All You Need to Know About Bed Bugs
Not that long ago, ‘sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite’ was just a funny rhyme that many parents said to their kids before tucking them into bed at night. However, bedbugs have developed a resistance to many different insecticides and chemicals used to treat them, bringing out more bedbug infestations than usual. These recent infestations have seen bedbugs appear in even the cleanest of homes and hotels, and more and more homeowners are now on high alert to look out for these annoying, difficult to get rid of creepy crawly pests. In order to ensure that you don’t encounter bedbugs either at home or when traveling, it’s good to know as much as possible about them.
Bedbug Basics
Bedbugs are small, flat and oval-shaped reddish brown bugs around the same size as an apple seed. Bedbugs aren’t native to any particular country, and can be found all over the world. During the day, bedbugs hide in or around beds and other furniture such as chairs, couches, rugs, curtains, dressers, and even in cracks in walls and behind wallpaper. At night, bedbugs come out of hiding in order to find food – which in their case, means blood. Bedbug saliva has a special ingredient which keeps blood from clotting whilst they feed, typically at night in areas where people sleep. Usually, a person won’t feel a bedbug bite, but afterwards the area will feel itchy, similar to a mosquito bite.
Preventing Bedbugs
There are a number of different things which can do to prevent an infestation of bedbugs in your home. One of the simplest things to do is to de-clutter the rooms in your home so that there are less hiding places for the creepy crawlies to live in. You should regularly inspect your bed, including underneath the bed and under the mattress, along with bedroom furniture and any nooks and crannies for bedbugs. You can buy preventative chemical sprays to kill bedbugs before they infest your home, however it’s advisable to change products regularly as bedbugs can build up a resistance to different insecticides.
What to Do if You Find Bedbugs
If you discover bedbugs in your home or are experiencing bedbug bites, the first thing which you need to do is call your local pest control service. Pest control companies like connorspest.com can use different methods such as heat treatment to obliterate bedbugs from your home and clear the infestation. It’s also important that you wash any bedding, furniture covers and other fabrics which could be home to bedbug eggs in a very hot wash. Fully vacuum all the surfaces of your home, especially carpets and rugs as bedbugs often lay their eggs in these areas. If you’re traveling and find bedbugs in your hotel room or apartment, it’s vital that you report the problem straight away so that it can be dealt with as quickly as possible.
Don’t let bedbugs ruin your home life or your travels! Know the signs and preventative measures to help keep infestations at bay.