Question by lele l:
Can bedbugs live in vacuums?
I live in a dorm and there has been a recent bedbug outbreak and since I’m the R.A. I have to keep the floor vacuum and am afraid it might transfer to my room that way. Do bedbugs live in there? How to you disinfect a vacuum? Any other bedbug maintenance tips are also helpful.
Best answer:
Answer by linda l
Yes they can live in your vacuum and a lot of other places without a host for up to 2 years!
Make sure you dispose of the bag, and if it’s a bagless vacuum, clean the collection trap and hepa filter.
Sevin powder is the most common treatment for bedbugs but there are other brands available.
The bugs can travel with you in luggage, clothing, shoes, bedding, stuffed animals, etc. Use CAUTION when packing and unpacking your belongings.
Bedbugs are a horrible, hard to get rid of infestation (my cousin had them). Use all precautions to avoid the nightmare of biting, nasty, persistant bedbugs.
Search Bedbugs for a lot more information and good luck avoiding those horrible creatures.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes! If the vacuum has a bag, replace the bag every time you vacuum up bed bugs. If it doesn’t have a bag, empty the contents
into the trash and remove the trash all the way to the dumpster ASAP!
My bagless vacuum is washable, so I would completely wash the filter and the collection cup with hot water, then set it out to dry. I’d make sure I washed out the sink I used to clean the vacuum, and let the water run a little bit to make sure any bedbugs or eggs, or whatever
had washed on down the pipes, into the water system. Filtration systems will deal with them at the water company. I’d do the same with fleas, or any other infestations.
Good Luck!
Lele,
Most definitely they can live in the vaccuum.
You may end up needing an exterminator to deal with this but I think you should look at some do-it-yourself options in addition to what the dorm is providing that you can spray on your furniture including your mattress.
There are several chemical free bedbug products available. The one that I have used is called BedBug Terminator and it is sold online by a company called Kleen-Free. It will kill the bedbugs on contact as well as their eggs. You just spray it everywhere for a few days.
You do need to be patient and persistent with this or any treatment as bedbugs hide well and can go weeks without feeding.
Also, if the bedbugs have spread everyone needs to treat them and not just you – maybe you can split the cost of whatever you choose.
Good luck.
Sue