Don't let the bed bugs bite

Passerbye

So I think we may have mites or some other kind of bed bug itchy-biter infesting our mattress. We've got little red itchy marks where the bites are (not raised, just red, smaller than a dime) and I saw a small greyish off-white insect, smaller than a grain of rice, last night. Needless to say this is an inconvenience.

I've dealt with fleas in carpets and cats before, but never bed bugs. What should we do? What should we not do? How did these little bastards get into the mattress in the first place? How do we prevent this from happening in the future?

Thank you in advance.

TL DR

Passerbye wrote: »

So I think we may have mites or some other kind of bed bug itchy-biter infesting our mattress. We've got little red itchy marks where the bites are (not raised, just red, smaller than a dime) and I saw a small greyish off-white insect, smaller than a grain of rice, last night. Needless to say this is an inconvenience.

I've dealt with fleas in carpets and cats before, but never bed bugs. What should we do? What should we not do? How did these little bastards get into the mattress in the first place? How do we prevent this from happening in the future?

Thank you in advance.

In before "Throw away your furniture and call an expensive exterminator" I had bed bugs before and defeated them. Lemme find the thread.

edit: Link

edit the second: For a tl;dr, we took all out clothes, sheets, etc to the laundromat. Bought a little $20 steam cleaner and went over the couch and bed thoroughly, 24 hours after spraying some chems designed to kill the bugs. Then encased the mattress in a vinyl sheet, which was only a few bucks and although a bit sweaty in the summertime was nice assurance that any survivors were living the rest of their crippled lives trapped in a plastic tomb.

Passerbye

Huzzah, a relatively cheap alternative. Thank you.

Which chemicals did you use?

TL DR

Passerbye wrote: »

Huzzah, a relatively cheap alternative. Thank you.

Which chemicals did you use?

I don't remember. The jug said it would kill bedbugs. Any hardware store should carry it, and if not then go to a lower-income area I guess. I recommend playing Ride of the Valkyries on max volume while waging this war, lest you be tempted to give quarter or mercy. Forth, and fear no darkness! Arise! Arise, Riders of Theoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day... a red day... ere the sun rises!