Bed bugs are a common problem for many, but a bed bug infestation is inconvenient to deal with and embarrassing. For those living in apartments or other multi-family dwellings, the thought of calling the landlord or an exterminator makes the situation even more difficult to bear. But by following preparation instructions, you can reduce the stress involved in dealing with an infestation and you’ll be able to have something to present to your apartment management and building operators that clearly explains what steps you are taking while they prepare your unit for treatment. Follow this step-by-step preparation guide and have it available to show your apartment manager. Bed bugs. The mere mention of the pesky pests is enough to give even the most dedicated eco-friendly bed, bath, and breakfast owner a major case of the itches. How do you prevent an infestation in your BnB? How do you clean one up if you already have one? Well, as luck would have it, I’ve been living with them for a bit now and I’m ready to spill my heart out about those little bloodsuckers. It’s not pretty. So pack it in, pack it out by reading this blog post on how to prepare for bed bug treatment. When trying to get rid of bed bugs, you want to be as prepared as possible to help ensure the bed bug treatment process goes as smoothly as possible. However, you also don’t want to prepare TOO much before treatment occurs. There is a balance between being ready and not wasting time. Here are some things you can do before your bed bug treatment happens – but remember that this is not a be-all-end all list of preparation steps for the treatment process.

How To Prepare For Bed Bug Treatment

Introduction

It’s scary to think about the possibility of bed bugs in your home. Though we often associate them with major cities or hotels, bed bugs can be found almost anywhere, including our own backyards. If you discover them in your home, don’t panic! You can treat a bed bug infestation successfully as long as you’re prepared and know what to expect from the process. We’ve compiled this guide to help walk you through some of the most important steps before and after treatment.

Launder all linens and clothing in your home.

• Wash all linens and clothing in hot water. If you can, launder your bedding in hot water (130 degrees Fahrenheit) and tumble dry on high heat. Hotter temperatures will kill more eggs than lower ones, but be sure to use a dryer that has an automatic setting to avoid over-drying and wrinkling items.
• Don’t use bleach or fabric softener. Bleach may damage some fabrics, including those with synthetic fibers such as polyester or rayon; it may also cause discoloration of white clothes and other fabrics like silk or wool when used in large quantities.* Fabric softeners can coat the fabrics being washed with chemicals that prevent effective treatment from being absorbed into threads.*

Vacuum carpets and mop hard surfaces.

It is important to vacuum all carpets and upholstery. Be sure to vacuum all hard surfaces, including cracks and crevices, baseboards, moldings, window sills and door frames.

Pack up all items that won’t be treated.

Before you start packing up your belongings, it’s important to know which items should be treated and which should not. All of your furniture and other items that have been infested with bed bugs will be placed in bags for treatment. However, there are some items that may not need to be included in this process. As a general rule of thumb, if the item is important enough for you or the treatment company to keep it out of the bags for pickup (and/or return), then follow these guidelines:

• If the item is important enough for you or them to pack up separately from the rest of your stuff (i.e., wedding dress), bring it along!
• If an item might get damaged by heat or pesticides during treatment (i.e., expensive artwork), bring it along!
• If an item could get crushed by something heavy during pickup/delivery and isn’t worth much money anyway (i.e., stuffed animals), leave it behind!

Empty bedside tables and dressers.

Before you begin, make sure all the items in your drawers and on top of your dresser are removed. You’ll want to start with a clear space so that you can see any bed bugs hiding underneath or behind shelves and furniture.

It’s also important to note that if you have any photos, books, or other items in frames, it’s best not to leave them out during treatment because they may become damaged from insecticide spray (or worse yet—from a few brave little critters).

Remove all decorations from the walls.

• Remove all decorations from the walls.
• Remove all books and magazines from the room.
• Clean out closets completely, including shelving and drawers.
• Empty bedside tables and dressers (before washing them).
• Vacuum carpets and mop hard surfaces with a disinfectant cleaner to remove dust and debris, which can harbor bedbugs. Use an attachment brush to get into cracks, crevices, mattresses, box springs, frames and headboards of beds; furniture; high chairs; cribs; bassinets; wall hangings; upholstered furniture such as couches and armchairs; window sills or blinds where they fold down against the wall behind them when closed at night because this is where they usually hide during daylight hours when temperatures rise above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius) outdoors). For more information about vacuums for use against crawling insects like roaches or silverfish see How Do I Get Rid Of Roaches?

Remove all books and magazines from the room.

Remove all books and magazines from the room.

Bed bugs can hide in books, so if you have any that haven’t been treated for bed bugs, it’s best to remove them from the room altogether. They could also be hiding in stuffed animals or other items that aren’t being treated as well. You can never be too careful when dealing with these tiny creatures!

Clean out closets completely.

• Remove all clothing and linens from the closet.
• Remove the closet doors, shelves, door casings and frame.
• Remove baseboards, molding and wallpaper in closets.

Be prepared for your bed bug treatment by following these tips

Be prepared for your bed bug treatment:

• Get rid of clutter. You should remove items that are not in the room, such as boxes, suitcases and large furniture. This will help you to quickly clean the room and make sure there is more than enough space for our technicians to work with.
• Prepare the area for treatment by cleaning it thoroughly with soap and water so there is no dirt or residue on the floors or walls that could prevent us from reaching all areas where bed bugs may be hiding.
• Get a good vacuum cleaner! It’s important that you have an effective vacuum cleaner before we commence treatments so that you can clean up after each treatment session has been completed; this will reduce any chance of re-infestation during our visits (just one female can lay up to 500 eggs!).

Conclusion

And there you have it: a few key steps for prepping for bed bug treatment. If you’re still feeling anxious about all this, remember that our professional technicians are just a phone call away. They’re always ready to answer any questions you might have, even if it’s just reassuring you that your apartment is completely free of bed bugs (which we very much hope it is). We also offer pest control solutions beyond bed bugs, so feel free to get in touch with us and see what services might be right for your home or business.