Say goodnight to bedbugs

There’s no doubt that bedbugs are nasty. Fortunately, we have some tips for you on how to get rid of them — for good.

Bedbugs have been bothering us for thousands of years, but their population has exploded across North America in the past 30 years.

• They love affluent neighbourhoods as much as any and can travel around the city on people’s clothing. Theatres have even reported infestations in their seating.
• Resort to a qualified pest control officer (PCO) for the most successful course of treatment.
• What often surprises people is that although the PCO will only visit your home for a few hours, it takes much longer to ensure that treatment has been effective.

Your PCO will have a complete list of the steps that are required before treatment, but here is a summary of what’s involved in getting rid of the pesky critters.

Plan. All people and pets will have be out of the house for the day of treatment, but you’ll also have to consider that your clothes, linen and bedding will be in storage for up to three weeks.

• That’s right, to ensure that the treatment is effective, you’ll need to wait to unpack everything.

Clean, clean and clean. Every item of bedding and clothing should be washed in the hottest water possible before storage.

• Vacuum everywhere and then throw away the vacuum bag.
• This is now the perfect time to de-clutter and throw away unwanted clothing and soft furnishings.

Pack and store. After washing all of your clothes, you'll need to pack and put your belongings in clean storage bags before placing them off-site to a storage facility.

• All furniture must be pulled into the middle of the room, as the PCO will need access to the baseboards all around the perimeter of the room. Closets must be empty.

Prevent re-infestation. If there are still bugs after two weeks, then you should call your PCO to re-spray.

• If all is clear, then you can start to unpack and return things to normal.

Often mistaken for an allergic reaction or hives, bedbug bites can sometimes be hard to identify.

• Look for red, itchy bites on the skin, most often seen on the arms or shoulders.
• Bedbugs tend to leave straight rows of bites whereas other insects usually bite here, there and anywhere.

Finally, ask your PCO what you can do to ensure that the bedbugs never come back.