Bed bugs are a real nuisance in apartment buildings and condominiums and are extremely difficult to remove once they have settled comfortably in your bed. Think you may have a bed bug infestation in your home? Wondering how to get rid of these nocturnal blood drinkers? We have all the answers to your questions, because at Brisebois Extermination, pest control is our business!

How do you know if bed bugs have infested your room?

Bed bugs are tiny brown insects about the size of a grain of rice that can crawl into the most inaccessible places and lay over 100 eggs in a single day. Bloodthirsty, they will get between your blankets, climb on your headboard and have fun poking around your body in search of food. When you know that a bedbug infestation is extremely difficult to eliminate, it’s enough to imagine a real horror movie scenario unfolding in your bedroom every night. However, these small voracious insects will not transmit diseases to you or your pets.

One of the signs that may indicate the potential presence of bed bugs is the clustered bite marks that you will find on your body when you wake up. Make sure to inspect your bed, sheets, furniture, walls and nearby objects for signs of bedbug droppings or eggs.

6 steps to get rid of bed bugs

1. If you can’t handle this problematic situation any longer, don’t waste another second reading this article and call us! Our MEQ certified experts will come to your home the same day*. Otherwise, we recommend that you follow the steps below. However, you should know that it is extremely difficult to get rid of a bed bug infestation, they are tenacious!
2. Steam treat any items that cannot be cleaned with detergent and hot water. As soon as you exceed 50°C, you are sure to have knocked out the infamous visitors. Only the bugs that have been in direct contact with the steam will die, so take your time to thoroughly smoke them out.
3. Small items that are not steam or hot water washable should be placed in the dryer for a 30 minute cycle on the highest setting.
4. Wash all sheets, curtains, clothing and other washable items that may have come in contact with the insect with hot water and detergent. Then put the load in the dryer on the highest setting. Store these clean items in airtight bins to prevent re-contamination.
5. Unfortunately, you’ll have to throw away anything you can’t clean. (If it’s any consolation, a de-cluttered home is one of the best tips for avoiding another bed bug infestation.)
6. Now get ready to vacuum with the fervor of an Olympic gold medal curler. Vacuum the seams of your mattress, its perimeter, your base and headboard, your baseboards, walls, furniture, in short, you can never vacuum too much against bed bugs! When you’re done with your task, leave the vacuum running for a few more moments to make sure no bugs come up the hose to retaliate. Don’t take a chance and block the suction pipe before cleaning your vacuum cleaner with hot water (or getting rid of it, if you ever had the sudden urge to buy a new vacuum cleaner).

Finally, there are simple precautions you can take to prevent bed bugs from entering your bedroom. For example, you can avoid cluttering your home and inspect used or travel items that you bring home.

In case of a bedbug infestation in the Greater Montreal and South Shore area, Brisebois Extermination’s team will make it their duty to come to your rescue with its 24/7 emergency service.

*Our teams come to your home the same day in 80% of our requests.