It is notoriously challenging to get rid of bedbugs once they enter our homes. In case you live in a city like Dubai, the combination of population density, climate, and travel makes it a consistent menace. One of the most crucial challenges is that bedbugs are small and often hide deep within the bed frames, mattresses, sofas, curtains, and even behind the wall-boarding with electrical outlets. There are such places that we tend to overlook during the cleaning process.
Globally, we have witnessed a drastic surge in bedbug infestation in recent times. After virtually disappearing in the mid-20th century with the wide usage of potent pesticides, which have made a massive comeback, boosted by urbanization, international travel, and the growing resistance to many common insecticides.
Specifically in Dubai, bedbugs claim a significant share of the total pest control calls. In fact, a survey reports that nearly 80% of pest problems are related to cockroaches or bedbugs. The humid and warm climate, in combination with upholstered furniture and soft furnishings, makes the conditions more favourable for the bedbugs to hide and breed.
Bedbugs can survive for a long period of time, sometimes even months, without any feeding. Their eggs come with protective casings, which make them resistant to many insecticides in the household. A single spray or a cleaning session can rarely solve the problem.
All the factors like rapid mobility in residences, a favorable environment, insecticide resistance, and stealthy hiding places blend to make it challenging to get rid of bedbugs. And this calls for a thorough and multi-step eradication approach of early detection, meticulous cleaning, chemical or heat treatments by a reliable professional pest control service, like Supreme PCS.
Can you get rid of bedbugs through a DIY approach?
Homeowners often wonder whether they can get rid of bedbugs without the need for professionals. The answer is YES! You read that right, but THERE’S A CATCH! Bedbugs are fast-spreading, resilient, and have the ability to hide in all possible cracks or crevices, making DIY removal a challenging task. Still, the early stage of infestations can sometimes be heavily controlled with the correct combination of heating, monitoring, or cleaning.
The factors that make DIY bedbug removal difficult
DIY bedbug removal becomes tricky because bedbugs do not confine their hiding spots to just mattresses but spread across different areas of a home. Their eggs are, in fact, harder to eliminate because they resist the majority of the homemade sprays. In the warm climate of Dubai, bedbugs reproduce quickly, making small infestations grow faster than people can realize. Additionally, the store-bought insecticides often fail due to intensified chemical resistance.
When the DIY approach works and when it does not
The DIY approach works when the infestation is light. For example, in case you have spotted a few bugs initially, confined to a single room, immediate heat treatments, mattress encasements, and vacuuming can be immediately applied. However, the DIY does not perform as expected when the bedbugs spread to different rooms. When the bites occur continuously, even after a thorough cleaning, or when the eggs keep reappearing, it’s time to involve chemical treatments and heat by the professional exterminators as the only reliable way to get rid of bedbugs completely.
The ideal way to get rid of bedbugs is a combination of a DIY approach with professional intervention. Here’s how you do it:
Identify the infested areas.
To effectively get rid of bedbugs and prevent their recurrence, identification is considered to be the very first step. It is crucial to determine every corner that they have invaded. Bedbugs multiply quickly, and hence, locating their hiding spots at the earliest is the most important step for preventing a full-blown infestation. A thorough inspection of the bedbugs will help you to understand whether the problem is widespread or mild.
Where do bedbugs hide?
Bedbugs typically hide in dark and tight spaces that are close to the resting areas of humans. Common spots include headboards, box springs, mattress seams, under carpets, behind photo frames, wall cracks, sofa cushions, curtain folds, fabric wall décor, padded furniture, and AC vents. These places make the best hiding zones, making detailed inspections crucial.
Signs of the presence of bedbugs
The most obvious signs include tiny white eggs, shed skins, and reddish brown adult bugs. You may also take notice of the rusty blood spots on your bed sheets, musty-sweet smell in the heavily infested rooms, or dark faecal dots in seams of the mattress. Unexpected bites in lines or clusters that are itchy continuously are also indicators of the same.
