Woke up with an itchy rash on your hand? Just notice bedbugs under your mattresses? Don’t panic and call pest control right away.
Bedbugs are small, oval, wingless, brownish parasitic insects that feed on the blood of animals or human beings. The female bedbug is known to lay around twenty viable eggs each week making them rapidly growing household pests.
Immature bedbugs, called hatchlings or nymphs, shed their skin casting five times before reaching adulthood and require a meal of blood before each shedding. Bugs can develop fully in a month under favourable conditions and can reproduce three or more generations in a year.
On observing closely, they may range from a white, light to a tan deep brown colour. They get swelled up and a dark red blob is observed within their body once they are fed upon blood.
Given their preferred habitat in human homes are bed mattresses, crack and small spaces in bed, sofas and other soft furnishings, they are known as bedbugs. They are likely to stay and hide in dark places. Their minuscule size and habit of staying hidden makes them makes their detection quite difficult,
They are seen as a growing nuisance in all types of dwellings such as homes, hotels, dormitories, cruise ships, army barracks, and shelter, anywhere where they can find their favourite host to suck blood.
Although they do not transmit any severe disease, they can cause frustrating, red, itchy welts all over your body. So, early detection and eradication of these bugs are very important from your house.
Causes of Bedbugs
Dirt and filth are certainly not causing factors of these blood-sucking bugs. They exist solely because of human beings as their only source of food to live and breed is blood. So, until they are getting their food they can be present anywhere.
Besides lost luggage and food poisoning, bedbugs are a major concern for travellers. Bedbugs are hitchhiking bugs that can from places such as:
- Government buildings
- Workplace
- Scholl, colleges, and universities
- Public transportation
- Nursing homes and daycares
- Libraries
- Movie theatres
- Friend’s and relative’s house
- Hotel, motel, or resort
Another common cause of bedbugs is second-hand furniture. Many homeowners and renters often bring bed bugs unintentionally by bringing the discarded furniture into their homes.
Signs of Bed Bugs
Look for physical signs to identify possible bedbug infestation. At home or even if staying away from home, while cleaning or changing bedding, do look for the following:
- Bloodstains on bed sheets, pillows or mattresses caused by crushing of bedbugs.
- Dark or rusty spots of bedbug excrement
- Offensive odour from the bugs’ glands
- Faecal spots, egg shells or skin castings of bedbugs in areas where they can hide
If you suspect bedbug infestation remove all the bedding and inspect carefully for bugs. Examine the wood framing around all the corners of the bed. Also, check the area nearby bed such as telephone, books, wall hangings, curtains, and carpet. Carefully check your closet as they can attach to clothing.
If you are unsure of the signs call an exterminator immediately who will know what to look for and what needs to be done after that.
Ways to Eliminate Bedbugs Fast
You can pick bedbugs from almost anywhere. Once they invaded your home, they can be difficult to locate without the assistance of a pest control specialist. Various ways of getting rid of bedbugs are:
- Identify Bedbug Activity – Undoubtedly, you don’t want these blood-sucking creatures in your home. So you need to be vigilant and keep a check on them. You can check for specific signs mentioned above.
- Vacuum your home – A good option to get rid of bedbugs is to vacuum the home completely along with bedrooms. Bedbugs have a tendency to spread from one room to another, so clean all the rooms of your home. Store your mattresses and other items such as clothes and frames in special coverings.
- Rinse infested stuff with hot water – Boiling the infested items in hot water helps you eliminating eggs and larvae of bedbugs as it is extremely difficult for bugs to survive at such a high temperature. Wash everything from your bed sheets to your clothes in hot water.
- Steam treatment for your mattresses – Using hot steam is a great idea to destroy bed bugs and their eggs without damaging the item. Steam can penetrate through the crack of mattress lining, resulting in effective removal of infestation from the hard to find areas.
- DIY Bug sprays – Create your own sprays if you want to get rid of them in natural ways. Home-made sprays like Oregano Spray, Lavender, and Peppermint Oil Spray, and Vinegar spray. You can get bug sprays from the stores also.
- Consider a good pest control terminator – By far, the most suitable and effective solution for complete removal of bed bugs is to look for the pest control companies and choose the best one. Hiring a licensed pest terminator is a more cost and time-efficient way to get rid of the infestation and for the prevention of re-infestation of bedbugs. It is the safest way as well.
You can use all the above-stated methods in combination to get good results and effective removal.
Final Words
Bedbugs are some of the most unwelcome guests you can have in your home creating a nuisance. An ounce of preventive measure is worth than stress over bug problem. So sleep tight and literally do not let the bedbugs bite.
About The Author
Stephanie Braga
Hi, I am Stephanie Braga. A professional blogger and content community manager on this platform. I love to write and post content on different niche. Contact me, if you need any help related to digital marketing or content marketing.
