It is interesting, but bed bugs’ infestation problem was nearly solved in the 1950s by means of DDT methods. This remedy’s had high level of toxicity that was very dangerous for environment and also for humans. Nowadays this poison is banned in almost every American State. But a new wave of bed bugs’ attack started in the 1990s. During the period of 30 years the pests have become stable to various pesticides that were applied earlier. A new rise of the bugs’ matter appeared due to the increased frequency of travellings, in which the bugs showed themselves as perfect hitch-hikers.
Nowadays, according to the reports made in 2015, bed bugs are detected throughout a whole country. Every fifth citizen suffers from the infestation. These tiny insects have gained hatred among people due to blood preferences, hideous life and wasted efforts to their eradication.
- 1 What do Bed Bugs Look Like?
- 2 How to be Assured that You observe Bed Bugs’ Infestation within Your House?
- 3 The Reasons of Infestation
- 4 Why are Bed Bugs Dangerous?
- 5 The Symptoms of Bed Bugs’ Bites
- 6 Bed Bugs Bite First Aid Treatment
- 7 How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs? General Rules
- 8 How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs with Homemade Remedies?
- 9 Homemade Recipes of Bed Bugs’ Treatments
- 10 Special Treatments to Fight Bed Bugs
- 11 Possible Difficulties Connected with Bed Bugs Elimination
- 12 How to Prevent Bed Bugs’ Infestation?
What do Bed Bugs Look Like?
More photo: What Do Bed Bugs Look Like: Major Facts You Want To Know About the Insects
The bugs feed on vertebrates’ blood, but mostly on people. They got used to living near humans in urban areas.
Their life cycle consists of different stages – an egg, then a nymph and followed by an adult species. After every molt the bugs discard their skin, which can be first signs of the infestation. On every development stage they need a certain quantity of blood. So, after hatching, the nymph immediately looks for a victim to increase protein resources.,
Warm human houses are ideal living shelters for the bugs. Carbon dioxide that we breathe out, allures the pests. Night activity and individual behaviour make it very challenging to see the insects. As a result, people often think their rush resulted from some allergies or mosquitoes’ bites. But, firstly, bed bugs need in blood all the year round while mosquitoes do it exclusively during their reproduction period. And for the second, bed bugs’ bites prove to be exclusively specific.
Read: Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?
How to be Assured that You observe Bed Bugs’ Infestation within Your House?
- Look at the bites. Bed bugs’ rush is itchy and dotted in every spot, indicating the biting place. Mosquitos’ bites, along with their similarity to bed bugs’ ones in itching and necessity to be scratched, are bubbled without any red points. Another difference is hidden in the character of bed bugs’ nourishment. They can’t suck out blood until full from one feeding place, thus, they crawl along the victim’s body making several bites. Consequently, in the morning we see the number of spots, located in a relatively straight line. Mosquitoes try to feed on in one point. It isn’t worthy to find system or logic in their bites, since they don’t possess any indeed.
- Examine your sleeping place. If there are bloody spots on bed linen, even little, you have strong chances to share your room with the parasites. Sometimes if you are rather lucky you can see smashed bugs, which didn’t manage to escape while you were turning over when sleeping.
- Make some easy bed bugs’ traps. Or use interceptor cups. This trick allows bed bugs to creep into and have no opportunity to get out. For more effect you may add a little diatomaceous earth or other powder, talc. Though, this step is optional. Place the interceptor cups on the bed’s feet to isolate them from the flooring. On the next morning you will observe the result. You may even run bed bugs’ register, writing down how many insects you found in the trap.
- Monitor your bed for the bugs’ droppings or frass. In case you see little black points on the bedding, or mattress, it is much recommended to inspect also baseboards, drawers and curtains’ folders. You should learn that it will hardly be garbage. In combination with some other signs these ones are probably bed bugs’ fecals.
