How to Prepare You House for Bed Bug Treatment

You finally did it. You picked up the phone, called Hopper Termite & Pest, and you are now scheduled for bed bug extermination. Making the call was a big step in getting rid of bed bugs. However, your work is just beginning.

When it comes to exterminating bed bugs, homeowners play a huge part in the success of the treatment. Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing your home for the professionals.

Clean up and Pick up Around Your Home

If your house is already spotless and clean, then you can skip this step. However, the majority of homes could use a little cleanup and pick up. Clutter provides hiding places for bed bugs and it also makes the process of extermination longer. Toss items that you don’t need or use and double bag loose items that need to be inspected and possibly treated.

Wash, Dry, and Repeat

There are a lot of things that will need to be put in the washer and/or dryer. Start with your closets. Then, move onto the bathroom and bedrooms. You want to wash all linens, clothes, curtains, stuffed animals, or any fabric-related items on the hottest water setting available. Once you are finished, don’t just put them back in the closet or on shelves. Places the items in new plastic containers that can be closed tightly.

You don’t want to leave any items in your closets. Take clothing items that cannot be washed to the dry cleaner and place all loose items like shoes in new plastic bags or new sealable plastics containers.

Empty It All Out

Go through the drawers in your nightstands, side tables, and any other drawers you have. If they hold clothes, then go through the same process of washing, drying, and storing in a clean container or trash bag.

For miscellaneous items, inspect for signs of bed bugs and then place them in a clean container to be treated later. Bed bugs love to get into little nooks and crannies and your “stuff” has a lot of hiding places.

Move It! Move It!

Once you have moved all of your clothes and miscellaneous items, it should make the next step a little easier. You will need to move all furniture at least two feet from the wall. This gives technicians easy access to walls and baseboards that need to be treated.

You will also want to remove all paintings, pictures, clocks, and decor. These items will need to be inspected and treated.

Be Prepared to Leave Your Home

For bed bug treatment to be successful, it is necessary that no one enters the home for at least four hours after the treatment. This also includes pets. It is very important that you plan to be out of the home. Plan a small getaway to the bowling alley, go shopping, or be a tourist in your town for the day and visit places you have never been able to visit.

Hopper Termite & Pest Is Here Every Step of the Way

These are just a few of the main steps that need to be taken in order to properly prepare your home for bed bug treatment and extermination.

This may also seem like a lot of work, but not taking proper measures to prepare your home for bed bug treatment could cause reinfestation. Look at the bright side. Not only are you getting rid of bed bugs, but your home is getting a nice deep clean.

Give Hopper Termite & Pest a call at (870)425-4122 if you have any questions.