Bed Bug Mattress Encasements, Powders and Sprays

How do you know if you have bed bugs?

When cleaning, changing bedding, or staying away from home, look for:

• Dark spots which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would

• Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and white

• Skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger

• Live bed bugs

• Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed

Much of the time, a bed bug infestation is only suspected when bites appear on a person. Oftentimes, the bites are misidentified, thus allowing infestations to go unnoticed, which gives the bed bugs time to spread to other areas of the house.

You have bedbugs, now what?

Step 1
Clean your room. Start by removing your bed linens and laundering them in hot water. (If a comforter or other bedding cannot be washed, at least heat in a dryer at highest heat for at least twenty minutes so that the bugs are killed.) Then, take a look at the furnishings: Experts agree that clutter can compound a bedbug infestation because it gives the bugs extra places to hide. Wash and dry clothes and place items in black trash bags and seal them to control and bedbugs (eggs, larvae, and adults) until you have sprayed the room. Vacuum everywhere because crevices that are free from particles will be better able to accept insecticides. Don't forget to empty your vacuum immediately after into a plastic, sealable bag so they don't re-infest your home.

Step 2
Dismantle everything! When the room is down to the basic furniture, remove drawers from desks and dressers and take apart the bed frames. These actions can expose bedbug hideouts. Use Jt Eaton Kills Bedbugs Insecticide #204-0 on suspected areas. The unique oil-based pyrethrin spray will offer quick control, and is labeled for use in a whole range of areas, including mattresses, box springs, wall-ceiling joints, baseboards, behind and underneath furniture, cushions and furnishings. Make sure you get the seams of the mattress and box springs.

Step 3
Seal openings. But before you caulk around areas where pipes and wire penetrate the floor or walls (around electrical outlets or cracks in the baseboard and door frame, for example). Use J.T. Eaton Bedbugs & Crawling Insects Killing Powder - 7 Oz in the openings. Made from diatomaceous earth, this powder will offer long-lasting protection against these tiny pests from making a comeback in these areas.

Step 4
Use J.T. Eaton Water-Based Bedbug Spray - Quart, a synthetic pyrethroid that offers protection for up to 16 weeks. Like its sister product, it too can be used on mattresses and other furnishings, as well as on your home's interior perimeter.

Step 5
Prevent re-infestation! Use a bed bug mattress encasement cover to prevent a future bed bug infestation.

Sources: EPA and JT Eaton