Getting caught in the middle of a bed bug infestation can be stressful, especially when you don’t know what the initial cause could have been.
It’s a popular belief that bed bugs are spread through poor personal hygiene, but this is just a myth! Bed bugs simply travel from one infested item to another and are frequently passed along in densely populated areas through pets, travellers, and affected personal items.
If you want to get rid of bed bugs in your home, washing your clothes, taking more showers than usual, and keeping your home disinfected will all help reduce the spread.
But can you use your vacuum cleaner on bed bugs to stop the infestation? In this blog, we explain more.
Should you vacuum up bed bugs?
While you can use your Hoover to reduce bed bugs and remove visible adults, treating an infestation solely by vacuuming is not recommended.
Bed bugs are often hidden. The eggs especially can be in non-visible areas of the bed or mattress, so vacuuming isn’t likely to eliminate them. If you miss even a couple of bugs or eggs, the infestation will continue. Therefore, you should always treat a bed bug infestation with the appropriate pesticides or expert-recommended treatments rather than your Hoover.
Vacuuming the affected areas can reduce the amount of visible bed bugs. Although this may not be 100% effective, vacuuming groups or clusters of bugs can make a difference in keeping the population down in your home.
While not a failsafe way to get rid of bed bugs, cleaning your mattress and around your bed is great for general cleanliness, so we’d recommend vacuuming around the area regularly.
Keep on top of your mattress by regularly vacuuming with our mattress vacuum cleaner that features a UV light to help reduce bacteria, allergens and dust mites.
What are the benefits of vacuuming up bed bugs?
By vacuuming up bed bugs, you can eradicate large groups of clustering bed bugs effectively and physically remove any that are isolated – but we’d always recommend following up with a professional treatment.
Vacuuming will help speed up the process when pesticides are used. Vacuuming before using any treatments will remove dust, dirt, and debris that could render pesticides less effective while leaving the surface clean enough for further inspections.
How to vacuum up bed bugs effectively
First, you will need to ensure that you vacuum up the bed bugs in a timely manner – specifically when they’ve not yet been disturbed and are still gathered in clumps.
You should also ensure that your vacuum effectively collects bugs and pests. A Hoover with a HEPA filter will offer the best results, as these filters keep the allergens from bed bugs from becoming airborne as they are disturbed. You should also use a stiff brush attachment on surfaces needing extra work to dislodge, such as carpets and upholstery.
When you are vacuuming to remove stray bed bugs, or as a preventative measure, you should focus on the following sites:
- Beds, mattresses, and headboards
- Upholstered furniture
- The floor under and around your bed and upholstered furniture (i.e. sofas and armchairs)
- In between the baseboard and the floor near the bed
After vacuuming thoroughly, you should immediately clean the brush and the HEPA filter. If the HEPA filter is disposable, throw this away to avoid a re-infestation. Some experts also recommend scattering either pesticide or boric acid before vacuuming for a second time to ensure no bugs have survived.
Discover HEPA filter vacuum cleaners with Hoover
We hope this blog on how to vacuum up bed bugs has been useful for you. However, if you’re ever in doubt about whether you’ve stopped the infestation, contact a professional to be sure.
At Hoover, our HEPA filter vacuum cleaners are designed to reduce the risk of allergies by removing bugs, pet dander, and dust mites and trapping them in an easily washable bag. Shop the full range today.
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