Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Carpet In 5 Easy Steps

Don’t just focus on your mattress, box spring, headboard, and bed frame when trying to obliterate bed bugs with your own two hands. Because bed bugs can hide and lay eggs in many other places, too, you should also pay attention to practically every nook and cranny in your bedroom. That includes the carpet.

After all, it is where bed bugs crawl on to try to get from their respective hiding places to your bed to have a dose of your blood at night, and vice versa.

Getting rid of bed bugs in the carpet involves eliminating as much clutter as possible. This exposes all potential hiding places, thus allowing you to carry out a thorough DIY bed bug carpet treatment. Trapping any escaping bed bugs or those that are planning on hiding in the carpet follows suit.

The crux of getting rid of bed bugs residing in your carpet involves sprinkling diatomaceous earth and vacuum cleaning. The best way to end your quest to enjoy a bedbug-free carpet without the help of the pros is to use a steam cleaner.

Before anything else, just a word of advice: if you believe that the bed bug infestation you are having is already in an advanced state, it is a better idea to get in touch with a reliable local pest control company than try to deal with the problem on your own.

Failure to treat a bed bug issue properly almost always leads to an infestation that can affect the entire home, which requires more intensive and costly extermination.

While it is possible to get rid of bed bugs in your carpet with the help of everyday household cleaning tools, you may not achieve the desired results if there are bed bugs present under it.

There a couple of reasons why bed bugs may end up hiding and breeding under the carpet, which makes them extra difficult to get rid of:

• The carpet isn’t flush to the wall due to poor installation or budgetary constraints
• There are tears or holes in the carpet
• Some areas of the carpet are worn away due to age or heavy traffic

Regardless of the case, one thing remains true: you may fail to eliminate all bed bugs in the carpet.

This means that it is very much likely for a reinfestation to happen once again sooner or later, thus making your DIY attempt at sleeping without your skin serving as a buffet table for those bloodsucking bed bugs pretty much useless.

Are you sure that there is no way that bed bugs are able to get in and out of the space between the carpet and floor? Keep on reading.

Below are five professional exterminator-approved steps to get rid of bed bugs in the carpet. Follow them carefully, and you might once again enjoy mornings without itchy red marks all over your body.

Pro-tip: Did you know that one of the easiest ways to get rid of bed bugs is to use special powders? Check here if you want to know the best bed bug killer powders (safe for humans and pets) on Amazon.com now.

Eliminate Clutter Before Eliminating Bed Bugs

Many people assume that the dirtier the bedroom, the higher the risk of having a bed bug infestation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that bed bugs are neither attracted to dirt nor grime.

So, in other words, you could have the cleanest bedroom on the face of the planet but still might end up with a bed bug infestation. All it takes for an invasion to happen is introducing a few bed bugs (at least one should be a female) into a spotless bedroom.

Clutter does not attract bed bugs, either. However, it provides bed bugs with a lot of suitable hiding places. This makes it easier for them to multiply and harder for you and professional exterminators to spot and kill them.

That’s why before you attempt to deal with a bed bug infestation in your carpet, you should first get rid of as much clutter as possible.

The goal is to expose all possible hiding places, thus making it easier to carry out the rest of the steps to getting rid of bed bugs in your carpet the DIY way. But don’t just start removing clutter from your bedroom and taking them to another room or outside your home.

If you do it the wrong way, you may introduce bed bugs and their eggs to various areas of your home, causing a house-wide bed bug infestation sooner or later.

Follow these tips on removing clutter from your bedroom to facilitate bed bug removal from the carpet:

• Reach for a large garbage bag. Stash everything that you can lying around (books, magazines, shoes, etc.) in it. Spray with a little bug spray and then tie. Take it to the garage or driveway.

• Wash all launderable items (dirty clothes, curtains, drapes, bed sheets, pillowcases, etc.) in hot water. Bed bugs cannot stand high temperatures, and contact with hot water kills them instantly.

