How to Get Rid of Bedbugs for Infants

Bedbugs are a nuisance to anybody, but parents who find insect bites on their infants when they awaken every morning will definitely want to confirm and eliminate the pests. Depending on the level of infestation, people should be able to eliminate the bedbugs so that their baby will be able to sleep peacefully. Bedbugs are flat, reddish-brown insects about 1/4 inch long that like to hide in small cracks and crevices, so get ready for some hide-and-seek.

Things You'll Need

• Flashlight
• Magnifying glass
• Vacuum cleaner with crevice tool
• Diatomaceous earth
• Crib mattress cover

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Instructions

How to Get Rid of Bedbugs in the Nursery

• 1

  A flashlight can help find bedbugs' hiding places.

  Confirm the presence of bedbugs. Disassemble the crib and pull furniture away from the walls. Use a flashlight and magnifying glass to find bedbugs, which like to hide in the seams of the mattress. Check the crib frame, nearby dressers, underneath wall hangings and in any cracks in the walls for the insects. They also like to hide under outlet covers and baseboards.

• 2

  Washing bedding in hot water will kill bedbugs.

  Wash all bedding or clothing that may contain bedbugs or their eggs. Hot water is lethal to these insects. Thoroughly clean any stuffed animals and toys that could be harboring the pests as well.

• 3

  Vacuum cracks and crevices to eliminate bedbugs.

  Vacuum furniture, mattress, floors and walls, taking care to get into every crack with a crevice tool. Bedbugs have been known to crawl into odd spaces such as alarm clocks, so vacuum every possible hiding spot, including baby monitors. You will not be able to see all the bedbug eggs, which also stick to surfaces, so scrape the surfaces as you vacuum to loosen any eggs. Immediately remove the vacuum bag, seal it in a plastic bag and remove it from the house.

• 4

  Diatomaceous earth can be found in many hardware stores.

  Treat the room with diatomaceous earth. While insecticides are sometimes used to eliminate bedbugs, that is not the best course of action in a nursery. Diatomaceous earth is a powder made from the finely ground fossils of prehistoric algae that is not harmful to humans but will destroy insects that try to crawl through it. Spread a ring of it on the floor around the crib and other areas of infestation to kill any bedbugs that were not eradicated or hatched after the cleaning.

• 5

  A plastic cover for the crib mattress will kill any remaining bedbugs.

  Buy and install a plastic cover with a zipper for the crib mattress. The cover will eventually suffocate any remaining bedbugs in the mattress and prevent re-infestation.

• 6

  Find an alternate sleeping space for your baby while treating his or her room.

  Keep the infant out of the room for two weeks and check for any re-infestation before putting the child back in the room. Use an alternate sleeping space such as a portable crib in another part of the house during this time, being careful to check those areas for bedbug activity.