Bedbugs: How to Spot Them and What to Do
Just the word is enough to make the skin crawl. Bedbugs. They're gross and creepy and can keep someone up at night with itching and discomfort. Bedbugs aren’t anything most people want to discuss, but knowing how to spot them, and what to do about them, can be important for a good night’s sleep.
What Are Bedbugs?
Bedbugs are parasitic insects. They’re small and have a reddish-brown coloration. They like to live in the crevices of mattresses so they can live off of our dead skin cells. But when people and animals are sleeping, they bite through their skin and suck out a small amount of blood. The good news is: bedbugs don’t usually spread diseases. So you don't need to worry about that, but they can cause itching and discomfort.
But what should you look for, so you can get rid of them?
Where Do Bedbugs Spend their Time?
Bedbugs are about the size of a small apple seed—or a flaxseed, so they aren’t very big, but they’re large enough to be spotted if you know where to look. They hide in and around a bed, most commonly in the cracks and crevices. Headboards, bed frames, and box springs are some of the most common places you’ll find them. For example, a good start to check for them is to look in the crevices along the sides of the mattress, where the side panel meets the top or bottom. Lift up the edges and look under upholstery buttons if your mattress has those. Check in any folds that may have formed from long-time use of the mattress, too. And remember to look carefully at the headboard if it's a plush or fabric headboard as they can hide there, too.
If you see what look like small dark flecks in any of these places, you've found bedbugs.
What To Do if You Find Bedbugs
If you find bedbugs, try not to freak out. Remember they don't spread disease. But obviously, this needs dealt with. Unfortunately, that’s not always easy to do. The bedding, linens, and any cloth or plush things in the area, such as stuffed animals and pillows need to be thoroughly cleaned. If it’s washable, get it in the washing machine with hot water and consider adding something like vinegar to the wash to help boost the cleaning power of your soaps. For non-washable items, running them in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes is recommended. If you're not already, you'll need to vacuum around the area of the bed right away and repeat it often because the little critters can live in carpets and even the cracks of wood floors.
Mattress seams should be scrubbed with a stiff brush and hot water and then thoroughly vacuumed. Consider using an insecticidal soap that's safe for mattresses, as well. And for the safest route, you can call a pest control company who can come and help mitigate and guide you in what to do.
Most likely, the mattress and box spring should be placed into zippered covers that will need to be left on them for a year to starve the bugs. That’s how long they can live without feeding. As we said above, professional extermination is also possible, but for most people, there are DIY steps to getting rid of bedbugs. Replacing the mattress can help but of course, they can be in the headboard and carpeting and other places so you may end up bringing a new mattress into an existing infestation and contaminating it, too, if you don't take other steps first. Be sure to choose cleaning supplies that are safe to be used in the bedroom when treating bedbug infestations chemically.
While bedbugs aren’t enjoyable to deal with, it is possible to get rid of them and keep them from coming back—but much like fleas, you're in for a bit of a fight. To prevent them in the first place, make sure you check your luggage and clothing after travel and check hotel mattresses when you arrive at your holiday destination. Make sure you keep your bed and the area around it free from clutter, vacuum regularly, and wash the plush things in the room often. As much as it makes the skin crawl, ignoring the potential problem is worse, so imagine how much better it will feel once it's dealt with and dive in.
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