How Often Should You Check For Bed Bugs?

It is estimated that at least 1 in 5 Americans suffer from bed bug infestations. The 20th century witnessed a relatively quiet period for these bugs. The many treatment modalities designed at that time almost wiped out these pests. Bed bugs have resurrected to become a very important pest in the 21st Century, invading homes, hotels, and many more urban centers. Because of their stealthy and evasive behavior, inspection and control against these bugs must be thorough and widespread than what we are used to when dealing with other pests. So, how often should you check for bed bugs? Regularly.

Overview

We’ve always cited the small size of bed bugs. This is no fluke. Bed bugs are extremely small and can fit into very thin cracks. Can your credit cards fit through these cracks? Then, by all means, bed bugs have no trouble accessing these cracks and making them their hideouts. Don’t get frustrated if they seem elusive. This should give you more reasons to beam your searchlight on these blood-sucking critters.

Inspection

How often should you check for bed bugs? This will depend on the quality of your inspection sessions. A thorough inspection is required so that you don’t keep second-guessing yourself on whether there are spots you missed. What are the things you should be looking for? Live bugs, fecal spotting, cast skins, and eggshells. While you may want to search only your bed or other resting spots, it is important you look through other locations in the house.

Look thoroughly through cracks or crevices, along with picture frames and wall hangings, cupboards, wall sockets, and power outlets, spaces in your electronic appliances, sofas, and carpets/rugs. If you come in contact with bed bugs at any point during your search, then initiate control modalities immediately. Bed bugs will move from their hiding places once disturbed. If you allow them to slip through your fingers during your search party, then you may regret your decision when these escapees go-ahead to form new populations. When inspecting your bedroom, check your mattress, box spring, and headboard.

Bed Bug’s Population During Treatment

It’s recommended that you measure your progress after you must have commenced treatment modalities. To monitor the bug’s population, you can use the newly released and popular passive monitors and traps. Place them under your beds. When each bug tries to enter or exit the bed, they will be trapped. This way, you can gauge and see if bed bugs are still active in your home.

It only gets harder to achieve or gauge progress when you’re treating an unoccupied home or room. Since there is no human presence to lure them, these bugs can stay in their hiding place for months or years – a form of hibernation for them (most bed bugs live for two to six months and over a year without food).

Bed bug eggs hatch within two weeks. Since no bed bug treatment is usually 100% successful in its first application, you may have to wait two weeks after the first attempt to finish off any newly-hatched bugs and the adult bugs that escaped previously.

Confirming Your Bed Bugs Are Gone

Another round of inspection after your last application is needed to make sure your infestation is gone completely. Check your bedding and inspect it properly. Use a vacuum cleaner to ascertain the extent of your success. If your treatment worked, there should be fewer bed bugs and eggs that will be trapped in your vacuum bag.

Finally, how often should you check for bed bugs? Again, this should be done regularly. In giving a timeline, then the two-week window period should be adopted since bed bugs hatch within this period. It is advisable to check regularly the time frame notwithstanding because it appears that these pests are here to stay, and there’s little we can do about it.