Bed Bug Survival Guide
Do the prep work that’s absolutely necessary before the exterminator treats your apartment. In that regard, one measure of an exterminator’s potential effectiveness will be the list of chores they hand you. Andy Linares (from Bug Off Pest Control Center, New York City) is responsible for much of the following homework assignment. Depending on your exterminator, you’ll be expected to complete some or possibly all of the following preparation before bed bug treatment can begin:
- Remove all items from drawers, closets, bookshelves, cabinets and closets (clothes, bedding, and drapes should be laundered, steam-cleaned or dry-cleaned).
- Pack infestible belongings into black plastic bags and seal them. Exposing the bags to direct sunlight for a day will usually generate enough heat to kill any bed bugs within in the bag – no matter their developmental stage. This technique only works during the summer, and so on cloudy days, Andy recommends sticking the bag into your car with the windows rolled up. “I guess the bag better not have holes in it,” I said. Andy agreed. “Yeah, maybe you should put the bag in your mother-in-law’s car.” I asked him what he would do if the infestation were discovered during cold weather. “Seal the bag good and store it until the summer – then stick it into the sun.”
- Remove as many bed bugs as possible by doing a serious vacuum job on your apartment. Use the crevice tool to vacuum furniture, shelves, inside drawers, baseboards, along carpet edges, hot air conduits, radiators, window and door frames, behind pictures and wall hangings. Then seal and toss out the vacuum bag as soon you’re done. Note: borrowing vacuum cleaners is illegal in some states.
- Strip the bed and launder sheets, pillowcases, mattress pads, blankets and comforters in HOT WATER.While you’re at it – toss in any stuffed animals. Everything should be dried on “high” for twenty minutes or more. "What about shrinkage?" you ask. Unfortunately, the answer is that "nobody said this was going to be easy."
- Remove any pets from the premises during treatment (and wash or replace their bedding). Turn off aquarium filters and air stones, cover the tanks with plastic wrap and tape it in place.
- Get rid of cardboard boxes, bags, magazines and newspapers. Bed bugs like paper and wood – not metal and plastic.
- Throw out torn or heavily infested items like mattresses and box springs and be sure to deface them so that others will be discouraged from carting them off from the curb. A pinned or taped-on warning label is not enough. Before you begin hauling your items out, consider donning gloves and a disposable suit before wrapping the bed bug-infested bedding in plastic. This will prevent you from spreading the bed bugs throughout the building or getting them on your clothes. When purchasing your next bed, consider buying one with a metal frame rather than a wooden one.
Finally, don’t even think about bringing your sanitized belongings, new furniture, or new bedding back into your apartment until the exterminator gives you the "okay". And do ask the bed bug exterminator when you should resume vacuuming (since some of the pesticides they use leave an effective residue that should not be removed).
Because most bed bug infestations are not eliminated by a single treatment, you should discuss scheduling a re-treatment to take care of new bed bug hatchlings who weren’t around for the toxic assault that hopefully left them as orphans.
“Whatever these pest control guys use, the initial treatment might kill the bed bugs but it probably won’t kill the eggs,” said Lou Sorkin. “Generally, you need a re-treatment to kill the bed bug hatchlings.”
According to Andy Linares, this will be no sooner then fifteen days after your initial treatment, since that’s how long it takes bed bug eggs to hatch. He also recommends a quarterly re-treatment until you’re bed bug free for six months.
After that, you are officially a Bed Bug Survivor.
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