Sunday, July 29, 2007

Get ready for a bedbug treatment

The most important thing to remember with regards to bedbug work is preparation! You can treat until the cows come home for bed bugs, but if you have a poorly prepared home then it is futile to even try. So how do you get an A+ in preparation 101? It's not easy, but anyone can do it. Here's how.Start with a thorough vacuuming of any live bedbugs. If you have them so bad that they are crawling up the wall of you know that they are concentrated in a certain corner of your bed, whatever the case might be, then vacuum them up. Vacuum along the seams of the mattress and box spring, tear the back of the box spring off and vacuum in there. Vacuum inside drawers and closets, furniture, everywhere. Now sprinkle some baking or talc powder and suck it up in your vacuum and now throw out the bag. Next you will want to gather all bedding and get it laundered in hot water and dried in a hot dryer. If you are planning on taking them to a laundry mat then be sure to have another means to carry your cloths back home. Do not use the same bag to transport them back to your house. All clothing in closets and drawers need to be treated the same way and anything that needs to be dry cleaned will have to be sent to the cleaners. Now keep the drawers and closets empty. All things out from under the bed and all things out of the closets and drawers. Ideally you will want to take out all dresser drawers for the treatment company and take apart all beds exposing the frame work. Be aware that the treatment company may be tearing back carpeting from the walls so ask them this in advance and also they may be treating behind picture frames so anything valuable needs to be marked as so. Be sure to throw away old magazines and newspapers. Take down curtains or drapes and launder or dry clean these as well and keep them down for the treatment company. Unscrew and take off any light switch plates or outlet plates in all rooms. Now start from the top and go to the next room. All rooms will need to be treated. It's a process, no doubt, but well worth it in the long run.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Bedbugs and Used Furniture

Yard sales, thrift shops, and garage sales are great for getting bargains. You can find great pieces of furniture or clothing, but be careful that is not all you are finding. If those items were in a home with bedbugs then the fact is that those items could very well come with bedbugs! I would recommend never ever to buy bedding or mattresses or beds in general from a thrift shop or yard sale unless you are certain there are no bed bug issues with that item. This is an easy way to introduce an infestation into your home without you even knowing about it until it is too late. Be careful is the phrase of the day!