Do you have a thriving bed bug infestation in your home and you’ve booked an appointment with a professional pest control company but don’t know how to prep your home beforehand? Luckily, we can help! Preparing your home for bed bug treatment is essential for a successful experience. There are many things you can do to avoid spreading bed bugs all over the home as well. Having bed bugs doesn’t have to be a nightmare if you follow the proper steps to ensure mitigation and prevention. 

• Wash all bed linens in hot water and place them in a dryer on a high heat setting. Promptly remove the bedding from the dryer, place it in a plastic garbage bag, and seal it tight until after the treatment is complete.

• Do the same with all of your clothing, emptying out drawers and closets, and storing in plastic bags away from the home until after the treatment.
• Take down all curtains and gather pillows, stuffed animals, towels, and floor mats. Place the items directly in the wash then dry on a high heat setting for at least 30 minutes before placing them into plastic bags. Anything that cannot be washed should be treated on high in the dryer for a minimum of 30 minutes and stored in plastic bags until after the treatment.
• Inspect any items in the home that cannot be washed such as pictures, books, electronics, frames, and toys and place them in plastic bags or plastic storage containers. Remember, most bed bugs reside within 15 feet of the bed so you will want to pay special attention to that area of the home.
• Take everything off closet floors throughout the house including bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, and hallways.
• Put away all food, dishes, pots and pans, and other small kitchen items in closed cupboards, drawers or sealed storage containers.
• Move all furniture and other items 24 inches (2 feet) away from walls.
• Do NOT put smaller items on top of appliances, couches, or other furniture.
• Plants can remain in your home but should also be moved away from windows and walls.
• Remove all books from bookshelves and store them in storage containers in the middle of the room.
• Take down all mirrors, photos and wall hangings and stack them neatly in the middle of the room.
• Sweep flooring and vacuum all carpets and upholstery. Turn over or move furnishings, open futons, and sleeper sofas, and thoroughly vacuum all items. After vacuuming, promptly dispose of the vacuum’s contents into a plastic bag and immediately put it in an outdoor garbage receptacle.
• Unplug all electrical devices prior to treatment.
• Remove all pets from the premises.

It will be difficult for a professional pest control company to effectively treat a cluttered home or apartment. Decluttering your home can help enormously- clean out the bottom of closets, under beds, and beneath dressers and throw away any unnecessary magazines, newspapers, and clutter where the insects can hide. Ideally, the exterminator should have access to the walls, closets, cabinets, and all areas around the home’s furnishings.

Remember, it is just as important to clean and declutter as it is to get professional pest control. If you’re looking for relief from a bed bug infestation, please feel free to call us.

You can check out our quick list here: https://pestward.com/residential-pest-control/#prep-forms