Discovering that you may have bed bugs can be a stressful and unsettling experience. From the fear of bites to concerns about the infestation spreading, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. However, taking prompt and decisive action is crucial for effectively managing a bed bug infestation and preventing it from worsening. In this blog, we’ll outline a step-by-step guide on what to do when you think you have bed bugs. From identifying the signs of an infestation to implementing control measures and seeking professional assistance, we’ll provide you with the information and resources you need to address the problem head-on.

Bed Bugs written on cubes

Don’t let bed bugs take over your home, empower yourself with knowledge and take action to reclaim your space.

What to do first, when you think you have bed bugs?

Did you discover you have bed bugs? Don’t know what to do? Peep this. 

Ask yourself a few questions 

1 . So I’m assuming at this point you either saw a bedbug or experienced itchy skin, etc. Here are some questions that might get you closer to a yay or nay or help to confirm your suspicions.

Do you have any pets and have they had any flea problems lately?

Does your neighbor have any pets outside?

Do you spend a lot of time outside during mosquito season?

Have you or someone in your home spent the night at a new place recently?

Have anybody new come over or spent the night lately?

Have you bought any used furniture recently?

Have you or anyone in your home tried any new cologne or perfume or changed laundry detergent or lotions in the past few weeks?

For these questions recently can be as little as a few weeks to a few months.

These are questions you should ask yourself before assuming you have bed bugs without seeing them.

Call a professional

Calling a pest control professional is the best way to go. Experience technicians can give you advice on the situation and also ask questions that you may not have thought of. Also if you’re able to paint a picture for them over the phone, they even diagnose your problem right then.

You can call a company like Tulsa Bed Bug Specialist to set up an inspection or treatment. A professional can give you recommendations on what to do until you have a proper inspection done or until you have scheduled treatment.

Perform a light inspection and look for signs of bed bugs

Evidence for bed bugs can look like pepper stains on the edge of mattresses. Irritated itchy skin blood or Brown radish stains on mattress or sheets. For more comprehensive instructions on providing a proper inspection for bed bugs check out this article.

If treatment is not scheduled within 2-4 weeks from a positive confirmation of bed bugs self-treatment can be recommended. Please talk to a professional first as well as follow all label instructions on any products used.

Now here come the do’s and don’t and the why behind some of these instructions. 

Don’t move furniture or items

We suggest not moving items out of any rooms like furniture, clutter, or items just yet. We want a positive confirmation before proceeding with any decluttering, cleaning, or treating. Moving items from room to room could spread the infestation further. Also moving furniture aggressively to inspect could startle any bed bugs causing them to move to other furniture or spread to other rooms. If you can’t afford an inspection for treatment at this time we have recommendations on inspections as well as self-treating, check out this article.

Don’t use dimensions Earth or baking soda

Do not start by using diatomaceous earth, baking soda, or any other condescence. This can make the problem worse and make the bed bugs spread to further rooms, structures, or furniture. Also, Baking soda can be harmless but ineffective . Diatomaceous earth works as a desiccant to dry out the bed bugs, but usually, in an established infestation it does not work fast enough to kill all the bed bugs when used alone. For some reason, if you can’t use a professional you can use diatomaceous earth but check out this video for the best advice on application.

No foggers or pesticides

Flea and bed bug foggers are popular but can sometimes make the situation worse. Over-the-counter foggers are usually more trouble than they’re worth; they can be messy, unsafe, and time-consuming to clean up. But the biggest complaint is they just don’t work and in some cases they can make the bugs spend further .bed bugs hide most of their life, so putting a fogger in a room where the mist will spray to the top of the ceiling and fall doesn’t help to kill bed bugs and eggs where they live. For proper eradication, you need to treat the areas where they live and like to hide.

Furthermore, these insecticides are cheaply made and easily detected chemicals, so this can also cause the bed bugs to stay dormant or go deeper into cracks and crevices, making it more extensive and longer for professionals to get rid of them.

If you’re looking for advice on what to do if you can’t afford a professional pest control technician at this time we have an article for that. Click this link.

Hope this helps give the Tulsa bed bug specialist a call @ 918-892-5254 for more advice, questions, or service.