Everything About Bed Bugs You Need To Know

Bedbugs are perhaps the peskiest invaders who make your home their home, wreaking havoc. They are hard to spot and even harder to get rid of. Their small size makes it easy for them to hide in the tiniest of cracks. If you’ve seen any bed bugs in your house, take immediate steps to get rid of them.

Appearance

Bed bugs are very small in size. The adults are brown in color and can grow up to 6mm. They do not have wings but have well developed legs. They lay their eggs in cracks near human and cement them in. In the early stages, bed bugs (nymphs) are transparent making them even harder to spot. Adult bed bugs appear brownish red when engorged with blood.

They typically infest your property through luggage, bags and clothing. Second hand furniture and possessions could be carriers of bed bugs too. Don’t think that bed bugs stay confined to one place. They can also travel to other rooms in search of food.

Habitat

Bedbugs are mostly active at night and hide in crevices and cracks near humans. They can make their home behind paintings, plug sockets and even under loose wallpaper. They are extremely hardy and can endure a wide range of temperatures. Their diet is mostly of human blood, that’s why they prefer to make their colonies near humans. In some cases, bedbugs can even survive up to a year without feeding

Bed bug bites

Bed bugs only prefer to dine on humans. Their bites are extremely itchy and uncomfortable. How do you tell if they are bed bug bites and not mosquito bites? Bed bugs bites are in clumps of small bites in one area. Mosquitoes and other pests bite only once. Bed bugs are the only pests that leave a cluster of close bites.

Most humans do not have a reaction. But when there is a reaction, it is dangerous because of the number of bites.

Bed bug transmission

Bed bugs don’t spread diseases, but they are extremely uncomfortable. Jordan Larson from Custom Bedbug (https://www.custombedbug.com/) warns that bed bugs are not just found in homes, but can live in places like movie theaters, stores, hotels, and even schools. Educating your family on signs of infestation will help them avoid bringing bed bugs into your home. If you run an office and it gets infested, you can get a bad reputation and angry customers may even demand compensation for the discomfort.

Bed bugs are easily transmitted. If you visit an infected place, chances are that you may get a couple of bed bugs back home with you.

Prevention

It is impossible to prevent bed bugs because they could be anywhere, however you can take a few preventive measures. If you’re moving to a new place then ensure that you check the premises thoroughly for even the slightest signs of bed bugs. If you’re travelling somewhere, check the room for any signs of bed bugs because you may bring them home with you.

Since bed bugs are very hardy, they thrive in all temperatures that are comfortable for human beings, making it easier for them co-exist with humans. If you’ve just come back from a recent trip, check your clothes and baggage thoroughly for bed bugs and their eggs. To take extra precaution do one of these tips. Even if you don’t find them, you can still do this. Bed bugs are extremely elusive and might have escaped your eye.

• Soak all your clothes in water at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius.
• Deep freeze your clothes for 3 days in a bag
• Get all your clothes dry cleaned

If you’re a hotelier, taking extra care that your hotel is always clean of bed bugs will serve you will. Imagine the ire of the customers who have to face the discomfort of itchy bed bug bites. Look out for early signs and train all your staff to check all the corners and bedding for any tell tale signs of bed bugs.

Signs of an infestation

If you have clumps or rows of angry red bites, you may have bed bugs. The target areas of the human body for these infesters are the arms, legs, neck, shoulders and the back.

The main telltale sign of bedbugs is small brown dots and blood smears on the bed sheets. Bed Bugs leave feces and blood spots around the places they infest.

If you find even one bed bug around your bed and other furniture, get into exterminator mode.  It is highly improbable that you’d be able to get rid of them yourself, though. Hire the services of a professional to exterminate these pests.