You wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat and with tangled sheets. It’s cold, but the only feeling you pay attention to is an unbearable itch. You look down and your legs are covered in small, raised bumps. That’s it – you have bed bugs.
They are potentially the most troublesome household pest to eradicate, and Health Canada recommends that affected individuals call a licensed exterminator who can perform special heat treatments. This just isn’t a fight you can win without reinforcements.
But while you’re waiting for them to save you, there’s something you need to be able to do yourself, and gaining knowledge means gaining power – which you’ll badly need in the bug fights to come.
What do bed bugs look like?
These little patches of evil are small and wingless brown bugs that turn blood red after biting you (and your pets), according to Health Canada. Their eggs are almost invisible to the naked eye, so it’s better to look for mature adults.
How do you check for bed bugs?
Health Canada has an in-depth guide on how to conduct a thorough bed bug exam, but here’s the TL;DR. You’ll need to examine your bed (obviously) and other furniture with a flashlight and something flat to scratch seams. They look for black or brown spots — which could be feces or dried blood — and bugs themselves. Be thorough and check under pillows and pillowcases. Bedbugs like corners and creases, so it’s important to be meticulous, according to Health Canada.
How do you get rid of bed bugs?
After speaking to your landlord and/or calling the exterminator, there are four things you can do: steam, freeze, wash, and vacuum. According to Health Canada, bugs die at 50 degrees C, and the average steamer easily reaches temperatures above boiling point, so this is a good strategy for larger items that are harder to wash. Putting smaller items in a freezer at minus 19 degrees for more than four days will kill some — but not all — bugs.
Wash and dry everything you can on the hottest settings to get rid of bed bugs, followed by consistent and thorough vacuuming. If none of this can be done for anything in your home, you may need to throw it away.
How do you even prevent bed bugs?
You may notice that the Get rid of bugs section is short and maybe annoying when you were hoping for an easy fix. That’s why prevention is so important: These little buggers are stubborn.
In addition to regularly checking your home, Health Canada recommends that you reduce the number of places bedbugs like to hide by:
- Clutter Reduction
- Frequent vacuuming
- Fix peeling wallpaper and loose electrical bezels (yes, they hide there too)
- Sealing cracks and crevices throughout the home
- Verification of entry points on walls that you share with your neighbors
It’s also good to be cautious when bringing potentially infested products into your home, especially used or used items that could be carriers of the pest.
The cover image of this article was used for illustration purposes only.
