them in bed bug proof container for a year and a half will kill any bed bugs in them and prevent them from escaping and re-infesting your home. We highly recommend giant Ziploc. They come in an assortment of sizes and are great to store your heat treated clothing. You can easily unseal them, access your clothing and re-seal them for an impermeable bed bug barrier. Plastic garbage bags are also bed bug proof. They are a great inexpensive option. We suggest getting clear bags because you will be able to see the contents from the outside.
They’ll be much less likely to tare and let the bed bugs escape. Simply tie off the bag or use a metal binder clip. They are available at any office supply store and are easy to remove to access your stuff. Plastic storage bins are also a good option. This bin has a gasket, a rubber seal that goes around the edges of the lid. When you put the lid down and clamp it shut the seal forms a barrier and makes this bin bed bug proof. No bed bugs will be able to get through that barrier. Clear bins are great because you can easily see the contents inside. It is possible to use to use plastic bins without gaskets although these bins are prone to letting bed bugs escaped when bumped or moved.Making it is easy for bed bugs to crawl out and work their way into the corrugations. These void are ideal hiding places. Our advice is to get rid of all the cardboard in your home. Bag All Your Personal/Household Items The first step is to put all of your personal belongings that you can into sealed plastic bags or tubs.
By sealing everything closed any non-infested items remain free of bugs, and any items that are infested are quarantined so that the bugs can’t spread further. We’ve found that large clear plastic garbage bags are really helpful because they allow you to easily see the contents. Be cautious when bagging up objects that have sharp edges or corners that can easily poke through. You may want to be double bag these items just to be safe since you don’t want any bed bugs to escape. Also, remember to seal the bag shut tightly. Tying the bag shut works just fine or you can twist the top of the bag closed and clamp on a large binder clip or zip ties. Plasticplace 42 Gallon Contractor Bags Officemate Large Binder Clips 3 Options For Your Belongings Once you have your belongings bagged up, you have 3 options as to how to deal with them: Heat Treatment,Long-term Storage or Disposal. We explore each option in detail below: Heat treatment is what you will likely do with most of your belongings.
Heat treatment is extremely effective and properly done will kill 100% of bed bugs in all life stages (including eggs, nymphs and adults.) Home dryers on high heat reach bed bug killing temperatures so this is a great option for clothes, pillows, cushions, towels and any other items that you can put in a dryer. Make sure to run your dryer on high heat for at least 45 minutes. We highly recommend using the dryer when possible as it is usually faster than heat treating them another way, although the dryer does have limitations in what you can put inside. For belongings that are not safe to treat in your dryer like dry-clean only clothing, suitcases, books, shoes, etc. you can heat treat in the ZappBug. We offer three sizes of units so take a look and see what best suits your needs: ZappBug Heater, ZappBug Oven 2, ZappBug Room. Check out this video showing how to heat treat with your dryer (be cautious because not all dryers reach high enough temperatures to kill bed bugs). Debagging Your Items For Heat Treatment
When you are removing your belongings from bags to heat treat them, it is very important to remember to follow proper protocol. We talked about this in Step 1 Establish a Safe Zone, but it is so important we repeat it here. The wrong method of debagging is to place your bagged belongings on the floor and then lift out the items for placement in ZappBug or the dryer. As you are lifting items out of the bag, bed bugs can fall off and spread. If you are using ZappBug, place the entire bag in ZappBug, before removing any items from it. This way if any bed bugs fall off your items as you are lifting them out of the bag, they will fall into ZappBug and be killed when you start the heat treatment. If you are using a dryer, be sure to upend the entire bag, into the dryer. After Heat Treatment: Storing Your Belongings Remember that after you heat treat your items you will want to store most of them in a sealed bed bug proof bag or container to prevent bed bugs from re-infesting them.
This is especially true for your clothes, but it is also a good idea for other belongings. For this purpose, we love Ziploc Jumbo Big Bags. These are not the Ziploc bags used for food storage. These are much larger and are designed for storing personal items. They work extremely well because you can easily seal and unseal them to quickly access your belongings. You can also store your items in plastic bins, provided you take into account several factors. We explain everything you need to know about plastic storage bins in Bed Bug Proof Storage video above. If you don’t want to or can’t heat treat some of your belongings, another option is to store them until all the bed bugs that might be in them have died. As incredible as it sounds bed bugs can live up to 1.5 years (18 months) without feeding. You’ll want to store your untreated belongings for that long to ensure that any bugs that were in them are definitely dead. This can be a good option for things you want to keep but don’t need to access for a very long time, such as records, files, photos, books, etc.
If you are using this option, be sure to store your items in bed bug proof bags or containers. If there are bed bugs in your items, you don’t want them escaping and re-infesting your home. See more information in the Bed Bug Proof Storage Video. A Note on Cardboard: Avoid It It’s very important to not store your belongings in cardboard. The surface of cardboard is not slick so it’s easy for bed bugs to climb. As well, bed bugs particularly like hiding in the corrugation of cardboard which provides good harborages for them. We recommend disposing of all cardboard in your home. As you go through your belongings, you will probably find things that you no longer want or need. Now is a great time to get rid of the clutter in your home. Think of it as a bed bug inspired spring cleaning. When you find something that you want to get rid of, simply seal it in a plastic bag and then throw it away. Make sure to seal it in a plastic bag before you throw it away because you don’t want to inadvertently spread bed bugs.
Many people automatically assume that they should throw out all infested objects, including mattresses and bedding. If at all possible we recommend heat treating instead as the cost of heat treating your items is often much lower than replacing everything that was infested. However there are some objects that may be best to throw out, and you’ll have to determine for yourself what you want to get rid of and what’s worth saving. We do recommend disposing of all of the cardboard in your home as bed bugs love to hide in the corrugation. Ziploc Big Bag Double Zipper, Large Ziploc Big Bag Double Zipper, X-Large 54 Quart/51 Liter Gasket Box Plastic Storage KeepBox with Attached Lid Disclaimer: Some of the procedures outlined in this guide may be dangerous and should be undertaken at the readers own risk. Readers should consult all material safety data sheets for any products they use in their own attempts at pest control and consult with the manufacturers of all products regarding best usage practices.