• Get rid of items that you no longer use. Never give them to family and friends, donate to charity, or put them up for sale without first disinfesting them. Dispose of properly damaged and unusable ones.

With your bedroom as free of clutter as possible, you will find it easier to eliminate bed bugs on your own. You will also find it easier to have a good night’s sleep, especially after putting an end to the infestation successfully.

Line the Furniture Edges With Double-Sided Tape

Bed bugs have flat and oval bodies that enable them to squeeze into tight corners and crevices to hide. They tend to take cover in the tightest and hardest-to-reach areas in the bedroom.

It’s because they do not like to be disturbed whenever they are digesting blood and taking a trip to dreamland.

Otherwise, they will long for some peace and quiet by looking for better hiding places in your bedroom or, in some instances, outside it.

The moment that you try to deal with bed bugs in your carpet, the disturbance it creates can cause some of them to scamper away to safety.

This is not a good thing because you are only causing the bed bugs to hide in other places in your bedroom, not eliminate them. So, in other words, the DIY bed bug treatment may be a complete failure.

Fortunately, there is a common school and office supply that you may count on to prevent the spreading of bed bugs. It’s none other than a double-sided tape!

Double-sided tape is sticky enough to catch any bed bug that is attempting to escape and look for a safer place in which to hide.

After completing the five steps talked about in this article, it can still come in handy — double-sided tape can catch remaining bed bugs trying to scuttle to different areas to feed, sleep, mate, and lay eggs.

Equipped with a roll of double-sided tape, line the following before ridding the carpet of bed bugs:

• Legs of the bed
• Around the box spring and mattress
• Along the edges of the headboard
• The entire length of the baseboard
• Foot of furnishings
• Around cracks and holes on the wall
• Borders of switch plates and outlet covers
• Around vents, ducts, and windows
• Where the wall and ceiling meet
• Outside the door

Aside from setting traps using double-sided tape, you may also cover the cracks on the wall and holes (electrical outlets, electronic devices, etc.) with packaging tape.

This helps keep fleeing bed bugs from setting up camp in them, as well as prevent those that are already hiding in them from escaping and taking cover elsewhere.

Liberally Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth on Carpet

When looking for home remedies for bed bugs on the internet, one solution that seems to show up all the time is the use of diatomaceous earth. Worry not if you want nothing but a chemical-free way to deal with a bed bug infestation.

That’s because diatomaceous earth is not poisonous even though its name makes it sound like it is a toxic substance.

As a matter of fact, food-grade diatomaceous earth may be consumed to treat constipation and high cholesterol levels. Some people take it to enjoy stronger bones and teeth, and younger-looking skin, hair, and nails.

Put simply, diatomaceous earth is the remains of diatoms, which are algae with glass-like shells out of silica. Dead and fossilized diatoms are harvested from the bottom of oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams.

What makes diatomaceous earth effective against bed bugs as well as many other insects is that its high silica content kills them by drawing water out of their bodies.

It’s the ability of silica to absorb water or moisture why silica gel packets are found in bottles of vitamins and supplements, boxes containing leather products, and many others.

It’s for this reason exactly why you may also use silica gel instead of diatomaceous earth to eliminate bed bugs. However, diatomaceous earth may yield better results as its coarseness can stab those bed bugs.

You should sprinkle generous amounts of diatomaceous earth on the carpet. It is also a good idea to rub in the product with your fingers to make sure that it will get deep into the fibers, allowing it to come into contact with bed bugs that are in hiding.

Be as liberal as you can on all possible entrance and exit areas. Just see to it that you avoid placing diatomaceous earth on any double-sided tape to prevent it from losing its adhesive properties.

Give diatomaceous earth at least a day to work its magic. You can sleep in another room for the time being. With the help of the product as well as double-sided tape, the risk of you being followed by bed bugs is reduced.

Vacuum Diatomaceous Earth and Dead Bed Bugs

After 24 hours, it’s time to reach for the vacuum cleaner to remove diatomaceous earth and dead bed bugs from your carpet. It will also help remove bed bugs that are unharmed by the use of diatomaceous earth.