- You should also know one more method to eye bed bugs. Before sleeping, put a torch somewhere near you. The bugs’ hunger forces them to find somebody for getting food at about 5-6 A.M.
The Reasons of Infestation
Many people after discovering bed bugs’ infestation within their house become very shocked as they have got used to think that these insects usually prefer untidy places of living. Instead, bed bugs have no difference between living in perfectly bred house and with bad care. There is reasonable question about the possibilities these insects normally get into our perfectly tidied dwellings.
- You might bring bugs from your last journey. Having hidden inside the clothes’ folders, the bugs can arrive with you into their new house.
- They are typically like to inhabit second-hand furniture, beds, mattresses and upholstery.
- Even prestigious hotels are not absolutely safe from the menace although the hotel management spends pretty lots of funds to struggle against the pests. What to say about cheaper establishment.
- Since you are a dweller of a multi-floor building or a condominium, the bugs often come to adjoining flats from neighbours through ventilation pipes, crackers or other means. In this situation you have bigger chance to catch first visitors. Bed bugs move individually and rather slowly. They have no social structure like a nest or a mound. So seeing a sole flattened bug, kill it at once and you will manage to live happily without them for some time. When the neighbours start total insect elimination, the pests can seek shelter wherever they can, even in the balcony. There they fall into a sleeping state and when the extermination procedure is over, they’re back to their habitual places. The period of bed bugs’ life without any food is about a year.
- You can even bring bed bugs from department stores’ dressing rooms and in new garments even if you purchased them in expensive boutiques.
Why are Bed Bugs Dangerous?
These blood-breeding parasites need protein from blood for growing. The adult insect drinks about 7 ml of the liquid. They protrude the prey’s skin with a sting and inject special substance to reduce pain. Some people may only find red spots on their skin, which never bother them. But there are high-sensitive people for whom close contact with the bugs carries everyday sufferings from hot itching turning to hives as well as psychological fright to fall asleep. This reason is much likely than others blame bed bugs’. But some people consider the bugs are carriers of harmful illnesses. Meanwhile, this opinion hasn’t been proved by specialists in health care sphere.
Another myth is connected with animals, carrying and spreading out bed bugs. But these insects commonly prefer people. They feed on pets when they are extremely hungry and they have no opportunity to feed on appropriate victims. Besides, they tend to find furry skin too difficult to sting. Bed bugs have no opportunity to fly or to jump. They also can’t just visit you and go far away into the nest, which is located somewhere outside your house. So, provided you have got a rush, caused by bed bugs, bear in mind that there is only inner infestation. One female bug lays approximately 5 eggs daily.
The Symptoms of Bed Bugs’ Bites
Bed bugs’ bites are very similar to those of fleas. Both of them have itchy character and swollen appearance. But the bites are frequently placed on exposed body parts – neck, face, back, arms. The spots are arranged directly.
Fleas’ bites are smaller but more painful and concentrate on feet, ankles and lower leg parts in groups. Also fleas can bite any time of the day no matter you are doing: sit, lie or walk. Bed bugs prefer sucking blood in quieter conditions, when you sit still for relatively long time or sleep. The latter variant is the most preferable.
But there are people who never show reaction to bed bugs’ bites and can hardly believe they have infestation until they see the bugs themselves.
Nevertheless, other people suffer from severe itching, rash and even secondary infection that is derived from scratching bite places. Moreover, allergic reaction may lead even to anaphylactic response.
Bed Bugs Bite First Aid Treatment
If you feel discomfort with the bites, it is strongly advised to avoid rubbing of the injured place in order to stop blistering and further damaging of the skin. Use some methods to reduce unpleasant symptoms:
- First of all, wash the bitten places with soapy water and cover itching spots with considerably thick layer of soap. It will smooth the itching and stop the further skin damage.
- Apply wet compresses with baked soda dissolved in small quantity of water til you get cream consistence. Put it onto the rash, leaving on your skin for about an hour or till the time it is dried out. Soon after rinse carefully with warm water.
