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Bed bugs are bothersome pests that can be extremely difficult to eradicate. If you discover that you have an infestation then you need to work with a bed bug professional to develop a plan to address it. One option for treating bed bugs is conventional residual treatment using spray. This is one of the least invasive treatment options for bed bugs. If your pest control professional recommends a spray there are a few things you will need to do to prepare your home for treatment. Below is a list of steps you need to take to prepare your home for bed bug treatment.
- Remove all bed linens, towels, and clothing from the home and place in trash bags to be taken to a laundry mat or cleaner away from the property. Dry all items twice in a hot dryer and then put items in clean new bags. Do not remove from bags until the problem is eliminated from the home.
- Take out all area rugs and have them steam cleaned. Once clean put in plastic trash bag until problem is eliminated from the home.
- Remove all mattresses and box springs from the bed frames lean against the wall. Remove the headboard if mounted to the bed.
- Remove all dresser drawers and all items from the top of the dresser.
- Vacuum all the floors and furniture. Remove any couch or sofa cushions and place on the floor. Pull all furniture away from the walls to give the technician access to all areas. Vacuum files, books, CD’s, records, DVD’s, seal in plastic bags.
- Clean/vacuum the bottoms of all shoes, purses, hats, and luggage.
- Once all the vacuuming has been completed clean the vacuum. If there is a bag in the vacuum, throw the old one away and replace with new one.
- Remove any items from the cupboards and closets. Place items on the floor so cupboard and closet areas may be treated.
- Remove or replace any boxes you may have stored in the home. Should you plan to keep boxed items they must be stored away from the home a minimum of 18 months. By this time any bugs will have died.
- Be prepared to leave the premises for a minimum of 4 hours once the spray has occurred.
- It is crucial to a successful treatment that the area being treated is prepped and ready. Clutter and messy areas do not react to treatment well. It is always best to have a thoroughly clean area to eliminate the bed bugs.
There is quite a bit of preparation that has to be done to get your home ready for bed bug treatment. But, if you have been dealing with the pests for a while you understand how difficult they can be to eradicate. The bed bug treatment you receive will have a much higher likelihood of success if you do your part and prepare your home according to the instructions provided above. You can download and print out a PDF copy of this list here.
