• Once the room has been “stripped” of all personal belongings, begin vacuuming the bed, paying special attention to the mattress seams.
  
• Use a crevice tool and a scraping motion.
  
• Remove the mattress and box spring from the bed frame and inspect and vacuum all surfaces, removing all loose debris and visible bed bugs.
  
• Flip the bed frame over and vacuum and crevices where bed bugs may hide. This is especially important for wooden bed frames and captain’s beds.
  
• Vacuum inside and under drawers of night stands, dressers, and other furniture in the room.
  
• Turn over each piece of furniture and vacuum the under sides of each.
  
• Pay attention to screw and nail holes, using a credit card crevice tool.
  
• Vacuum along the bottoms of all walls and the moldings. If molding or wallpaper is loose lift or remove and vacuum beneath.
  
• Make sure to vacuum around heating units.
  
• Vacuum along carpet edges.
  
• Vacuum plush furniture with a carpet beater attachment or by patting the furniture

If a vacuum brush attachment is used it is possible some live bugs or eggs could be caught in the brush bristles. Wash the vacuum brush with hot water and detergent if this is a concern.

The first sign of bed bugs is the time to act immediately. The longer an
Infestation is allowed to exist, the more difficult and expensive it will be to control. It may take several months to get rid of bed bugs if there is a large infestation.

There must be cooperation among tenants and the management staff in multiple dwelling facilities. A bed bug management program must be coordinated for the entire building as well as the individual room or person, because bed bugs can go undetected for long periods of time and can spread very easily through walls, on electrical and plumbing conduits. Cooperation from the tenant includes following the pest reporting procedures, cleaning and preparation of the room for treatment, and taking measures to avoid reintroduction of bed bugs.

Building management must ensure that tenants are aware of these procedures and are provided with the necessary contact information they need to report a complaint. Complaints must be addressed in a timely manner. Most building managers cannot deal with a bed bug infestation without the help of a pest management professional (PMP). The PMP should be involved at an early stage. Professionals know how and where to look for bed bugs, and can thoroughly assess an infestation to ensure the right measures are taken.