Don't Suffer From Biting Bed Bugs
Detection
Bed bugs are relatively small (about 3/16 inch – or the size of an apple seed), flat, reddish-brown oval-shaped wingless insects that belong to the Cimicidae family. They avoid open spaces and instead hide in cracks and crevices including mattress seams, sheets, furniture, baseboards and electrical outlet plates. In hotels they will travel from room to room and in the luggage of guests. Female bed bugs can lay 1 - 5 eggs each day and may lay 200 – 500 eggs during their lifetime. With adequate food supply (and in normal temperatures) bed bugs can live for more than 300 days. They are difficult to detect, but are often found close together and have a distinctive sweet (though unpleasant) odor. One of the most common signs of a bed bug infestation is blood spotting on mattresses and nearby furnishings. Their bites leave itchy welts on the skin and can result in allergic reactions that include severe itching. They are distributed worldwide due to human travelers transporting luggage, clothing, bedding and furniture.
Treatment
Bed bugs will hitch rides on people via their luggage or personal belongings. Once inside they can be very difficult to remove completely without the help of an experienced pest control company. Bed bug infestations, themselves, have little to do with cleanliness. Catching infestations early generally means avoiding costlier problems down the road. A variety of methods are used to treat active bed bug infestations including steam to kill the bed bugs and their eggs in places with likely human contact followed by residual treatments in box springs, hard furniture and wall voids. Heating the infested area and its contents to a high temperature and holding it for a predetermined amount of time is an environmentally friendly process that will eradicate bed bugs as well as a variety of other pests.
Prevention
Preventing current bed bug infestations as well as preventing future infestations can be done by using encasements for beds. These encasements are soft to the touch and conform to fit any mattress, box spring or pillow. They are also available for sofas, love seats and recliners.
When Traveling
Simply following a few basic tips will help you to reduce the chances of introducing bed bugs into your home or business.
- Look for tiny, rust-colored spots on bed sheets, mattresses and bed skirts
- Look under mattresses, bed frames, behind headboards, drawers and furniture
- Keep your luggage off the floor and away from walls and picture frames
- Examine your luggage and belongings carefully while repacking and upon returning home
- Put all clothing from your luggage immediately in the clothes dryer for at least 15 minutes at the highest heat setting
Think You Might Have A Bed Bug Infestation?
Contact us immediately or contact your property management if you are renting. Bed bugs can multiply quickly and early detection is critical to prevent an even larger infestation.
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