One of the many kinds of pests that could enter your home is bed bugs. These pests are troublesome and can enter and invade your home undetected through clothes, luggage, used beds, linens, and other similar items. Bed bugs are small, reddish-brown oval insects that are about the same size as an apple seed. They are hard to see unlike some insects, but just like ticks and fleas, they suck blood for their survival. They do not have wings but they can move very quickly from one place to another.
These parasites do not just suck blood from human beings, but they also target other animals like bats and rodents. They usually attack at night when the host, like humans, are sleeping soundly. While bed bugs may be small in size, these creatures could cause possible health risk such as the following:
Skin rashes and allergic reactions caused by bed bug bites
Bed bug bites can cause excessive scratching which can result in skin infection and allergic reactions. Bed bug bites are small red bumps surrounded by blisters or hives. These are arranged in lines or clusters so it’s easy to distinguish if it’s a bed bug bite or something else.
Mental health issues such as anxiety and insomnia
Some bed bug victims experience post-traumatic stress like nightmares, anxiety, and paranoia.
The Life Cycle Of A Bed Bug
The thing about bed bugs is that they reproduce very quickly. Female bed bugs can lay from 10 to 12 eggs each day or 200 to 500 eggs in a lifetime. Female bed bugs lay eggs after a blood meal or after mating.
Bed bugs go through the following stages:
- Egg - Just like the other parasites, a bed bug’s life begins with eggs. Bed bug eggs are tiny, grain-like, and milky white in color. Female bed bugs lay eggs after a blood meal or after mating. The eggs hatch between 6 to 10 days before becoming nymphs.
- Nymphs - After emerging from eggs, the next stage in bed bug’s life is called a nymph. The time it takes for the nymph to mature depends on how often they can take a blood meal and on the temperature. The more blood they can obtain, the faster the nymph can mature and finally become an adult. These nymphs are colorless but they become red after meals and they darken as they mature.
- Adults - The typical bed bug lifespan is about 6 months to a year depending on the environmental condition. They live by sucking blood from their hosts but can survive for weeks to a few months without feeding.
How You Would Know If There Are Bed Bugs In Your Home?
If you suspect an infestation, be sure to check around immediately. Inspect beds, linens, clothes, pillows, couch, and carpets as these are the places where they normally hide. Here are some signs that confirm that there are bed bugs:
- Bloodstains on mattress, linens, sheets, and pillows - As we know it, bed bugs suck blood while a person is sleeping. If you inadvertently crush a bed bug while they are feeding, you will most likely see bloodstains on your bed.
- Eggshells, fecal spots and shed skins of bed bugs are normally seen in places where these parasites hide and stay - Bed bugs shed skin each time they feed so you will most likely see them in your bed too after they finish a blood meal.
- Patterned insect bites on the skin - It is easy to distinguish a bed bug bite. Bed bugs bites are normally formed in a line or zigzag patterns.
- Live bed bugs - They are usually found in beds, mattresses, couch, pillows, and linens.
- Unexplained musty odor - Bed bugs produce a musty odor. The smell is not pleasant and is often described as coriander.
- Dark spots on the walls - Bed bugs leave red, brown, or dark spots on the wall after a blood meal. These spots are bed bug feces.
How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?
Getting rid of bed bugs is somewhat challenging. These parasites are tough and smart but you can surely get rid of them with patience and proper knowledge. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how you can prevent bed bugs.
Step 1: Do your inspection
Bed bugs are usually found in the following areas:
- Mattresses, box spring, pillows, sheets, and linens
- In chairs and couches. Check between cushions or in folds of curtains
- In baseboards
- Underneath painting and wall posters
- On electrical outlets and wires
- Box springs
Step 2: Contain infestation
You may start by vacuuming the bed, furniture, and different areas in your home. Vacuums help reduce the number of bed bugs, especially where there are clusters of them. Once you are finished vacuuming, just make sure to seal and dispose of the vacuum bag. Remove all infested items, if there is any. You may put them in a sealed plastic bag and try to treat them. Discard the items that cannot be treated.
Step 3: Prepare for bed bug treatment
Think of a strategy. Check different options on how you want these parasites to be eliminated. Whether you choose to do the treatment yourself or want to hire an expert, it is important to know the pros and cons of each of these options to avoid wasting time, money, and effort.
Step 4: Kill the bugs
There are different ways to get rid of bed bugs but it is very important to choose very carefully. There are chemical and non-chemical treatments but when choosing a method to kill bed bugs, make sure to choose a safe and effective method.
- Non-chemical treatment - These treatments are a safe, yet effective way to get rid of bed bugs. A few samples of non-chemical treatments are heat and cold treatments and steam clean. These processes work best if the areas being treated are containable.
- Use pesticides - There are several options for pesticides and chemicals to choose from. Before using any of these products, read the label carefully so you would know what product is best to use.
- To make sure the problem will not continue, get rid of the items that are infested by pests. The chemicals and pesticides will be worthless if the infected items will not be disposed of.
- Hire an exterminator - It’s better to contact an exterminator than treat these pests yourself. Bed bugs exterminators are well-trained and use a variety of strategies to completely get rid of these pests. They could also give you advice such as tips on prevention that will help you understand the sources of these unwanted creates in your home.
Look for the best pest control company to help you eliminate bed bugs. Finding the best pest control management is important if you want to completely eradicate these troublesome pests in your home safely and efficiently. For their pest control needs, people from North and South Carolina trust only one name: Go-Forth Home Services. If you have these unwanted pests in your lawn, be sure to contact the solution for bed bugs in North Carolina, Go-Forth Home Services.
Let Go-Forth Home Services Handle The Job
No home or pest is the same, so there is no one size fits all solution. At Go-Forth Home Services, we have professional technicians who will examine your home and your lawn to evaluate your necessity. We will identify points of entry and make treatments as necessary. We only use state of the art equipment to keep up with these ever-evolving pests.
Why Hire An Exterminator?
Removing bed bugs from your home is not easy but you can get help from the experts. They are more reliable and could solve your problem with bed bugs. Take a look at the advantages you can get if you decide to let exterminators handle the pests:
Time and energy-saving - Dealing with bed bugs can be exhausting. It takes so much time and effort especially if you don’t know where or how to start treating them. Hiring a professional will make the process short and easy.
Guaranteed safe - Professionals don’t use products that are harmful to human beings, pets, and properties. Bed bugs exterminators prioritize everyone’s safety. They use techniques that are safe and guaranteed to exterminate bed bugs effectively.
Effective - Some people choose DIY methods to get rid of bed bugs. While others find it effective, more people attest that hiring professionals is way better than dealing with them yourself. Exterminators know to handle pests and they use methods that are appropriate to eliminate pests.
Saves money - People waste money for pesticides and chemicals just to get rid of bed bugs. Some are having second thoughts if they will hire an exterminator or not because the first thing that comes in their mind is, it is expensive. What people don’t know is, it is more costly if you do it on your own because you never know what product (pesticide and chemical) will work effectively. Professionals use nothing but the best products to completely eradicate the problem.