Q:I’m afraid that we may have bedbugs. What should I do?
A: Cute bedtime sayings aside, it’s hard to deny the ick factor of a true bedbug infestation, as too many people worldwide have discovered in the past few years. There’s some speculation that we’re seeing more outbreaks of these bugs due to a decrease in insecticide use. People can pick the bugs up through human contact (park benches may be a culprit), during hotel stays, and from used mattresses. And kids may bring the uninvited guests home from camp or sleepovers.
Your first move should be to determine if bedbugs (pictured top) are, in fact, what you’ve got—and that’s not always easy. The wingless, rust-colored creatures are oval, flat, and up to a quarter-inch long. And their bites result in small, itchy, red bumps that appear in clusters or in a row. There are several look-alike insects, though, so check out this bedbug image.
How to get rid of them if you’ve got them? The DIY approach: Remove all bed linens, including skirts, pillow shams, and comforters. Place the linens in paper or plastic bags, freeze them for at least 24 hours to kill the bugs, then wash them in 130-degree or hotter water. If the linens won’t fit in your freezer, jump to the hot-water step, washing your sheets every three days until the infestation is gone.
Also, carefully inspect your furniture, mattress, curtains, and any clutter around your bed for signs of live bugs. You’ll want to thoroughly scrub furniture, flipping over nightstands and removing drawers. And vacuum all cracks and crevices in furniture and along walls, then dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the canister immediately (deposit contents in a plastic bag, tie it off, and put it in the outdoor garbage). Can’t do the job yourself? Call a pest-control service to bring out the heavy artillery.
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