Step 2 of the 8-Step Approach to get rid of bed bugs requires that you pack up all of your personal belongings into sealed, plastic bags.  We realized that this might seem intimidating for some of you so we made a few videos demonstrating the steps involved.

This video shows how to pack-up a bookshelf.  Yes, you even need to pack your books into sealed plastic bags.  Bed bugs don’t just hide in mattresses. One of the underlying principles of the 8-Step Approach to get rid of bed bugs is that it’s better to use an abundance of caution than risk re-infestation.  It’s just not worth it!  Getting rid of bed bugs requires a significant amount of time and energy.  If you are lazy about bagging up some of your belongings, you run the risk of wasting all of the time and energy that you put into fighting bed bugs.

**Video Transcript** – How To Pack-Up a Bookshelf:

Rose (all audio)

When you’re tackling a bed bug infestation in your home, you want to make sure that any potentially infested items are sealed away first before being treated with your ZappBug.

The easiest way to do this is to pack them in large bags that can be sealed closed. We recommend double bagging all the items that are
on your bookcase. Special attention should be payed to books themselves. Books, especially hardcovers, can have sharp corners that will easily tear through a single layer of plastic.

Once your belongings are bagged, you’ll want to make sure your bags are sealed closed, not just twisted shut. To seal the bag, you can twist it shut and then tape it closed, or use items like a zip tie or binder clips to make sure that it is securely closed. We recommend keeping the books stored until you have been able to fully treat the rest of your belongings and your home.

It is fine to put any loose items from your bookcase into boxes. Just remember that cardboard can be a haven for bed bugs. So plastic is best. If you must use cardboard boxes, make sure double bag them as well. To ensure bed bugs can’t escape.

Posted by Cameron Wheeler