Bed bugs are a major problem in homes as they find a safe and temperate environment inside the house that provides the ideal conditions to breed. These pests are small, wingless, flat insects that are reddish-brown. They hide during the day on beds but inside mattress seams, box springs, headboards, etc. After reproducing, they move on to cracks in walls, floors, and other furniture. They come out at night and bite people when they are sleeping and feed on their blood. Once you start seeing signs of infestation, it is best to take preventive measures to get rid of them with the help of Live Oak pest control services. 

Some ways to control bed bugs are:

Identify infested areas: Bed bugs reproduce rapidly. It is essential to identify the areas that they have infested to control them. Inspect the areas like mattress seams and box springs, headboards of the bed, cushions and sofas, joints of any furniture, and seams of your carpet. In case you find any tiny dark droppings or small pale yellow eggs, you have to set up preventive measures like hiring a pest control service company or finding methods to get rid of these insects. 

Use a vacuum: Once you have identified the places these insects have infested, you have to contain them. The easiest way is by using a vacuum cleaner that will suck these bugs out of the nooks and corners. Thoroughly vacuum your bed, joints of your furniture, carpets, and other places of infestation. After vacuuming, clean the vacuum canister and seal all the contents from the vacuum and throw it away. 

Use high or low temperatures: Bed bugs cannot stand too high or too low of temperatures. Once you are done vacuuming, gather the infected clothes, linens, sofa cushion covers, etc., and wash them in very hot water for at least 30 minutes. After washing, set your dryer to the highest heat setting and dry these items for another 30 minutes. You can also put the infected items in a freezer and leave them for 3-4 days. This also kills the bugs.

Use an insecticide: Insecticides are more effective in controlling bed bugs. Use insecticides registered under the US Environmental Protection Agency that are specifically for use on bedbugs. The two commonly used insecticides are Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids. You can also use other insecticides like desiccants, bug bombs, Neonicotinoids, etc.

The fastest and most effective way to get rid of bed bugs is to hire professionals. Though you can control bed bugs on your own, it is advisable to hire a pest control company that will make sure that your whole house is bug-free and won’t get infested in the long run.