How to Get Bed Bugs Out of Carpet

Bed bugs are a particularly nasty pest species. They will crawl onto you at night, feeding upon human blood. While it’s unlikely that you will get a disease from a bed bug bite, it can still trigger potentially severe allergic attacks. Plus, it can cause mental health issues, including a rise in anxiety and so because of this, the EPA has declared bed bugs a public health pest.  

You might be aware that bed bugs will thrive on your mattress and sheets. This provides them with ready access to food and a warm place to breed. However, other locations in your home could be concealing bed bugs, especially the carpets in your home! So, how do you get bed bugs out of the carpet in your home? The steps in how to get bed bugs out of carpets include: 

• Clear the Room
• Use Double Sided Tape
• Sprinkle Some Diatomaceous Soil
• Vacuum the Carpet
• Steam the Carpet
• Vacuum the Carpet Again

Additionally, because bed bugs breed so quickly if you don’t take action fast, there is a chance that you could end up with an infestation. Then, because removing the bed bugs will be a difficult task, read on to find out everything you need to know to get bed bugs out of your carpet. 

Signs of Bed Bugs In Your Carpet

There are a few signs that you have a bed bug infestation on your carpet. First, you might be able to spot some brown spots. These are the remnants of the shed exoskeletons. You might also notice small black marks. This is the feces. Finally, bed bugs might be laying eggs on the carpet. However, because of how small they are, it’s unlikely that you will be able to see them. 

If you have bed bugs established in other parts of the room, like in the bed or furniture, they will likely be in the carpet. 

6 Steps for How to Get Bed Bugs Out of the Carpet

The process of removing the bed bugs from the carpet and your home will prove to be a difficult task. So, here are the steps and all the things you need to know to get bed bugs out of your carpet.

1. Clear the Room

One of the things that can make a bed bug infestation so difficult to control is how quickly they can breed and the number of places they can survive. Because of this, it’s best to get any furniture out of the room before you start treating your carpets. It’s a good idea to spray furniture with tea tree oil. This will kill the bed bugs. If it can’t be moved, place double-sided tape around the legs. This will stop bed bugs from traveling from the carpet to the furniture. 

2. Use Double Sided Tape

Once you have cleaned the room as much as possible, place double-sided tape around the sides of the room. This acts as a barrier that bed bugs will be reluctant to pass. If they do attempt to leave, they will get stuck to the tape and die. 

3. Sprinkle Some Diatomaceous Soil

Once you have prepared the room properly, we can focus on removing bed bugs from the carpet. The first stage of this process is to get some diatomaceous soil. You should be able to find this at most hardware stores. 

The diatomaceous soil is made from fossilized algae and has sharp edges. This absorbs the bed bugs’ oils, drying them out. It also has sharp edges, which scratch and damage the exoskeleton. Even better, this will kill any other bugs that are lurking on your carpet. If you prefer, you can use silica gel. It will have the same effect as diatomaceous earth. 

Using this to kill bed bugs is easy. All you need to do is sprinkle the earth around the carpet, especially around doors and near the furniture. Then, you’ll need to give it a little time to work its magic. It’s best to leave the soil for 24 hours. Though you can leave it longer if you prefer. 

4. Vacuum the Carpet

The next step of this process is to vacuum the room. Make sure that you are using a bag, to trap any bed bugs you capture. It’s best to use something that has a HEPA filter, so it will be able to catch the small pests. 

Take the bag outside and empty it directly into the rubbish bin. Before you use the vacuum again, get a steam cleaner to clear out the bristles. This will ensure that you aren’t accidentally spreading them around your house. 

5. Steam the Carpet

One of the most important steps when removing bed bugs from your carpet is using steam. Because of this, you’ll need to make sure that you are using the right steamer. Check the size of the tank, to make sure that it can clean the whole room. It’s also vital to consider what type of accessories will be included. Make sure that you get something that will be able to get into the tight cracks and crevices around the room. If you want more tips on what to look for, check out this guide to steam cleaners for bed bugs. 

It’s best to prepare a carpet cleaning solution or shampoo for steam cleaning. Mix it into the water. Before you clean the whole room, test a small part of the carpet. This ensures that it doesn’t stain. 

When you are steaming the carpet, make sure to cover the whole space. Get into every corner and crevice of the room, making sure that you aren’t allowing the bed bugs a space they can hide in. It’s best to leave the steamer in the same place for a few seconds, giving the steam plenty of time to penetrate the surface and kill the eggs. Sometimes, you might need to wear a mask when doing this, as some carpet cleaning chemicals can irritate your mouth and nose. 

Once you’ve steamed the carpet, you’ll need to leave the window open. This gives any remaining fumes a chance to disperse. Plus, it will allow the carpet to dry faster. 

6. Vacuum the Carpet Again

After you have steamed, the eggs and any remaining bed bugs should be dead. Now the key is to make sure that you are removing them from the carpet. To do this, you will need to vacuum for a second time. Don’t forget to empty the bag directly into the bin, so there is no chance for the bed bugs to re-establish themselves. 

Preventing Bed Bugs from Coming Back

By now, you should have removed the bed bugs from the carpet. Now it’s time to make sure that they don’t come back. There are a few simple steps you can use to do this. First, it’s a good idea to steam clean and vacuum more frequently over the next few weeks. This will kill any bed bugs that sneak back into the room. 

Next, you want to make sure that you aren’t accidentally bringing them back into the house. Inspect any clothes, linen, and furniture before you bring them into the house. This is especially important if you were coming back from a holiday. Bed bugs are particularly prevalent in hotel beds. 

Finally, keep the room clean, as clutter can provide small crevices which the bed bugs can use to reproduce.

Conclusion

Bed bugs are a nasty pest species, feeding on human blood. Unfortunately, once they have become established, they can be hard to remove. Because of this, you will need to have a deep clean to get them out of your carpet. Hopefully, these tips will make it easier to get bed bugs out of your life.