Spring Cleaning Helps Rid Home of Bedbugs

Frontal view of an adult bedbug ingesting a meal from a human arm. Bedbugs are more of a nuisance than a health hazard. They aren't known to spread disease to humans.

During hotel stays, keep luggage off the floor and zipped

A clean home is a happy and healthy home. This year while doing your spring cleaning, watch out for bedbugs.

We may think of bedbugs as happening somewhere else, but that notion can’t be further from the truth. Bedbugs can appear right under your nose or, more correctly, right in you own bed!

How do we get bedbugs?

You most likely brought them in – on used or previously-own furniture and bedding, in a suitcase, in your clothing, or even on your shoes. If you live in an apartment setting, they may have infiltrated from a neighboring unit. These creatures “love to travel” and can survive for several weeks without feeding on a blood meal.

While bedbugs deserve their bad reputation, LSU AgCenter entomologist Dale Pollet says that there are misconceptions surrounding these pests.

“Most people associate bedbugs with filth, and that’s not the case," Pollet explains. "Bedbugs don’t feed on filth. They feed on blood."

Bedbugs have been found in some of the finest hotels in the world, and just keeping things tidy won’t stop an infestation.

What do we look for if we think we have an infestation?

The first sign of an infestation are bites on the body. Especially check young children and babies if you have “inherited” used furniture or mattresses from someone else.

Amazingly, these sneaky little pests “dine” on you without waking you. You don’t feel their bite because they inject a numbing agent into your body, along with an anticoagulant to keep your blood flowing as they suck. The first sign of bedbugs may be itchy, red bites on the skin, usually on the arms or shoulders. Bedbugs tend to leave straight rows of bites.

Their peak feeding time is just before dawn. They can obtain their meal in as little as three minutes, after which they are engorged and drop off the host, then crawl into a hiding place to digest their meal.

Examine your bedding for signs of bedbugs. Look in the seams and crevices of you mattress for insect droppings or insect waste and dead bugs. Even though these creatures are very small (three-eighths of an inch), an infestation will produce enough bugs for the human eye to see.

What course of action do I follow to rid my home of bedbugs?

Get rid of infested mattresses and box springs or cover them with a plastic mattress bag to trap the bugs. Wash clothes and bedding in hot water, and dry on high heat.

Clean furniture and vacuum cracks in wood floors and doors where bugs may hide. Shake out suitcases and thoroughly launder all clothing contained in the suitcase, especially after international traveling.

After getting a recommendation from the County Agent’s Office (call 985-873-6495 to speak to one of the LSU AgCenter County Agents for a recommendation), use an insecticide in the cracks of floors or bed frames. Always read and follow label directions on all insecticides. Do not apply to areas that come in direct contact with skin. If you still can't get rid of them, it may be necessary to call an exterminator.

A complete and thorough spring cleaning will help rid your home of these pesky pests and will most likely not give them a place to hide and attack you and your family.

Bedbugs have been bugging humans for years. They're mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman writings. Most of us grew up hearing, "Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite." So let’s do everything we can to protect our families and make this bedtime rhyme come true.