Confirming the presence of insects
To confirm infestation, take the help of a flashlight and inspect the mattress seams closely, or you can also place interceptors under the bed legs for trapping the moving bugs. In case you are unsure, capture a small sample in a container or with clear tape. Any sighting of the bug confirmed means that it is time to act rapidly and get rid of bedbugs before they further spread.
Contain the infestation
Once you have successfully located all the areas of the infestation, the next step to get rid of bedbugs is immediate containment of the infestation. Containments stop the bug from spreading across new rooms and will also give you a controlled starting point for the bedbug infestation treatment. Remember, containment does not kill bedbugs automatically, but yes, it drastically reduces their movement and supports any kind of treatment to work faster.
Sealing and vacuuming items
Start by vacuuming all the visible eggs, droppings, and bugs on floors, sofa cushions, mattresses, baseboards, and carpets. Use crevice tools for reaching into the tight corners and seams. After vacuuming, seal the contents and vacuum bag inside an airtight plastic bag and trash it outdoors. Any item that cannot be washed, like soft toys, shoes, or books, must be sealed in heavy-duty airbags to prevent the bedbugs from escaping.
Laundry treatment and heat drying
Heat is one of the most potent ways to get rid of bedbugs from home. Place bedsheets, clothes, curtains, and pillow covers in the dryers at the highest heat setting for at least 30 minutes. This approach kills live bugs and their eggs. Items that are delicate can be easily washed with warm water first and then easily dried in the dry heat. Never ever shake your pest-infested laundry, as it can scatter the bedbugs around the room.
Handling electronics and furniture
First, move the infested ones away from your walls, and keep the pieces isolated until treatment takes place. Wrap box springs and mattresses in bedbug-proof, certified encasements that trap the bugs from within and prevent new ones from entering. Electronics like chargers, laptops, and remotes must never be sprayed, but you must always place them in well-ventilated spaces like plastic bins, and later expose them to indirect heat for several hours. Please note that sunlight is not a potent source of indirect heat for this case. Professional-grade heat treatment might be required for intensely infested electronics.
Sealing method for the long term
Items which cannot be heated or washed must be sealed in the airtight bags for at least 2 to 6 months. Bedbugs, as mentioned earlier, can survive without feeding, but long-term sealing eventually makes them starve. Label each of the bags and store them in a warm area to get the best results. This slow yet reliable method ensures that you get rid of the bedbugs from non-washable and delicate belongings without any damage.
Ready your home for the treatment.
Effective and efficient treatment is crucial when you truly want to get rid of bedbugs efficiently. Even the most potent chemical or heat treatments fail miserably when the home is not prepared correctly. Preparing each room ensures that the bedbugs have only a few hiding spots and every treatment reaches to stop them effectively.
Decluttering
Bedbugs love clutter because it gives them endless space for hiding. Begin by removing unnecessary items like closets, under beds, and bedside tables from the floor. Organize décor, papers, clothes, and books in sealed plastic bags or containers. Avoid moving the unsealed items between the rooms, as the movement can seamlessly transport the bedbugs further. The goal here is to create open and clean spaces where treatments, whether professional or DIY, can reach every gap. A decluttered room significantly increases the chances of getting rid of bedbugs more quickly with fewer repeated treatments.
Sealing openings and cracks
Bedbugs hide inside the wall cracks, around electrical switches, behind loose wallpaper, and between floorboards. Just before treatments, you should inspect such areas and seal them by using silicone or caulk fillers. Pay special attention to the gaps along baseboards, behind the headboard, and around the window frames. In case your home in Dubai consists of gypsum partitions as well as built-in wardrobes, assess the joints carefully as the bedbugs often crawl inside such structures. Sealing these gaps or crevices prevents the bedbugs from escaping the infested areas and forces them to enter the exposed areas where they can be efficiently eliminated.
