Preparing for a Bed Bug Treatment

Preparing for a Bed Bug Treatment

Prepared by Del Lawson of Modern Pest Control

As with all insects removing bed bugs from a home is very difficult. There are hundreds of products on the market and dozens of pest control companies that claim they have the quick, easy and cheap way to get rid of them.

Well I am here to tell you that getting rid of Bed Bugs is not easy or quick! Below you will see an outline of what the resident of the space with the bugs needs to do to get ready for a treatment and what they can expect before during and after the treatment.

Preparations to be completed by the resident:

• All bedding should be removed and washed in hot water and dried in the dryer, including mattress covers and pillow covers.
• All clothes that may have contacted the infested area must be washed as well.
• Hanging Drapes should be inspected and laundered as per their label if they are found to have bed bugs on them.
• The apartment should be neat and orderly as we will have to be able to get around.
• All items stored under the bed should be removed and inspected for bed bugs, if this stuff can be discarded that is the best policy.
• Anything that can be washed in a washing machine should be washed.
• We highly recommend that mattresses and box springs be placed in an insect proof enclosure. These can be found at http://www.protectabed.com/
• All furniture must be inspected and treated by heat remediation, chemical means or disposed of.

What to expect the day of the treatment:

• On the day of the treatment the technician will first come into the home and do an inspection on the unit.
• He will then get out his vacuum and vacuum the mattress, and everywhere he can find live or dead bed bugs.
• He will then treat the floor wall junction and possibly dust some wall voids with and insecticidal dust.
• The bed frame will be treated with Sterifab or a similar prodcut to kill any remaining insects on the frame.

What to expect after the treatment:

• Bed bugs are not removed from a building over night. It will take time for the treatment to work.
• Re-inspections and treatments may be necessary.
• You should continue to wash all clothes and bedding as often as possible to facilitate killing of all bed bug larvae and eggs that may be deposited.
• The second treatment will be scheduled 14-21 days after the first one.
• In the first few days after the treatment the bed bug activity will appear to increase. This is just the insects that are hidden during the treatment coming out due to agitation from the treatment.

These steps are not mere suggestions but are necessary to get rid of the problem. Remember these problems take time to get under control and help from you the tenant is of the utmost importance. If we do not cooperate and work together the problem may continue or get worse.

The author Del Lawson serves as Vice President of Operations for Modern Pest Control, Houston TX. and can be reached at dlawson@modern-pest.com.

For more info visit http://www.modern-pest.com/.

Modern Pest control has provided pest control in Katy, Sugar Land, Pear Land, Richmond, Missouri City, Rosenberg, Stafford, Houston and the surrounding areas for over 50 years.