"Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!" This phrase has been around for years, but for those with actual bed bug infestations, you want to do more than just avoid the bite. Bed bugs can be very difficult to get rid of, and while they're in your house, they'll keep laying eggs and the number of little bugs crawling out at night to bite you will keep growing. There are many thoughts on how to get rid of bed bugs, and here are a few of the most effective.

Before you start trying to banish these bugs from your house, you want to make sure that bed bugs are actually what you're dealing with. They are small bugs that look like mini cockroaches that come out around dawn to feed on human blood. They only feed once a week but can go up to about six months without feeding. Bed bugs can each lay up to five eggs per day, so it is imperative to take care of the infestation as soon as possible before it gets out of control.

Some key signs that bed bugs are around are first of all the waste they leave around. There will be small dark spots of blood and faeces along with remains of shed skin, eggs, and dead bodies left around mattresses, sheets, floors, and anywhere else they may be. You also will likely be experiencing small red bites that are irritating and hard to identify at first, they also may only appear on one person if they react strongly, even if two people are sharing a bed.

A good way to catch the bed bugs to make sure of what you're dealing with is to put out carpet tape around the room. Get double-sided tape and lay it on the floor, around the bed, and along the sides of your mattress, and in about a week at least a couple of the bugs will get caught on it, so you can be sure of what they are.

In reality, bed bugs are incredibly difficult to completely eradicate. Their constantly growing numbers and tendency to live in any hiding places they can find around a room make them hard to get. You will most likely need to have an exterminator come who is prepared to handle this sort of thing, but there are some things you can do in the meantime to make it easier for yourself.

Cleaning your house is a good basic start. Vacuuming these insects up may not kill them, but it will get a lot of them out along with a number of the eggs they lay. You should also seal up any potential entrance points so that more are not coming in. Be careful if you are taking anything like clothes or sheets out of the infested room. Seal anything you are removing to make sure that you aren't spreading the infestation.

Steam cleaning is one method generally acknowledged as being effective at killing these bugs. Extreme heat will kill them instantly, and the steam exceeds the needed temperatures. However, a mattress may absorb the moisture too quickly so it doesn't get to the bugs, and if it doesn't cover all of the areas then not all the bugs may die and the infestation will continue.

Diatomaceous earth is another natural remedy that works well to eliminate bed bugs. It's a powder that you spread around cracks in the room, on the floor by the bed, and even in the mattress. It is made up of small fossils of algae with sharp, jagged edges which cut the bed bugs as they crawl across it, causing them to bleed to death. It is non-toxic, being basically dirt, and is too small to hurt any bigger creatures like pets or people. Another bonus is that it will kill many other small insects running around your room.

Mattress covers are another way to avoid getting bitten while also getting rid of the bugs. There are mattress encasements made of fabric and vinyl which you can sleep on, that surround the mattress that you zip up. This seals the mattress so nothing can get in or out. The bed bugs can't come out to bite you, and after around six months with no nourishment they will die off.

There are many other products available that claim to get rid of bed bugs in different ways. Some may be more effective than others, but they won't necessarily work. Here are some commonly spread myths to avoid in the case of bed bugs.

You shouldn't change the temperature of the whole house. It won't get extreme enough to harm the bugs, and if it is, that will just bother the people. Leaving things outside is another way people try to use temperature to get rid of bugs. It does work for some, but it is generally too unreliable, especially since the temperature won't be evenly distributed. Lavender is another thing advertised to eliminate bed bugs, but it has never been proven to make any difference. Bleach also has never been found to be very effective, and usually just irritates the skin of people who use the mattress and it can cause damage. If you need some help or advice from the professional’s pest control company goes to GC PEST CONTROL.