Found Bed Bugs On Your Mattress? (Ultimate Guide)

Found Bed Bugs On Your Mattress? Bedbugs are parasitic insects that feed on blood from living animals. They typically feed at night and hide during the day, but can be seen in large groups. The distinct signs of a bedbug infestation include small red bumps or welts on the skin, dark red blood spots on sheets and mattresses, fecal stains or cast skins, and tiny black bugs with white markings found in darkened areas of homes.

Bedbug bites usually occur while sleeping. Read on – Found Bed Bugs On Your Mattress?

What to Do When You See a Bedbug On Your Mattress?

The first step you need to take is to carefully inspect your bed. If you see any signs of bed bugs, you should put all your clothes and linen into a plastic bag and seal them. Then, you need to wash the whole mattress with hot water and try to use steam. If the infestation is severe, you can call a professional exterminator to treat the problem.

How to Kill Bedbugs Myself?

Here Are Some Home Remedies to Get Rid of Bedbugs:

1. Vacuum Your Mattress Well

Vacuum your mattress well to remove bedbugs and their eggs on the surface of the mattress. Remove the bag of a vacuum cleaner after vacuuming and seal it properly to avoid contamination with other places in your house.

2. Soak Your Mattress in Alcohol

Mix one cup of alcohol and one quart of cold water in a bowl, then put it into the dryer. Remove the bowl from the dryer and let it cool down to room temperature. Place your mattress on the floor in your bedroom and soak it with this mixture overnight.

You will have to turn it upside down, shake it gently, and change the soaked areas with fresh alcohol solution every night for three nights to make sure that bedbugs are killed completely. This method is effective if you have more than one bed; otherwise, the bedbugs may hide near walls or in between other beds.

3. Use Baking Soda

Baking soda is a good remedy to get rid of bedbugs, but it kills only bedbugs on the surface. First, vacuum your mattress well to remove all dust and hair. Then, sprinkle baking soda all over the mattress and keep it overnight.

In the morning, clean your mattress with a vacuum cleaner and then use a steam cleaner to kill bedbugs deep inside the mattress. You should repeat this process once a month or two months to completely get rid of the bedbug threat.

4. Heat treatment:

For a shorter period, place your mattress in the dryer for several hours. Place on a non-absorbent material inside the dryer. Turn on your dryer’s heat setting to its highest level. When the time is up, open the dryer and leave it open for at least five minutes to let the area cool down until you can safely touch it.

If you notice bugs crawling around, use direct sunlight to drive them away by using brushes or cleaning sprays or mops.

5. Use Bed bug interceptor traps:

These traps are available in the market in a small container, which can be easily placed under your mattress. They come with a lid, which is fitted with a ‘Trap-Lock’ to keep the bugs inside. These trap interceptors can kill bed bugs efficiently without getting people exposed to pesticides or harsh chemicals.

6. Remove All Clutter

Clear all clutter from the corners and other areas of your bedroom. Clutter gives bedbugs an ideal hiding place because they prefer dark and undisturbed places to live and breed. If you find bedbugs near your bedside table, clean it well with soapy water and then cover it up with a metal mesh net for extra protection.

Do I Need Professional Pest Control Services to Eliminate Them?

If you are not sure how to identify bedbugs and how to control bedbugs, it is recommended that you contact professional exterminators for help. Bedbugs are a sign of a larger infestation problem and can be difficult to eliminate from homes.

If you would like help with an effective treatment plan for your home, it’s advised that you contact a pest control professional. They will be able to evaluate the situation, explain your options, and work with you to find the best treatment for bedbugs in your home.

Preventing Bedbugs on Mattress

Avoid bringing bed bugs from other places into your home in the first place by using these tips:

1. Inspect used items before you buy them:

Mattresses and beddings are the common places where bedbugs live. So, if you are about to buy a new mattress or bedding, take a look at it carefully.

Check for tiny black spots, dark red stains on the sheets and tags, or small insects and their excrement. Replace your old mattresses or beds with new ones to avoid bringing them into your homes or place of business.

2. Take a look at your clothes:

Take a closer look at your clothes before you walk out with them. Bedbugs like to attach themselves to the folds of your clothes, collars, and cuffs to hide when they escape from the furniture. If you find any tiny insects on your clothes, try shaking out all insects in the air. You should replace all the contaminated clothes with new ones as soon as possible.

3. Inspect plastic bags and suitcases:

You can bring bedbugs into your home by carrying infested things like books, magazines, or newspapers from other places on buses or trains, especially from libraries, schools, or colleges. So, it is better to inspect these items for bed bugs before taking them home. Other than this, bedbugs may crawl into the luggage bags and travel with you.

