Preventing Bedbugs and Kissing Bugs

Topic Overview

To eliminate bedbugs and kissing bugs:

  • Remove debris, such as wood and paper trash piles, where these bugs may hide.
  • Wash, vacuum, or clean all furniture and bedding. Be sure to vacuum cracks in wood doors or floors where bugs may hide.
  • Put small things that may have bugs on them in a dark plastic bag and leave it outside in the hot sun for 2 to 3 days.
  • Wash clothes in hot water and dry them on the hot cycle of the clothes dryer.

If you can't get rid of the bugs yourself, you can call an insect control company for treatment choices. Make sure that the product the company uses has been shown to be effective against bedbugs and kissing bugs.

Credits

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerWilliam H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerH. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Last RevisedAugust 16, 2012
By: Healthwise StaffLast Revised: August 16, 2012
Medical Review: William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine
H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine

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