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How to Caulk Baseboards for Bed Bugs

Bed bugs, along with many other insects that may invade your household, can enter your house and hide in many seemingly innocuous cracks and crevices, such as those that exist around a baseboard. To stop a bed bug infestation or to prevent one from happening, it is important to be vigilant about plugging any cracks in baseboards with caulking, which will deny bed bugs and other insects access to your living areas.

Things You'll Need

Caulking gun
Caulking tube
Knife
Paper towel

Instructions

- 1
  Pull the caulking gun plunger all the way back. Insert the caulking tube into the frame of the caulking gun at an angle, with the tip going first. Move the plunger forward until it is resting against the rear of the caulking tube.
- 2
  Cut the end of the plastic tip off the caulking tube so the caulk can flow out of the tube. The farther down you cut, the larger your hole will be and the larger the stream of caulk that comes out. Have a paper towel handy to wipe up any caulk that comes spilling out unintentionally.
- 3
  Apply slow and constant pressure on the trigger of the caulking gun, which will give you a steady and even stream of caulk coming from the gun. Hold the gun at a 45 degree angle relative to the crack.
- 4
  Apply caulk to both the bottom and the top of the baseboard. Also apply caulk to any other cracks and joints that are found on your baseboard.
- 5
  Release the trigger when nearing the end of the crack and twist the gun to break the stream of caulk.

Insects & Science