When it comes to having unwanted pests in your house prevention is far easier than trying to clear out an infestation. Despite our best efforts you can still end up with ants, bed bugs or some other pest that you need to get rid of. If you live in an apartment building you can end up with bed bugs through no fault of your own, the neighbors can bring them in and they get to your apartment through the walls. Find and preventing bed bugs is easier than trying to get rid of them once they have made a nest. Here are some tools you can use to help you eliminate them once and for all.
Sticky Products
You can use a sticky adhesive product if you suspect you may have bed bugs, place the trap near your bed or anywhere else you suspect they might be. Check back the next morning or the next day to see if you have caught any. You can also pick up bed bug interceptors at any home improvement store and place them where needed to determine if you have any, then you can get in an exterminator to remove them.
Pesticides
If there are just a few of them you may be able to get by with a chemical pesticide that you can spray to kill them. You need to be cautious however even over the counter products can be highly toxic so follow the directions on the can to the letter. You want to be careful of pets and children and always make sure that you have adequate ventilation when spraying.
Canine Inspections
If you think you may have more than just a couple of bed bugs then try contacting a pest control company that uses dogs for detection. The dog along with the handler will thoroughly inspect your property to detect where live bugs may be living. Dogs have an incredible sense of smell and can find bed bugs behind your walls, in the furniture and anywhere else that bed bugs may be hiding.
Treatments
Once it has been established that yes, you do have an infestation then it is time to get rid of them. There are a couple of ways that this can be done. The first method is by using heat. Any of the affected items are put into a receptacle and heated to 45 Celsius, which is warm enough to kill the bugs but won’t damage any of your stuff. You can even use this method on your electronics.
If the heat approach isn’t enough then your pest control company may have to take more aggressive action. They will use a combination of pesticide sprays, steam and a vacuum to rid you of the rest of your bed bugs. There may also need to be follow ups done just to make sure that they are all killed.