Few insects are as insidious as bed bugs and great bed bug treatment can be hard to find. These small bugs hide away until people fall asleep.
Then, the bed bugs sneak into beds and feast on the blood of any humans or pets that inhabit the house. The incidence of bed bugs is on the rise, and no one is immune. These bloodsucking critters can be found in the homes of poor people as well as those of the wealthy. They can be found in budget motels and four-star hotels. Bed bugs are also expert travelers. They can hitch a ride on clothes or luggage and then sneak into a new home and start an infestation. They can be difficult to get rid of, but it is possible.
How to find bed bugs. Bed bugs can be hard to find. They tend to hide out in cracks and crevices. One place that homeowners can frequently find bugs is where the stitching of a mattress comes together. They can also hide in gaps in walls and baseboards. The signs of bed bugs are easier to find than the bugs themselves. Bed bugs will shed their skins as they grow, and they will leave these behind. Additionally, brown stains on a mattress can be a sign that a home has a bed bug infestation. These stains can be from the bugs' fecal matter or dried blood from a human victim rolling over on a bug. It is usually difficult to catch bed bugs in action because they feast at night while people are asleep.
Bed bug treatment. There are a number of options when it comes to treating a bed bug infestation. Some heavy-duty pesticides will be successful in killing bed bugs. These can have negative effects on humans and pets. Other options include heat. Bed bugs cannot survive heat in excess of 117 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Some exterminators have equipment that will raise the temperature of a room above this level to end all bed bugs and their eggs. Additionally, the use of diatomaceous earth can provide a barrier that keeps bed bugs from spreading while also eliminating bugs that cross over it.
Preventing bed bugs from entering your home. Bed bugs like to travel. They can attach themselves to clothes or luggage. They can crawl onto people who visit an infested friend or relative's home. When checking into a hotel, it's a good idea to check the bed for signs of bed bugs. Make sure to put any luggage on a slick surface like bathroom tile because the bugs have trouble navigating slicker surfaces. When returning home from a trip that could have included bed bug exposure, it's possible to eliminate the bugs by leaving clothes and luggage in a hot car that reaches at least 122 degrees. Also, stripping down and putting clothes in a hot dryer for 15 to 20 minutes will end bugs before they can infest a home.
Signs of bed bugs. There are several signs that a home has a bed bug infestation. The first and most concerning is the appearance of small bite marks on humans infesting a home or apartment. These bites can commonly appear in rows of three successive bites. An additional sign of bed bugs is the skins that they leave behind as they molt to grow throughout their normal life cycle. Brown stains on a bed can indicate fecal matter or blood that spurts when a person rolls onto a bug that's feasting. Signs of bed bugs are most common within the crevices and stitching of a mattress, as they try to avoid being detected.
Bed bug removal products. Outside of extreme heat that can eliminate bed bugs at all stages of the life cycle, there are several options for removing bed bugs from a home. There are a number of pesticides that can finish off bed bugs. Some of these can be dangerous for use around humans and pets. Therefore, it is necessary to read the directions to see what precautions should be taken. Some foggers will have limited success because they only work on contact, and bed bugs can easily hide in areas the fog will not hit. Another option is to use a desiccant dust like diatomaceous earth that will end the bugs naturally. Other people will wrap a mattress in a plastic wrap that the bed bugs can't get out of. This lets them die off naturally.
How to get rid of bed bugs naturally. Natural bed bug treatment is preferable to using dangerous chemicals. High heat has been shown to eliminate bed bugs effectively. To remove all bed bugs and any of their eggs, a room should reach a temperature of 118 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of at least 90 minutes. Another option for getting rid of bed bugs naturally is the use of a desiccant dust. Diatomaceous earth is a common option. This dust actually slices through the body of a bed bug so that it will die in short order. This dust can also create a barrier around a bed or between rooms that bed bugs cannot cross successfully.