Protection of the box spring and mattress
Box springs and mattresses are core nesting zones, so it is critical to protect them. Use bedbug-proof and certified encasements that seamlessly prevent the new ones from entering. Once it is sealed, keep the encasement on for at least 12 months, which is long enough to starve any insects. Combined with heat drying the bedding and isolating the bedframe from walls, mattress protection is indeed one of the most significant steps to get rid of bedbugs for the longest term.
Professionals get rid of bedbugs with multiple approaches
When the approaches mentioned above fail to eradicate or even prevent bedbug infestation, it’s time to call the professionals. It is often the most effective and reliable solution because the professionals make use of advanced tools, regulated insecticides, and high-temperature systems that penetrate deep within the hiding spots, which the regular DIY or household treatments can rarely achieve.
Take a look at how professionals kill bedbugs.
Non-chemical treatments like freezing, steam, and heat
Heat treatment is considered a gold standard in bedbug eradication. Professionals increase the room temperature to nearly 50 °C to 60-degree °C, which kills every stage of the bed bugs, including eggs. Industrial steam machines are utilized on cracks, sofas, and mattresses where the bugs usually hide. In many cases, specialized freezing tools that use CO2 snow are utilized to handle delicate items like fabrics or electronics. Such non-chemical methods are great for Dubai homes, where the children’s safety and chemical sensitivity are often coupled with other kinds of treatments for comprehensive results.
Chemical treatments using EPA-approved insecticides
Licensed pest control teams leverage EPA-approved insecticides that are stronger than retail sprays. Such chemicals are used across the targeted zones like electrical outlets, wall gaps, baseboards, bed frames, and mattress seams, ensuring maximum penetration. Unlike the DIY sprays, such formulations stay active for many weeks, offering protection for the long term and helping you to get rid of bedbugs more efficiently.
The various types of insecticides used by desiccants, neonicotinoids, and pyrethroids
Professionals leverage a combination of:
- IGRs or insect growth regulators – Prevent the nymphs and eggs from maturing.
- Desiccants like Silica Gel or Diatomaceous Earth – Destroys the protective coating of the bugs, resulting in dehydration.
- Neonicotinoids – Effective for chemical resistance of bedbugs.
- Pyrethroids – Quick-acting but less effective against the resistant strains.
Such a multi-chemical strategy assures that the resistant bedbugs are eliminated effectively.
Plant-based products
Although the bug bombs or foggers are sold widely, professionals rarely use them because they cannot reach the deep hideouts of the bedbugs. Instead, plant-based essential oil-based formulations are used for supplementary treatments across sensitive areas. They provide mild repellence but work best when combined with chemical or heat methods.
Post-treatment monitoring and the right time for professional intervention
Even post-treatment, work is not done. To get rid of bedbugs fully, you have to continue monitoring your home to ensure that there are no survivors. Bedbugs are resilient creatures, and even a single missed egg can start an infestation. Proper follow-ups will allow you to detect the early signs and prevent further outbreaks.
Using the bedbug receptors
Bedbug receptors are small plastic devices that are placed under the furniture leg and the bed. The devices trap bedbugs as they climb down or up, enabling you to track their activity. These interceptors are one of the most crucial ways of monitoring movement because they work 24/7 without the need for any chemicals. After professional treatments, Dubai pest control companies recommend installing interceptors for a minimum of 6 to 12 weeks.
In case you install the interceptors, check for their faecal spots, shed skins, or even live bugs. In case you see repeated infestation, it implies that you will need another treatment to completely get rid of bedbugs in your home.
For how long should you use the monitor?
Monitoring should be done for at least 45 days to 60 days, which will cover the time it takes for the eggs to mature into nymphs. Some homeowners prefer to monitor for a full 90 days to be extra cautious. The warm climate in Dubai can accelerate the development of bedbugs, so consistent follow-up is crucial. At this period, avoid rearrangement of the furniture, sleeping in other rooms, or removing the encasements prematurely.
Signs that the precautionary measures are working
You will know things are improving when:
- No fresh biting occurrences for many weeks.
