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Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are real. They are small insects that are often found in and around beds because they live by hematophagy, meaning they use blood for food. They find beds attractive because they can eat while you sleep, and the crevices in mattresses give the beg bugs plenty of places to hide. They are only about four or five millimeters long and very flat on the sides, so they can easily hide in small cracks and crevices along baseboards or between bedposts and remain close to their host victim. They also can be found in the seams of a mattress.

The bed begs feed an hour before dawn while you are asleep. If they are disturbed by movement or light then they will scatter and hide. They will

return to the same spot they were feeding at if they find the situation is safe, so often there will be several bite marks in a line or cluster.

Bed bug bites are similar in shape and appearance to mosquito bites, although they tend to itch more and last longer. When feeding, bed bugs use two different mouth tubes, one to inject an anticoagulant and anesthetic, while the other tube sucks blood. In this way the bugs can feed until they are satisfied. The skin irritation and itching are caused by the body’s reaction against these injected agents. Bed bug bites are not dangerous beyond this; they do not usually carry bacterial disease. Sometimes the skin around bed bug bites will become infected from excessive scratching and this can lead to scarring.

Most people do not even realize that they have bed bugs until an infestation becomes severe. To detect a bed bug infestation, try using double sided carpet tape around the edges and posts of the bed. This will not solve the problem, but it will let you know if you have a problem. If you find bed bugs,

don’t panic. Try to seal off the room as much as possible using double sided tape or other barriers. Don’t disturb their hideouts or they will be likely to spread to other areas. Wash all tainted linens in hot water and dry them on high temperature in a dryer to kill the bed bugs on them. Be careful, because you don’t want to transfer bed bugs to other pieces of furniture or articles of clothing.

Bed bugs are difficult to prevent because they can be brought into the house in a number of ways. They can be brought in with used furniture, clothing, or mattresses. They can also spread from a neighboring apartment or house that has bed bugs, if they are in close vicinity. Once a bed bug infestation is present, it can be difficult to get rid of bed bugs because they are sometimes resistant to pesticides. Bed bugs are good at hiding in small spaces to avoid pesticide treatments, and they can even become dormant for twelve to eighteen months and live without food.

If you discover that you have bed bugs then you can throw away furniture that has become contaminated, vacuum, do laundry, and hope you have gotten rid of all the bed bugs and bed bugs eggs, or you can call a pest control professional to apply pesticides that will eliminate the bed bugs, sometimes requiring multiple treatments.

Sleep tight and......., well, you know.

Comments

Lynn
16 Sep 2008, 21:24

My son brought home bed bugs from a friends house. That means, he had them on him. I have heard that they are NOT contagious, but being on him and bringing them home, doesn't that prove they are contagious? They can go from one person to the other if they are on someone, obviously.

Ask the Exterminator
17 Sep 2008, 07:33

Webster's dictionary defines contagious as "able to be passed on by contact between individuals". Bed bugs are usually aquired without direct contact with people. Rather, you get bed bugs by coming in contact with places where bed bugs are hiding. It is true that bed bugs "hitch rides" on humans, but they do not "jump" from one person to another. Head lice would be a pest that I would call "contagious".

lynn
17 Sep 2008, 10:01

I've read that bed bugs can be dormant for a long time. I've had an exterminator here twice, is there a possibility that they could be dormant even after the exterminator has been here and sprayed? Or is that referring to not having an exterminator and just using home rememdies?
Thanks...Lynn

Ask the Exterminator
17 Sep 2008, 10:19

There is still a lot that is unknown about bed bugs, but available studies show that eggs will lie dormant for a year or so, while adult bed bugs can survive without a blood meal for a matter of months.

If the bed bugs were not found during the pest control treatment it is very possible for them to wait until "the coast is clear" before coming out for their next blood meal. Bed bug control can take three or more treatments until all the bed bugs have been located. It is all a matter of good, thorough inspections. It is like finding needles in haystacks.

Kristi
29 Sep 2008, 00:34

I don't have the means to hire an exterminator. I live in a single family home. Is it possible for me to get rid of these bed bugs? In what order should I vacuum, steam clean, laundry, spray? I can't throw any funiture away either. It took me forever to pay what I have off.

Ask the Exterminator
29 Sep 2008, 14:46

Anyone can do a bed bug treatment. It just requires a thorough examination of all furniture and belongings, a good flashlight, some tools to open electric plug covers, a clear understanding of what all the stages of the insect look like and a willingness to repeat the process until you no longer see a single bed bug.

