Bed bugs have been a huge issue over the past few years. A bed bug infestation can cause expensive treatments and be quite an inconvenience to deal with in general. Learning how to control bed bugs is such a useful skill and can save you a lot of problems down the road. The following are some steps that you can take to control bed bugs. These are tips and tricks I’ve learned through research, talking with other pest control professionals, and the experience of handling many bed bug infestations.Bed bugs, yuck! My blood pressure rises just thinking about these horrible little creatures. However you have to take control of the situation. You can’t just let them spread across town. First of all, they are a real health risk to humans. They spread an array of diseases and illnesses. But also, they invade your spaces at night while you sleep. Who wants to wake up with one crawling on their face? I know I don’t!

Bed Bug Control Techniques

Seal off cracks and crevices

If you believe that bed bugs may be present in your home, it is important to take action before they multiply and spread. The first step is to inspect all areas of the house thoroughly for signs of an infestation. Look for rusty or reddish-brown stains on sheets, mattresses and furniture upholstery; small blood spots on sheets; brownish or black droppings that look like pepper sprinkled over a surface (bed bug feces); shed skins that resemble small pieces of tissue paper; live bed bugs themselves (they are usually 5/16″ long). Look in cracks and crevices where they hide during the day, including under beds, behind dressers and headboards and inside furniture cracks.

The next step is to kill any existing bed bugs using nonresidual insecticides such as pyrethrins (like Safer® Brand Bed Bug Killer), which are odorless but must be reapplied every three weeks as they lose their effectiveness after a few months—or residual insecticides such as bifenthrin (like Zodiac FC Magnum Termite & Pest Control) which remain active for up to 12 months after application but can cause severe skin irritation if touched directly by humans or pets within two days after application

Inspect carefully

If you suspect you have bed bugs, the first thing to do is thoroughly inspect your home. Look for signs of activity, including live bed bugs and their droppings, which resemble coffee grounds or black dots on furniture.

Bed bugs are most commonly found in beds, but they can be found in any crevices or cracks in walls and floors—even behind electrical outlets and light switches! They also like to hide inside box springs and furniture crevices (you might find them there if you take apart a piece of furniture).

Wash and heat dry clothing and bedding

The next step in the process is to wash clothing, bedding and other items that you’ve recently used. This includes sheets, pillowcases, blankets and stuffed animals. You should also wash any clothes that you’re going to wear again after they’ve been laundered.

When washing these items on a hot cycle with detergent and bleach (if available), make sure that you don’t leave them sitting in the washer for too long before transferring them to the dryer for another cycle of high heat drying. If you don’t have time for this second step or aren’t able to do it because your washing machine doesn’t have enough space for multiple loads at once, simply put all of your laundry through one complete cycle before hanging everything up on hangers and letting it air dry outside for several days or weeks until it’s completely dry (depending on climate).

If any fabrics are still damp after two cycles through both high temperatures (washing) and hot temperatures (drying), place them back into the dryer with another set of clean clothes on an extra-long cycle until they feel completely dry when pressed between your fingers.

Use insecticides

Most of the time, you’ll find that a combination of these techniques is the most effective. The first two are obvious choices, but there are others. Some are more expensive than others, so it’s up to you what works best for your situation.

• Insecticide sprays are common and they’re effective at killing bed bugs on contact. They’re not perfect though: it can take multiple applications over a period of several days to get rid of an infestation completely.
• Dusts tend to be safer than insecticides because they don’t have as much potential for collateral damage to your things or people! Dusts need some time alone with their target pest in order for them to work properly though; this means spraying won’t do much good for getting rid of an established population (you’ll see why later).
• Baits work by attracting bedbugs into traps where they can feed without having any other option except dying from poison inside said traps! This method doesn’t kill 100% off every single one either; just like with dusts, baits take time before they start showing results…

You should always inspect carefully for bed bugs.

You should always inspect carefully for bed bugs. You need to look at the bug and its size, color and shape, as well as the place it is hiding in. This will tell you a lot about what type of bed bug you have found and how it can best be removed.

Bed bugs are small insects that can be brownish-red or dark red in color. They are flat, oval-shaped insects with six legs and antennae but no wings or eyes. They shed their skin as they grow bigger so if you see an insect that looks like this in your home then there is a good chance that it could be a bed bug!

Bed bugs spread through travel by placing luggage on public transportation such as buses or trains which carry them from location to location without having been checked properly first (this includes taxis too). Another way to get them into your home would be through buying used furniture from people who are unaware about how dangerous these insects really are; although not all secondhand furniture contains these creatures amongst its contents because some people may have already tried removing them before selling off their old stuff again – so make sure that any potential purchases come with proof beforehand otherwise they might contain live nymphs (unhatched eggs) instead!