QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News Service, June 16) – Speaking from experience, you’re in for many sleepless nights once these creepy crawlers invade your bed! I’m talking about bed bugs!
Bed bugs are very difficult to control but don’t give in to despair once it becomes evident that you are suffering from an infestation. With patience, hard work and diligence, you can eradicate these pesky critters.
First, if you are in a situation where you are sharing your room with others like in a boarding house or dormitory, it is safe to assume that you are not alone in your suffering and that your roommates’ belongings are also infested. As such, it is more ideal to coordinate your efforts to eradicate the bed bugs.
Now that you’ve all agreed to deal with your bed bug problem, the first thing that you have to do is to look for the critters! Inspect every nook and cranny of your room with a flashlight! Remember, bed bugs are visible. They leave reddish-brown streaks in mattresses and have a distinct smell.
Once bed bugs have been detected, we can begin cleaning thoroughly the premises. Wash beddings, sheets, blankets and others thoroughly in very hot water. And I mean, very hot water. Personal items like stuffed toys should be, if possible, vacuumed then placed inside a plastic bag. As a matter of fact, vacuum everything!
Attack the bed bugs where they are hiding! Spray bug killer on all nooks and crannies, cracks and crevices! Soak the area thoroughly.
Next, treat your bed! Again, every nook and cranny of your bed and its holding structure should be be applied lightly with bug spray. To make sure that your bed remains bed bug-free, cover it with plastic after treatment. Make sure that there are no holes.
Then we move on to the furnitures. Once again, make sure to thoroughly apply bug spray in every nook and cranny.
Follow-up after two weeks to ensure that you are finally bed-bug free!
(ENS, written by Jay Paul Carlos, additional research of Khryss Leanne Omnes)