According to experts, it takes at least seven days for diatomaceous earth to kill as many bed bugs as possible.

There’s one thing that you should keep in mind before vacuuming, though: use a bagged vacuum. A bagless vacuum may give bed bugs a fighting chance by allowing them to escape the unit, especially if you don’t empty it right away.

Using a bagged vacuum, on the other hand, makes it easy to place the disposable or replaceable bag inside a garbage bag. By tying it securely, you can keep bed bugs from escaping and crawling back into your room, causing an infestation to happen all over again.

Perhaps you have already heard or read that some bed bugs can live for a little over a year without feeding. Well, you don’t have to worry about that because sharing the garbage bag with diatomaceous earth can keep them from experiencing a long and painful death.

Refrain from rushing when vacuuming your carpet. Do it as slowly as you possibly can, going over each and every area twice or thrice, depending on how severe the bed bug infestation is. Attach the crevice tool when it’s time to vacuum where the floor and baseboard meet.

If you have plenty of diatomaceous earth remaining, you may have the carpet sprinkled with them once more. After a few minutes, vacuum the carpet again. When it comes to ridding the carpet of bed bugs, you can’t be too careful.

BTW, you may be tempted to use the brush attachment to speed up the process of removing diatomaceous earth from your carpet. However, this is a terrible idea.

That’s because you may risk flinging living bed bugs and the eggs, too, all over your bedroom. While there are many effective home remedies for a bed bug infestation that you may count on, there are no shortcuts. If you want to enjoy a bedbug-free carpet once again, take your time.

Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Carpet With Steam Cleaning

There is something that is proven to kill bed bugs immediately, and it’s none other than heat.

It’s because of this exactly why a lot of pest control companies are recommending heat treatment over other available professional solutions, such as chemical treatment and freeze treatment. Sadly, heat treatment is the most expensive option.

You can mimic heat treatment without getting in touch with the pros with the use of a steam cleaner. Unfortunately, not all commercially available steam cleaners are suited for the job.

What you will need to use to effectively kill any remaining bed bugs and eggs in your carpet is a heavy-duty steam cleaner. If you do not have the budget for it, you may rent one.

However, not a lot of experts recommend this because it may worsen the bed bug infestation you have in your bedroom. It is very much likely for the unit that you are about to rent to have been used in dealing with an infestation in several homes.

Some of the bed bugs may have crawled up into the holes and openings. Once the steam cleaner is inside your home, it is possible for some of them to crawl out of their hiding places and end up sleeping and mating in your mattress, box spring, headboard, and elsewhere.

No matter if using your own steam cleaner or a rented unit, opt for the highest possible setting. This allows the heat to penetrate deep into the carpet, thus killing bed bugs that were able to dodge diatomaceous earth and the vacuum cleaner. As with vacuuming, refrain from rushing when steam cleaning.

Some homeowners swear by the use of carpet shampoo together with a steam cleaner. Others prefer adding a little bed bug killer solution to the water. If you want to follow suit, it is a good idea to opt for a product that contains all-natural ingredients only, the kind that won’t harm people and pets.

Still, it is important that you put on a pair of goggles and gloves to fend off any form of irritation while attempting to rid the carpet of bed bugs on your own.

If there are bed bugs in your bedroom and you suspect that a lot of them are hiding in the carpet, don’t just start vacuuming or steam cleaning. You have to make the necessary preparations beforehand to keep bed bugs from escaping and hiding elsewhere as well as starting an infestation outside your room.

By the way, check my review on the best steam cleaners available on the market before investing your hard-earned cash.

Follow the five steps above in order and with care, and you may be able to put an end to a bed bug infestation even without shelling out a huge sum of cash and letting the industry experts carry out the job.

However, if the carpet in your bedroom is not properly installed or has holes, tears, and worn away areas, it is a much better idea to get in touch with the most trustworthy and experienced pest control company in your area.

That’s because some bed bugs may be residing under the carpet, and the tips mentioned above may not be able to get rid of them completely.

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