Should I Vacuum Before Bed Bug Treatment?

Bed bugs can be difficult to eliminate from your home. They are nocturnal bugs that come out while you are sleeping to feed on your blood. They only eat one meal a day, and then they return to whatever dark, cool hiding place they have found. They might hide in the crevices of your bed frame, the cracks in the floor, the baseboards, or under furniture.

How Can I Get Rid of Bed Bugs?

When you discover bed bugs in your home. You will want to have an exterminator come to eliminate them. The most effective treatment is heat with a steamer. Bed bugs will die if they are exposed to temperatures higher than 119 degrees Fahrenheit, and their eggs will die at 125 degrees. The heat treatment involves raising the temperature in your home up between 160 and 180 degrees to kill all of the bed bugs and eggs.

You can also use pesticides, but they are not as effective. The only thing that draws the bed bugs out of their hiding place is their need to feed on you, so they will be hidden away most of the day, and the pesticide may not reach them.

When you call an exterminator, he or she will discuss the different types of treatments available, including the following:

• Heat
• Fumigation
• Chemicals and Pesticides
• Steam Cleaning

How to Prepare for Bed Bug Extermination

It is difficult to get rid of a bed bug infestation, and you need to participate in the process by preparing for treatment against Bedbugs before the exterminator to arrives. The first thing you need to do is wash all of your clothing and bedding in very hot water, dry them on high heat for at least two hours, and then store them in a container with a sealed lid. If you have any soft items that cannot go in the washing machine, you can still put them in the dryer.

Next, you need to declutter your home. Check everything for signs of bed bugs, and place clean dry items in plastic bags and bins until after the treatment. Make sure that you put everything away clean and free of bed bugs before the exterminator comes.

Should I Vacuum Before Bed Bug Treatment?

You should vacuum before bed bug treatment. You will want to vacuum and wash all of your floors to get any live or dead bed bugs that are out in the open. Make sure that you take the vacuum bag and place it in a plastic bag so that they don’t come back into your home. If your vacuum doesn’t have a bag, empty and clean the chamber. Can Bed bugs live in a vacuum cleaner?

You can also vacuum your mattress and box spring. You should vacuum the top, sides, and under the bed, and use the attachments to vacuum as much as you possibly can. You will want to remove the vacuum bag and tightly wrap it in a plastic bag. Place it in a trash can outside.

Next, you should vacuum all of your furniture as thoroughly as possible, especially anything with upholstery. You should vacuum all of the surfaces, and then tilt it up and vacuum the bottom of the furniture. You need to vacuum the floor or rug under the couches and chairs as well. Once you finish, you should remove the vacuum bag, place it in a plastic bag, and put it in an outdoor garbage can.

Final Preparation for Extermination

Once you have finished washing your clothes and bedding and vacuumed, you will need to make sure that the exterminator has access to all parts of your home. You should open closet doors, pull furniture away from walls, and make sure that everything is put away. This will give your exterminator the best chance of killing as many bed bugs as possible on their first visit.

When Can I Vacuum After Bed Bug Treatment?

Even if you have Heat treatment done to exterminate the bed bugs, your exterminator may leave chemicals and pesticides by dusting certain parts of your home. If you vacuum right away, you will vacuum up the pesticides, and they will not be able to serve as a preventative.

If you had a heat treatment done and no pesticides or dust were used, you can vacuum right away. You should continue vacuuming as much as possible so that you get any stragglers if they are still there. If you had spray or dust done as a chemical treatment, you will need to wait up to 30 days before you vacuum.

Pros and Cons of Vacuuming before treatment

The benefits of vacuuming before treatment include the following:

• Eliminates bed bugs that are accessible quickly
• Gets rid of bugs that are resistant to pesticides
• Helps to reduce use of chemicals
• Helps to control bed bugs in places where you can’t use pesticides
• Alternative method of pest control when there is a lot of clutter
• Removes dead bugs, shed skins, and dirt
• Reduces the overall bed bug population

https://youtu.be/Pz4tNqBxync

However, there are a few drawbacks, including:

• You must change the vacuum bag every time you vacuum
• You need to remove the used vacuum bag from the house
• Bugs or eggs can get caught in the vacuum hose or on bristles of attachment
• It won’t eliminate all of the bed bugs

The Verdict…

You can vacuum before you have bed bug treatment, and it will help to reduce the number of bed bugs in your home. Vacuum your bedroom, your bed, and any other furniture in your home. Preparing for your exterminator to arrive is critical to getting rid of these pests. You need to make sure that after you vacuum, you remove the vacuum bag, wrap it in a plastic garbage bag, and put it in the trash can outside. You should also clean out your vacuum in case any bed bugs or eggs are stuck inside. It is difficult to get rid of bed bugs, but your vacuum can be very helpful.