- Use lemon, aloe or other natural remedies, which contain astringent juice to disinfect the rash and lessen scratching as well.
- You may also use ice packs to numb the skin or even anti-itch cream.
- Apply antiseptic cream in case the bubble bursts and to avoid deeper infection.
Address to your doctor if:
- The bites don’t regenerate for more than seven days.
- You have allergy or signs of infection (swollen skin, hives).
The bites are mostly safe for humans. At the moment of injecting the sting, the bugs’ glands release a special substance, which works as anaesthetic. That is why the prey doesn’t feel pain. But the same substance may be irritating for skin, causing unwelcome and even dangerous in some cases reactions.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs? General Rules
Bed bugs express no preferences about sanitary conditions your flat is. Their main target is a victim; the pests don’t pay much of the attention on anything else. But look at some key moments to sweep off bugs.
- Take away all clutter in the house. Everything must be in its places. This measure helps to minimize the number of hidden corners for the bugs and gives more opportunities for a homeowner to make a thorough monitoring and control.
- Use vacuum cleaner every day, processing every place, in all rooms. However just hoovering is good for deleting of adult species; this method is useless against the pests’ eggs.
- Use sticky tape to remove the residues of bugs and their eggs. You can also protect yourself at night from new bites by covering the bed’s legs with the sticky tape. The insects can’t fly or jump. And they will get to the victim by crawling up the legs. With the option, they will be glued to the tape. Of course this is not very effective measure for catching all the pests, but rather helpful too.
- Check your sleeping place carefully and regularly. Try not to miss a little bed bugs’ trace. Look for their droppings and eggs. The first are little black points, and the second much resemble rice.
- Isolate infested furniture and items for some time from clear things until they are treated and checked. Changing the furniture on the new one is not brilliant idea. It will give no results except huge wastes as bed bugs live also in other suitable places closer to you. Nevertheless, when there is big quantity of the pests, they start to settle in different parts of your flat. For this reason, don’t allow them find new living spots.
- Once you have identified infested items, do everything you can to delete bed bugs – hoover and steam the mattresses, spring boxes, bed constructions, curtains, everything possible. Bed bugs will die at temperatures about 50 degrees Celsius.
- Washable things should be processed in very hot water, then dried off for about half an hour.
Read also: How to Kill Bed Bugs: Natural and Commercial Treatments Review
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs with Homemade Remedies?
After rubbing and washing all possible things, turn to remedies. If the infestation is not very large-scale, try to use homemade treatments. They are absolutely safe for us and home pets, though bed bugs can’t stand many of them.
- Diatomaceous Earth (DE). It is powder made from fossil algae. Getting into the bug’s body, this dust acts like dehydration solution causing their death. Apply DE in thin layer around the furniture and in all visible crevices.
- Alcohol. After proper cleaning, get use alcohol to kill adult bugs. The weak point of this remedy is specific smell and no effect on eggs.
- Vinegar mixed with water and used in a duster as a mist for bed, furniture and the floor.
Homemade Recipes of Bed Bugs’ Treatments
Baking soda also dehydrates the insects. Make a thin layer in the possible places of bugs’ activity and renew it regularly.
During it you have to keep an eye on every bug’s evidence in your house. This routine work takes plenty of time and efforts, but saves money spent on pests’ control companies. On low level of infestation it is possible to fight the parasites by using natural remedies, and everyday cleaning and checking.
Special Treatments to Fight Bed Bugs
Bed Bug Killer
Is an organic remedy with light scent. It is riskless for people and animals, though lethal for the pests. This product additionally works against other harmful insects such as lice and dust mites. After proper shaking, disperse the liquid on all surfaces, which you think are contaminated with bed bugs. The product has long-lasting performance on bugs even after vaporing, It helps to keep your bed and dream safe.The product is a complex of natural salts, enzymes that helps eradicate bed bugs quickly. But it is advisable to take care after and keep it far away from children, avoid taking the treatment internally.