You don't need to buy heavy-duty poisons. There a lots of non-toxic products that kill bed bugs on contact. One product we like is by Ginesis Natural Products. You mix the product with water and treat all surfaces. You can even treat sleeping surfaces without fear of poisoning humans or pets.

You can pump baby powder into the open electrical plates to infuse walls with the dust that dries out the shells of insects.

Thorough vacuuming is important, but you don't need a steamer. The steam systems require that you contact the insect and you are already doing that with the sprays. Residual pesticides claim to provide more lengthy control, but their effectiveness is questionable.

All clothing and bed linens should be put through the dryer. It is the heat that kills the bed bug. Do not overload the dryer. You want the hot air to move easily around and through the load.

Buy zipper covers for your mattress and box spring. Locks in any random bed bugs that you were unable to find during your treatment.

Upholstered couches and chairs are your toughest problem. Finding hiding bed bugs in all the cracks and crevices is nearly impossible. But, you'll just need to repeat applications a lot to make sure the bugs don't resurface if you don't want to get rid of the furniture.

To check your work, purchase some double-sided carpet tape and put a long strip on the floor behind your bed, around the mattress and around the legs of bedside tables. Might want to put a strip around the couch, too. See if you capture any bed bugs. If you do, start the process all over again.

Read as much as you can about bed bug treatments.

Brandon
13 Oct 2008, 14:59

If three units in my building have had bed bugs, does the entire building need to be exterminated to avoid passing them to other units?

Ask the Exterminator
13 Oct 2008, 16:26

Bed bugs don't get spread like a disease. In fact, they usually only spread when the wrong types of pesticides applications are done, forcing them to flea to safer areas.

If you live several units away from the infested apartment you have a good chance of not getting an infestation. If you live above a bed bug infested apartment your changes of getting bed bugs are a lot better.

I would suggest that the apartments on either side and above the infested unit be treated.

Lynn
22 Oct 2008, 23:06

I have had an exterminator out to my house 3 times now. There have been NO sign of bed bugs. I was cleaning in the kitchen the other night at about 10pm and I saw this bug on my wall, it kinda resembles a bed bug..but it moves like a caterpillar...do bed bugs move like that at any of their life stage? I found two of them on two different nights around the same time, between 9pm and 10pm.
Lynn

Ask the Exterminator
23 Oct 2008, 08:21

Bed bugs do not move like caterpillars in any stage of their lives. In addition, bed bugs would not usually be found in kitchens because the location is too far away from a food source which would be you while you are sleeping.

Denise
16 Nov 2008, 02:22

I recently went on vacation where the hotel was infested with bedbugs I didnt know this until we left and found out we were covered in bites.. I must have brought some home with me so I started cleaning and sealed up my mattress and box springs even though I never seen a bed bug we were still getting bit I also put the double sided tape all around the bed and legs and anywhere they can crawl up the bed to get to us.. is it possible the bugs were inside the box springs and I sealed them in? I am washing everything in hot water and drying it in the dryer.. I cant find one bug but I know that I have them and Im going crazy. What should I do to prepare for an exterminator to come? And how do I know if it worked?

Ask the Exterminator
16 Nov 2008, 08:32

It sounds like you are doing everything and more to assure there are no bed bugs present. Sealing up the mattress and box springs may have been a bit premature. You only need to encase the box springs if you are finding bed bugs on the bed. The mattress does not need to be sealed if it is in good shape and has no tears where the bed bugs can hide. A mattress can be treated with a product we use called Kleen Green Enzymes from Natural Ginesis available on the web.

An experienced exterminator should give you a pre-treatment preparation list well before your bed bug treatments begin. However, if you are not finding any bed bugs, why go to all the expense of treatments? Get the enzyme product and treat all you want. It is non-toxic, but kills bed bugs on contact.

Denise
16 Nov 2008, 18:37

Is it possible to seal the mattress and box springs prematurely? I thought it would be best to do it to avoid an infestation in the bed so I wouldnt have to throw it out later.. I ordered a product over the internet called Sterifab that I read about on other sites before I found this one do you know if this product works? And where should I spray it if I already sealed the mattress and box springs? and do you know if the bugs can get into plastic storage totes?

Ask the Exterminator
16 Nov 2008, 19:12

Sealing the box spring can, in fact, prevent bed bugs from getting into the inside structure of the box spring. However, if the bed bugs are hiding in the headboard or under the bedside table, sealing the mattress and box springs will do nothing so resolve your issue.

Bed bugs can find their way into anything that is not totally sealed, including storage totes.

SteriFab is an alcohol-based product. We stopped using it because it was expensive and it creates a volatile fume. Be sure to open windows when using the product. It kills bugs on contact, but has no residual effect.

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