A bed bug infestation is a serious problem and while a vacuum is not 100% effective, it will help capture most of the bed bugs and will reduce their numbers, particularly in locations where there are groups or clusters.
In order to get the most out of your vacuum and capture as many bed bugs as possible, you need to follow these tips to prevent the infestation from spreading:
- Bed bugs cling to fabrics and wedge themselves in cracks and crevices, so the suction of your vacuum needs to be as strong as possible. Most vacuums come with a crevice tool designed to access the areas the regular vacuum cannot, so use this attachment and concentrate on these particular areas for better results.
- While it may be tempting to press the vacuum hard against the fabric, you need to make sure you don’t do this because you’ll only be flicking the bugs and their eggs off one surface and onto another instead of capturing them and your efforts will go to waste.
- Vacuuming is not the only step because bed bugs can survive even after being pulled through a vacuum hose, so you need to remove them from your vacuum; otherwise, they can escape. Once you are done vacuuming, remove the bag and seal it with tape and place it into a plastic bag and seal that, too. It may seem like a lot of steps but unless you do every single one, you will not eliminate your bed bug problem.
- Not all vacuums contain a bag so if that’s the case, you must empty the contents into a plastic bag, seal it and dispose of it in the trash. You must then wash the removable container using hot soapy water to kill off any of the remaining bed bugs.
- Vacuum the affected areas repeatedly to control the infestation. Eggs will be glued to the surface, so vacuuming once will not be enough as they are very hard to remove. Triple-check the areas where you found bed bugs and vacuum them several times to help reduce and ultimately eliminate the problem.
- If you are going to vacuum more than one location, you must place tape over the vacuum nozzle after you vacuum each location to prevent the bed bugs from escaping. This way, you can get to every area without worrying about whether or not you’re actually getting the situation under control.
- Remove clutter from your home because bed bugs like to hide and vacuuming can be challenging in certain areas.
If your problem persists even after repeated attempts at vacuuming, the experts at Contact Pest Control can help with this problem. Our bed bug exterminators will apply the appropriate treatment to get your beg bugs and mice situation under control. Contact us today for the best pest control services in all of Toronto!