Bed bugs are persistent pests. That is why using typical over-the-counter insecticide sprays will not work against them. If you suspect there are bed bugs in your house, contact a pest control professional who has knowledge of their habits and life cycle. You can find a reliable expert at https://saelapest.com/.
What to Know About Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are parasitic bugs that are usually mistaken for fleas. These pests feed on blood by piercing your skin. Usually, they feed off you at night while you are asleep. Thankfully, you do not live in you nor burrow into your skin.
In general, bed bugs are mobile; however, they do not move long distances to feed. You may find them in your bed’s cracks and crevices. During the day, they hide and only wait for the perfect time at night to suck your blood. They can hide in places such as on bedside furniture cracks, inside picture frames, the bed frame, on rug edges, between floorboards, and behind skirting boards or wallpaper. Usually, they feed on your blood for 3-5 minutes and go unnoticed this whole time.
How to Know You Have a Bed Bug Issue
Bed bugs are elusive; however, they can be visible as they leave some clues of their presence behind. Aside from spotting such bugs crawling under your mattress, pay attention to other signs such as skin welts and irritation, a sweet musty odor, dark sports in bed corner or crevices, and blood spots on your bedding. Once you get up from bed, examine your arms and shoulder. Look for bite marks that form a pattern or line.
How to Treat a Bed Bug Infestation
Vacuuming your furniture and bedding will not solve your bed bug issues. While this method will get rid of visible bugs, it won’t eliminate the bed bug eggs, often hidden in surrounding areas. But pest exterminators follow a protocol to eliminate such pests. This involves the following:
- Isolation. Before treatment, you will have to bag your clothing, bed linens, and other items in the infested room. Wash these items in hot water mixed with a non-enzyme detergent. This should eliminate the bugs and their eggs stuck in such items.
- Inspection. When your pest control team arrives, they will thoroughly inspect the infested room. This includes checking the bedding, surrounding furniture pieces, skirting boards, and the carpet edges. If they can find obvious clues of bed bug activity, the experts will start treatment.
- Treatment. After the team confirms the presence of bed bugs, they can perform a steam treatment on each portion of the infested room. Such procedure exposes the bugs to deadly temperatures. Steam treatment can effectively kill bed bugs found on item surfaces. Also, it can eliminate bed bugs hiding in fabric surfaces, crevices, and cracks.
- Follow-up. When it comes to bed bug treatment, it may take more than one visit to completely eliminate the issue. However, before a second treatment, the technician will discuss the procedure with you during the first treatment. This way, you can set realistic expectations early in the treatment process.
