How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

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According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), reports of bed bugs have increased 71 percent in the past five years.

What are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs (or bedbugs) are small, oval, non-flying insects that belong to the insect family Cimicidae, which includes three species that bite people. Adult bed bugs reach 5-7 mm in length, while nymphs (juveniles) are as small as 1.5 mm. Bed bugs have flat bodies and may sometimes be mistaken for ticks or small cockroaches. Bed bugs feed by sucking blood from humans or animals. Adult bed bugs are reddish brown in color, appearing more reddish after feeding on a blood meal. Nymphs are clear in color and appear bright red after feeding. The wings of bed bugs are vestigial, so they cannot fly.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Tips on Preventing Bed bugs

When sleeping in a bed that is not your own, check for signs of bed bug feces, which will look like a cluster of pen-point-sized black dots on the sheets or mattress. Sometimes you might even find their shed skin— reddish-brown discs up to a quarter-inch long. Bed bugs hide during the day, sometimes you can see them at night. But young bed bugs are nearly invisible.

Bed bugs don’t live on the human body, so sleeping with bed bugs for one night does not mean they’ll come home with you. But if they get into your suitcase or clothes, they will most likely settle into your home.

If you suspect you’ve been exposed to bed bugs while traveling, the NPMA recommends you clean everything before you enter your home. Vacuum out your suitcase and wash all your clothes — whether you wore them or not — to prevent any infestations.

Bed bugs cannot fly, but they can hide everywhere, including behind baseboards, wallpaper and electrical switch plates or in upholstery, curtains and books.

Getting Rid of Bed Bugs

Treating Bed Bug Infestation

Steam Cleaning – Unlike vacuuming, steam cleaning is generally very effective at killing any bed bugs or eggs that come into contact with it. Extreme heat will kill them quickly (anything over 120 degrees Fahrenheit or so), and most steamers will exceed this temperature. You will probably need to get a commercial steamer, because you will need to run it for awhile and cover most areas in your bedroom. You will want to make sure you cover all the areas they could be hiding, even inaccessible ones. If you hire a pest control company, sometimes they will use steam cleaners in addition to applying pesticides. You should also strongly consider going with what is called “dry steam” – low moisture steamers, which have a lot less risk of mold (a big potential problem given that you will be using it around your bed). You can also try your dryer at home and that should heat over 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Vacuuming – Vacuuming and other efforts at cleaning up your house are something you should do if you have bed bugs – but it is very important to realize that you CANNOT get rid of bed bugs just by cleaning up.

Mattress Covers for Bed bugs – One of the first things anyone who finds out they have a bed bug infestation should get is a mattress encasement. This is just a little bit different from the standard cover you would get that just keeps the top from getting stains on it. Rather than just going over it, it actually zips around it entirely and seals up the inside – meaning no bugs are getting in or out. The ones that still live inside will die off, because they’ve got no chance to get out and get any food. That will take at least six months or so and up to eighteen in extreme cases (they can live a long time without feeding). However, there really isn’t anything wrong with having them in there as long as they can’t bite you.

Tips for Preventing or Battling Bed Bugs

Comments

2 Comments so far

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How to get rid of bed bug | 22 January 2011, 19:56
[...] How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs | MyDocHub – Health Blog & Health Tips Sep 9, 2010. Find out what are bed bugs or bedbugs, and tips on preventing bed bugs, and how to get rid of bed bugs in your home or when you are in a How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs | MyDocHub – Health Blog & Health Tips [...]