4. Do not bring any second-hand furniture into your home:

Bedbugs can hide in many places of your home like books, clothes, shoes, and furniture and live there secretly. So, it is not possible to check them all once again before bringing them into your home. If you try to bring used furnishings or clothing items into your home without checking them first, you will inevitably bring bed bugs into your home with them.

So, if you are going to buy used items from the market or anywhere else, try to check the item carefully by shaking out all unwanted things on the ground.

5. Do not bring any used items into your home:

When you try to bring secondhand furniture or other items into your home, you can also bring bed bugs in these things. So, it is better to throw these things away in the yard or put them in a dry and clean place before you bring them into your home. You should also check this new furniture or other products carefully before bringing them home and throw out anything that is bothering you when they are not being useful to you.

6. Check all the rooms around your house:

Before buying a new mattress or bedding, check all the rooms of your house for the presence of bed bugs. Bed bugs like to hide on carpet, clothes, mattresses, and beddings. So, it is recommended to have an inspection of these places before buying any new items for your homes. You can also check the mattress and bedding with a magnifying glass for any black spots or red stains on the sheets.

7. Replace all the old mattresses, beds, or any other furniture:

If you want to get rid of bed bugs from your homes, you should replace all the old mattresses and beds in your house and place them in a clean and dry place. If you see any stains and spots on the sheets of your bedding, it is better to change them with new ones. You can also replace all your clothes, shoes and carpets with new ones because bed bugs like to hide in these places.

8. Keep your home clean:

Bedbugs have the remarkable ability to survive without food for months. So, it is recommended to keep your home clean by throwing out the trash regularly. It is also better to have an inspection of the place for signs of bedbugs.

9. Make sure your pets are not infected with bedbugs:

Another common trend of being infested with bedbugs is catching them from your pets. So, it is recommended to keep your pets away from dust and other dirty places where they can easily hide and breed.

If you notice any fleas or larvae on your pet, it is recommended to take care of these things by bringing in some dog treats or cat flea collars to keep them away from spreading these insects to the rest of the world and infecting people.

Tips On Cleaning Mattress Regularly

The first step in getting rid of bed bugs is cleaning the mattress. A thorough cleaning of your mattress and your bedroom can do wonders to help you get rid of any bedbug infestations. The following are simple tips that you can follow to ensure that mattress is cleaned regularly.

1. Vacuum the mattress:

The first thing that you must do is vacuum your mattress. Using a strong suction will help remove the bed bug eggs and other bedbugs that are hiding in the tiny cracks of your mattress. If there are any stains or spots on your mattress, you can use mild soap and water to clean them. You should also vacuum all other furniture, clothes, carpets, and books from your bedroom as well because bedbugs can easily get into these things and live there for a long time.

2. Steam-clean the mattress:

Steaming the mattress is one of the best ways to get rid of any dust mites, mold, or bacteria from it. You can use a portable bed bug steamer to steam the mattress.

3. Ensure you have cleaned your mattress with a stain remover.

If there are any stains or spots on your mattress, apply a stain remover to remove these stains from the mattress. You can use hydrogen peroxide on your mattress or any other area where you see bed bugs to get rid of them. You should also try out some antibacterial products and sprays on the mattress to reduce the number of such areas where bedbugs can hide. These products will kill the bedbugs and their eggs as well.

4. Sprinkle baking soda all over the entire mattress.

Baking soda is a natural product that can be used to kill any kind of pests. You can sprinkle some baking soda all over the mattress and leave it there for a while. Another way is to put a mixture of water and baking soda on your mattress and let it dry naturally by just leaving it there for an entire day. Baking soda is not only good for killing bed bugs but is also good for your health. So, you should try using this trick if you are dealing with bed bugs in your home.

5. Protect the mattress with a mattress cover.

You can protect your mattress from bed bugs by making a mattress cover. Clean your mattress and patch the holes in your mattress by using some mild liquid spray to prevent any kind of bedbugs from coming into the area again. You can also buy a mattress protector that you can use to keep your mattress clean from loose dust and dirt.

6. Remove spaces between the sheets:

Remove spaces between the sheets as much as possible because it is the place where bed bugs like to hide and feed on people’s blood. Bedbugs will hide inside these small spaces and make them their home to breed and feed on people’s blood. These spots are where they lay their eggs, too.

Found Bed Bugs On Your Mattress? – Conclusion

Bed bugs are a major health risk and can be a great nuisance in your home. They should be dealt with immediately because they can spread to other parts of your house. You need to get rid of them as quickly as possible and make sure they do not spread further into the rest of your homes.

Bed bugs are not only found in bedrooms but also in kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas of your home. So, you need to take an action as soon as possible if you find bed bugs in these places. The most common ways to get rid of bed bugs include cleaning the mattress regularly and placing it in a dry place away from moisture.

If you need help with mattress cleaning or carpet cleaning service, contact us today!