| The easiest trapping method is to place double-sided carpet tape in long strips near or around the bed and check the strips after a day or more. However, bed bugs can simply walk across the sticky surface of tape, which, while slowing them down, will not stop them from crossing. If you're still unable to detect bed bugs, you can purchase a roll of double-sided carpet tape. You're also going to need a roll of painters tape. Apply a strip of the double-sided tape all the way around the mattress. Place another strip of tape around the head board. Make sure to add a strip of painters tape first when doing the headboard. You'll do this because the double-sided tape could ruin the headboard. The next morning check to see if you've captured any insects. make sure to use a magnifying glass. Fast, easy and inexpensive, an easy way to check for bedbugs. There is the option to isolate a bed using double-sided duct tape (also called carpet tape) to create the sticky barrier instead, although, carpet tape may be somewhat more expensive in length per foot than regular duct tape curled over—something to consider if the taping method is used extensively. In any case, curled duct tape (with the sticky side out) can also be used in length on floors as a perimeter barrier to help quickly isolate or quarantine furniture (where it can span multiple feet on the floor around furniture or used to surround and isolate 'legless' beds with bases that are flush to the floor etc.). The technique can also be used to help prevent bed bugs from crawling up along walls where warranted. Long strips of this taping method (i.e. curled duct tape over painter's tape) can be used on standard floors to cordon off, surround, and isolate infested furniture, to protect clean furniture, or as part of a treatment effort to help prevent bed bugs from crawling toward specific areas. If used this extensively, it then becomes particularly more important to apply a protective layer of painter's tape first to prevent the duct tape from damaging and/or ruining painted surfaces or from leaving behind a sticky residue when finally pulled up. It should also be noted that the width of the painter's tape can be as narrow as one inch (which is typically less expensive per foot than wider versions of masking tape) since regular duct tape, though much wider initially, will fit within the one-inch width of the painter's tape—after the duct tape has been curled over on itself lengthwise. |