Other special treatments
- Bed Bug Patrol
- Bed Bug Exterminator Combo Pack
All these products are eco-friendly, have low toxically effect on people and animals. Nevertheless, they contain natural ingredients, which may lead to allergic reactions among sensitive people.
Another group of products to struggle bed bugs is repellent one. For example, Harris Pyrethroid-Resistant Bed Bug Killer. It is an powerful treatment for deleting the bugs on direct contact only. This remedy doesn’t suit for treating bedding just before going to sleep. Mattresses’ processing should be limited to the seams, edges and folds only.
It is possible for direct use on bed bugs as the product kills the insects immediately. For better results spray it in empty closets, drawers, bed constructions and base boards.
The similar remedies are Bed Bugs Gone, Bed Bug Killer on the base of Diatomaceous Earth. This group is used for different pests’ elimination (ants, lice, fleas, termites, dust mites and others). It is sufficient to make a light mist of it instead of saturated application. It is rather poisonous for people too. That is why avoid direct skin contact as well as eye contact.
Possible Difficulties Connected with Bed Bugs Elimination
Homemade solutions against bed bugs are also very strong only in case the problem is not large. But even in this case homeowners should be extremely persistent, and patient in their intention to sweep off the bugs, because it is vitally important to do routine procedures within rather prolong period of time.
- Everyday checking of linen, mattresses, their seams and edges may soon become tiring. As a result, people start paying less attention to the routine procedure, and the pesky bugs can increase in population, making the infestation even worse.
- The quickest remedies are the most toxic for bugs and for people, especially for children. Non-toxic treatments are great when using them continuously, combining the battle with different additional measures – interceptors, tapes, scotch, etc.
- Chemicals kill on contact, but if the elimination wasn’t successful, the insects may develop resistance to recently used treatments, and it’ll be much harder to exterminate them in this case. You should take other repellents to kill the pests.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs’ Infestation?
Thinking that living in a big city and prosperous region, will give you freedom from bed bugs, you’re awfully mistaken. Once the bug appears in the house, it appears very challenging to get rid of by means of cleanliness only. Bed bugs don’t commonly live on debris or garbage. They are fond of blood. Another question is that people with low income can’t afford purchasing effective treatments to kill the pests. As a result, the insects stay in those houses longer.
There are many variants to bring a bed bug into your house:
- From used items, such as upholstery, furniture and, especially, mattresses. Avoid bringing such things into your house. In some matters you will have to exploit mattress covers to isolate bugs from coming out to have a meal or start proper checking of the furniture.
- From travelling, hotel rooms. Use slippery tapes to make a border between you and bed bugs’ at night. And having returned home, vacuum all the clothes, bags, backpacks, in other words, everything possible to delete the bugs and their eggs.
- Wash all clothes and linen at high degrees for at least 30 min.
- Keep an eye on every rush on your body. Examine it thoroughly after visiting hotels. If you are still hesitate, consult a Health Specialist, who will tell either your spots are from allergy or from pests’ bites.
- Remember that if you see a bed bug in the daytime somewhere farther away from your resting place, it can be the first guest, which can give birth to many generations of the parasites. You should kill this traveller immediately.
- Keep in mind little blood-sucking bugs are not bigger than a pin’s edge.
So, there is a great variety of homemade remedies that are helpful when the infestation is not very big or limited within one room. But they will hardly be effective if the insects have lived in your house for long and laid eggs in difficult-to-reach spots.
Special treatments are more effective than natural ones and get quicker results. Despite these advantages, chemicals can be poisonous for people too. Apply the treatment according to the instruction and using necessary protection.
The best bed bugs’ elimination variant is calling of specialists from Pest control companies, especially when there is big infestation problem in your house. Only pest experts can guarantee positive result and safety.