If you’ve put in a little research into bed bugs, you’ve no doubt heard by now that these pests are incredibly good hitchhikers. While this is the case, they are also incredibly good at hiding. This is why most people don’t even know they are dealing with an infestation until the numbers are stacked way against them. Spotting an infestation early and hitting the problem head-on is the key to successful elimination. However, before you can do any of this, you have to know that you are dealing with a bed bug infestation. Just because you see the signs or are waking up with bite marks, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are dealing with a bed bug infestation.
It could be entirely possible that you are dealing with fleas or some similar parasite. Whatever the situation and the severity of the infestation, you must be 100 percent certain that you are dealing with bed bugs. The very best way to do just this is by procuring a sample of one of the specimens. Given their stealthy nature, ability to hide, small stature, and sleeping habits, this can be much, much harder than imagined.
Bed bugs like to nestle and settle into areas that are rarely touched or disturbed like cracks, crevices, bed frames, wooden furniture, or deep in closets. If you really want to procure a sample and be sure that you are dealing with bed bugs, you’ll need to know how to flush the critter out of hiding.
Checked All The Hiding Spots, But Still Had No Luck? Force The Bugs Out Of Hiding And Into The Open!
Luckily, there are techniques that you can use to your advantage to lure these critters out. The real trick is just knowing when, where, and how to apply these techniques. Here’s where you’ll want to start.
- Stay up at night and check the common hiding and living areas for bed bugs. When you see where the bugs are coming from, you can treat the area with heat or steam.
- Move your bedroom beds and furniture away from the walls at least a few inches so that you can properly install traps under the legs. Such traps like the BeapCo 6-hour CO2 trap will be your best option. These traps offer a 6-hour window of detection utilizing CO2 and heat. These traps lure out bed bugs into glue traps, similar to that of glue mouse traps. These traps can also be refilled which makes them an excellent option.
- A steamer is another excellent option when it comes to luring bed bugs out of hiding. In fact, this treatment is like killing two birds with one stone because it will not only lure the bugs out but will eradicate them at the same time. In addition to this, you can safely use a steamer on your furniture and clothing items without worrying about damaging them. The only downside to the steamer is, it doesn’t exactly penetrate through walls.
- The best thing to use to draw bed bugs out of hiding is heat. It is heat that draws bed bugs to humans at night. When a bed bug detects heat, it is an indication to them that a host is nearby. This is what makes the Beacons such a popular lure. These traps usually provide a two-week cartridge that will continuously lure bugs out of hiding. All you have to do is set the trap where you think the bugs are hiding and it will emit small amounts of heat and CO2 to lure the bugs. Once inside the trap they’ll be completely trapped and unable to escape. They will eventually starve to death.
- Speaking of heat, heat is another excellent option for killing bed bugs. Heat is not only acceptable as a lure, but it makes a good killer as well. All you have to do is wash your clothes in the hottest water possible and then dry them on the highest heat settings possible. Do each cycle for ninety minutes, and you’ll have pest-free bedding and clothing before you know it.