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Besides checking your pet’s fur, you can use two other tests to find fleas in your home: the white sock test and the water and lamp test.

To perform the white sock test, simply put on a pair of long white socks and drag your feet along the carpets in your home. Fleas will gravitate to the heat created by your socks. The water and lamp test involves placing a bowl of water on the floor and shining a light over it. Fleas will then be attracted to the light and land in the bowl of water.

When looking for natural roach repellent options, citrus, bay leaves, cucumber, garlic, and catnip may all help to keep cockroaches away. When an infestation requires a bigger intervention, boric acid, baking soda, diatomaceous earth (DE), and soap mixed with water are all considered natural and nontoxic roach treatments.

While you don’t have to fully evacuate your home after a bed bug treatment, you will have to stay out of the treated rooms (or the whole home) for at least four to five hours after treatment. In most cases, you can return to sleeping on your existing mattress and use your existing furniture, but it’s best to confirm this with a bed bug pro.

Heat is the most effective instant killer of bed bugs. Exposing them to temperatures above 131 degrees Fahrenheit for over an hour can eliminate them. Methods like steam cleaners and using a dryer on high heat are effective for this. Other options that can kill bed bugs on contact include EPA-approved pesticides, bleach, disinfectant sprays with alcohol, diatomaceous earth, and hydrogen peroxide. While freezing can work, it is not an instant solution, as it can take several days at 0 degrees Fahrenheit to be effective. Keep in mind that many DIY treatments won't reach bed bugs hidden in cracks or behind walls. For severe infestations or the most effective results, it is best to hire a professional exterminator for a professional heat or chemical treatment.