Avoiding bed bugs at all costs

photo of bed bug bites  covering man's back and arms

According to the (CDC) Bedbugs are small parasites who feed on peoples and animals’ blood as they sleep which can spread certain diseases. They have infested our homes and become quite complicated to deal with.

The pest control experts say that this is because they are too tiny and can be located in any and all places, though they are hard to spot.

However, they have made it clear that the presence of bedbugs does not necessarily imply that you are not clean. However being tidy and organized will help you prevent bed bugs or fight them

Bed Bug Prevention Regimen

In one instance, Straten Schemel confirmed that bed bugs were not the main cause of the breakup between himself and his ex-girlfriend but played a huge role in their breakup. He added that most of the time during evacuation so that their apartment could be treated, fights between them erupted.

When the two moved to San Francisco Launch apartments, they were initially free of bedbugs. Days later, bedbugs had invaded their premises and they were forced to store their luggage such as clothing and bedding in the car. They took all the usual precautions including washing their beddings with extreme heat treatment.

They packed their luggage to the store room when the management came to treat the bugs and this became a habit. As he describes, it became living out of the boxes. He moved from the apartment after the lease had expired, but he admitted that he gets phantom sensation of bedbugs crawling across the skin.

The apartment was later treated for bedbugs.

The management contacted pest control and they adhered to the standards, treating the unit three times. No bedbugs were found and the issue was isolated to the one apartment. There was an apparent re-infestation of the same resident’s apartment in March 2016, which was treated following the same protocol. From that day, there issue of bedbugs has never been encountered again.

That instance clearly explains that the prevalence of bed bugs at homes and apartments has become a bigger issue. Therefore it is important to know how to avoid and how to deal with bedbugs.

How to deal with (and stop) bed bugs

Clear bedbugs hiding places – Since bedbugs are mostly found in hiding places, it is important to regularly wash and heat your beddings and any clothing that touches the floor.

Know how bedbugs look like – look for the signs of bedbugs such as reddish spots on mattress, tiny eggs and eggshells, and dark sport that look like pen ink

When dealing with bedbugs, be calm and gentle. In the presence of bedbugs, do not panic, be relaxed and take the necessary measures.

Unpack immediately – since bedbugs prefer hiding places, it is important to unpack your luggage and heat in the dryer for about 30 minutes.

Do a thorough inspection on your hotel room and apartment. Before you settle for a hotel it is important to look for bedbugs on coaches and armchairs.

Ensure that your suitcase is off the floor since bedbugs will cling on it and will find breeding places inside your suitcase.

Bed Bug Extermination is Costly

Sometimes it’s best just to use an all-natural safe solution like they provide at Defensive End rather than spend 100’s or even thousands with a bed bug exterminator, or waiting for your landlord to do something about the problem. Many landlords don’t have the budget to treat an entire apartment unit.

Conclusion

Due to the prevalence of bedbugs in homes and workplaces, it is important to know the measures to take to prevent them and how to stop bedbugs in case you see them.

How to Kill Vicious Biting Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are small and can hide in small spaces especially in mattresses, headboards and bed frames where they have access to people to bite. Adult bedbugs have brownish, oval flat bodies about ¼-inch long.

After feeding on animal or human blood, their bodies turn reddish and swell. They hide in crevices and cracks near a blood meal during the day and come out to feed at night.

bed bug bites treatment

Killing Bed Bugs

Bed Bugs hide during the day and usually bite people at night. They solely feed on blood which they withdraw by piercing and breaking the skin. They feed to become engorged for a few minutes and then crawl back to their hiding place.

Most bedbug bites are unnoticeable and painless at first, but they become itchy welts with time. The bites are mainly around exposed areas of the skin while sleeping and do not have a red spot in the center like most flea bites.

Inspection Areas to Detect Bedbugs 

Look for the bugs in places where bedbugs are biting. Start with cracks and crevices in head/foot boards, supports and attached side rails of the bed. Look for dark spots of bedbug excrement on mattresses, inspect the box springs for any rips that might act as hiding places and examine rips in your mattress as well. If you have any items stored underneath your bed, remove and examine.

professional exterminator inspects a chair's underside for signs of cimex lectularius bed bugs

Inspection tips

  • Inspect all cracks and crevices
  • Empty and inspect nightstands and dressers
  • Inspect upholstered sofas and chairs
  • Inspect other places like edge of the wall, carpets, cracks in ceiling and wood molding

Signs of bed bugs infestation 

  • Itching welts
  • Blood stains on pillowcases and bed sheets
  • Nymphs Shed skin, bedbug fecal spots or egg shells in hidden places
  • A musty offensive odor

How do I eliminate bed bugs?

For effective treatment and control of bedbugs, follow an integrated pest management approach (IPM). This approach includes multiple strategies like preventive measures, heat treatment, exterminator treatment, store bought spray, natural remedies and industrial strength pesticides.

Preventive measures to kill bedbugs

Some home remedies and preventive measures can be used to prevent infestation or the spread of bedbugs. If you suspect your luggage, clothing or second hand furniture has bedbugs, consider treating with chemicals or by heating before bring them in the house. Other preventive measures include,

  • Vacuum your house and dispose the content in a sealed trash bag
  • Repair cracks and glue down wallpapers
  • Encase mattresses, pillows and box springs with air tight covers to prevent bedbugs from entering or escaping. Keep the cover for at least one year to ensure all bedbugs are dead.
  • Use bedbugs monitor traps
  • De-clutter your house especially under and around the bed

There are many methods on how to kill bedbugs, ensure that the method you use is legal, safe and cost effective.

One great product that saves money and is safe and effective is Defensive End!, a strongest bed bug killer spray that is natural and contains no pyrethrins from plants which can cause toxic neural damage to mammals.

Home remedies & Treatments for bed bugs

Home remedies like applying silica gel around your bed and mattress can help in killing bedbugs. You can also use tree oil or tea-tree to clean the house to prevent and eradicate bedbugs. Vacuum your bedroom frequently and get rid of nuisance bedbugs.

portable bed bug heat treatment
Heat treatment 

This is a non-chemical method that is safe to use and cost effective. Affected items can be laundered with 122F/50ºC minimum and dried in high temperature. Other infected smaller items that cannot be laundered can be treated by killing the bedbugs with heat.

This can be done by wrapping the items in plastic bags and placing them in a sunny and hot location of 122F/50ºC minimum temperature for a few days. However this method is not effective where the infestation has spread and the entire apartment needs to be de-infested.

A simple device like electric kettle can also be used to generate steam which is pointed to crakes and craves to kill bedbugs and the eggs.

Insecticides 

You can use residual insecticides or industrial strength pesticides to kill bedbugs. Insecticides can kill bedbugs by penetrating cracks and reaching the hidden areas. Use of chemicals to kill bedbugs can be harmful to you and your family. Follow the directions of use and only use products that are tested and registered by the relevant bodies.

Exterminator treatment

Getting rid of bedbugs is a step-by-step process which can prove challenging and time consuming for many. Consider hiring a professional exterminator who is experienced in pest control and management.

The initial cost may seem expensive, but the exterminator’s contract will end when your home is bedbug free thus saving you money in the long run.

So long as you didn’t sign up for recurring billing.

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