- No new faecal marks or blood spots on the bedding.
- Interceptors showing fewer or no new captures.
- Dead bedbugs found near treated areas.
- Disappearance of the musty smells.
On the contrary, finding new nymphs, even noticing fresh bites or hearing movements within the sealed encasements, suggests the lingering activities. In these cases, you must schedule a follow-up visit with professionals like Supreme PCS to finally get rid of bedbugs completely.
Calling for professional help
When the DIY approaches fail to prove effective, involving the professionals to get rid of bedbugs becomes the best bet, especially when the infestation has crossed beyond a single room or when the chemical resistance becomes evident. Bedbugs quickly multiply and hide in the deepest corners or cracks, making professional intervention crucial in various Dubai homes. Calling the experts at the right time assures fewer repeat treatments, quicker results, and long-term protection.
What professionals do that DIY approaches cannot
Professionals use techniques and tools that the homeowners simply cannot access. Their inspections are more efficient as they leverage the precision of detection kits, flashlights, bedbug sniffing devices, and trained technicians. They have the right idea about the hideouts of bedbugs inside AC vents, gypsum partitions, and upholstered furniture, which are common in Dubai apartments.
The pest control teams also leverage specialized equipment, high-strength and regulated chemicals that reach deep within the crevices, which DIY sprays can never do. Above all, professionals form a customized plan for you to get rid of bedbugs, based on the furniture type, room layout, and level of infestation.
Duration of treatment and what to expect from that
A typical professional treatment usually takes place for 2 to 4 hours in every room, depending on the level of infestation, density of furniture, and clutter. In some cases, you may need two visits, spanning across 1 to 2 weeks, which is a normal sign of the effectiveness of the process. You will also need interceptors, follow-up monitoring, and mattress encasements for at least 6 to 8 weeks.
How to tell if the bedbugs are gone
To get the assurance that the bedbugs are gone, you must monitor your home for a full 40-50 days. Check the interceptors, upholstery, mattress seams, and the treated areas every two weeks. No signs of faecal spots, blood spots, no skin sheds, empty interceptors, or no new biting episodes imply that the infestation is successfully eliminated. If the bedding remains clean and no bugs appear for many weeks, the treatment will be deemed successful.
Prevent the future bedbug problem
To get rid of bedbugs and prevent their recurrence consistently, maintain a clutter-free and clean home. Regularly vacuum, use mattress encasements, seal cracks, and inspect the furniture frequently. While travelling, check the hotels’ luggage stands, headboards, and beds. Kee your suitcases elevated and avoid placing clothes on the hotel furniture. Dry heat every item once you return. Such simple steps will help you to significantly combat the risk of infestations in the future.
Why choose Supreme PCS as your bedbug extermination partner?
Choosing the right team of professionals to get rid of bedbugs makes all the difference. Supreme PCS stands as a trusted partner in Dubai for this purpose. We offer Dubai-municipality-approved pest control services with many years of proven experience, which eliminates the problem of bedbugs from the very root and not just the surface. Our trained professionals use advanced and eco-friendly treatments that are tailored to businesses and homes, ensuring minimal recurrence and long-term results.
With customized treatment plans, 24/7 support, and quality formulations, Supreme PCS ensures that the infestation is handled very effectively as well as safely. Robust customer satisfaction, expert execution, and quick response make us a reliable choice for comprehensive extermination of not only bedbugs but also other pests, providing you with a pest-free environment and peace of mind.
Conclusion
Want to get rid of bedbugs effectively? Act quickly, carry out a thorough inspection, and combine professional expertise with DIY approaches for successful bedbug extermination. Bedbugs spread very easily in Dubai’s humid climate, and hence, early detection with proper treatment is the two ultimate keys for the best results. With constant monitoring and the right approach, you can restore comfort, prevent future infestation, and protect your home to ensure a long-term peace of mind for yourself and your family.
Jeyakanthan Ramamoorthy