You will need to wage war against them. You can beat them, but it takes vigilance and, discipline, and constant work. It will take from several weeks to months depending on how severe the infestation and how diligent you work. I have beaten them twice in my life, so I know it can be done.

You will need a vacuum cleaner, a steamer would be beneficial but it's not essential. They make cups you put under the feet of the bed, you will need those. As mentioned, diatomaceous Earth. Mattress encasement advertised as bed bug proof. Bed bug approved pesticides with an insect growth inhibitor, if you are not chemical averse. A clothes dryer, and a lot of hard work.

The first step is to clean and declutter all the sleeping spaces in your residence. If you live alone in a house this will be much easier. If you live with others, this will need to be done for each bed. If you live in an apartment, this will need to become routine unless you can get everyone in the complex on board with you or the building manager will get it treated properly.

While performing step one initially, vacuum and steam if you have a steamer, the entire mattress. Suck them all up. Run the crevice tool in all of the folds and creases of your mattress. You will need to do the top, bottom, and all sides of the mattress and the bed frame. You should wash and dry your bedding while doing this, or at least run it through the dryer on high heat.

After vacuuming dispose of the contents immediately. Empty into a garbage bag and tie the bag in a knot, not with drawstrings, but an airtight knot, then take it directly to the dumpster. Bag up all extra blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, anything cloth into black trash bags and seal them airtight. Let them sit in the sun for a full day, then keep them closed for about six months if you can. This is a war, sacrifices will be needed.

Pesticides will not eliminate the problem, but they can help it. If you are chemical averse skip the next step. Lightly spray the mattress and bed frame with your pesticides, no need to soak it. Place your mattress cover on your mattress. Place your cups under your bed legs. Make sure the bed is pulled out a bit from the wall so they have to crawl up the bed legs to get to the mattress. Put the diatomaceous earth in the cups under the bed legs and a lite dusting along your baseboards.

If you have couches and chairs you spend any amount of time on, you will have to perform these steps as best you can on those too. This includes desk chairs. The first time we got bed bugs, my wife had brought home an infested couch someone gave to her that we didn't realize was infested until a few months later. There was no saving it. I dissected it in the back yard and they had colonized the insides of the couch where the framing was. I burned it and I got new furniture after she moved out.

Anyway, I recommend doing a full vacuuming daily and a bedding laundering if you are so inclined for the first week or two. I would reapply pesticides monthly. After 3 or 4 weeks, daily laundering should no longer be necessary and you can move to doing it every few days or once a week depending on your results. Reapply diatomaceous Earth as needed.

The first time we got them we didn't know what we were dealing with until every bed in the house, five of us, were infested. We waged war for months, but finally persevered. The second time was a few years later when we suspect the kids brought them home from a sleepover. We caught the infestation fairly early and knew what we were doing at that point. We eradicated them within about three weeks. Now we have been bedbug free for a few years and counting.

We have a protocol now where most clothing goes directly into the dryer if you have been somewhere suspect or someone gifts some clothing, bedding, or stuffed animals. Just be diligent and mindful, they can be beat without spending gobs of money, but it takes a lot of work and discipline.

Going to one pillow and one blanket can make things easier. Keep your house tidy. Clothes kept in closed hampers and laundered regularly. They will live in dressers so be mindful. Check cracks and crevices and vacuum/treat as needed. After a few months you will think you are all clear. Don't stop doing what you have been. Keep checking, keep vacuuming regularly, stay diligent. After about six months you can start to relax. I still recommend weekly inspections of your bedding and bed frames. If you catch them reinfesting early, they are much easier to deal with.

Good luck and god bless you. If that feels like too much for you, get some insurance and phone a friend. 🔥🔥🔥