What Do I Do With Stuffed Animals That Have Bedbugs?

Tiny insects that suck human blood at night may sound more like the plot of a horror movie than real life. But blood-thirsty insects of the night are a reality; they are called bedbugs, and they are infesting homes and businesses worldwide. In exterminating the pests from the household, homeowners must locate and eliminate the bugs from every crack and crevice.

What Are Bedbugs?

• Bedbugs can cause itching and irritation.

  Bedbugs are flat, round, brown-colored insects that become more reddish-colored as they consume blood. WebMD explains that, "The bugs get their name because they like to hide in bedding and mattresses." At night, the bugs come out of the bedding, attracted by the warmth of the human body, and feed on their victim's blood. Although the bugs do not carry disease, they cause itching, irritation and discomfort for their human victim, and some individuals develop an allergic reaction to bedbug bites.

Do You Have Bedbugs?

• Search for bedbugs and identify an infestation.

  Before you respond to a bedbug infestation, you must determine that bedbugs are in the home. Clues of infestation include itchy bumps on the skin similar to mosquito bites, tiny brown discoloration on the mattress from bedbug waste, bloodstains left by the blood-sucking insects and the bugs themselves.

Heat

• Use heat to kill bedbugs.

  Use heat to eliminate bedbugs from stuffed animals and clothing. "The New York Times" quotes Gil Bloom, the director of public affairs for the New York State Pest Management Association saying: "Nothing kills bedbugs and their eggs better than high temperatures...so the dryer is your new best friend." Wash the stuffed animal in hot water then dry it in the hot cycle of the dryer. This option is preferable to pesticides, as heat kills the bugs without the use of chemicals. Children are often in close contact with stuffed animals for extended periods of time, and impregnating a child's Teddy bear or toy with powerful insecticides could prove harmful.

Pesticides

• Avoid the use of pesticides on children's toys and stuffed animals.

  Another method of eliminating bedbugs from items is to place infested object inside a dark-colored plastic bag that is placed in the sun for two or three days. Because plastic bags are a suffocation risk to young children, use this method in child-proof areas. Measures for eliminating the pests from the home include disposal of infested items, use of insecticide and, finally, consultation with an exterminator.