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Bed Bug Control
Bed bugs, scientifically called Cimex lectularius, are attracted to increased levels of carbon dioxide. When humans are asleep, we inadvertently exhale elevated levels of carbon dioxide because of our altered breathing patterns – which leads bed bugs to bite during the night. These pests generally leave bites on the upper half of the body – closer to the carbon dioxide emittance. Another indication of a bed bug infestation is the presence of tiny, reddish spots on your sheets or pillows – or crushed bed bugs. Everyone has heard the old saying “goodnight don't let the Bed bugs bite”. But if you have Bed bugs then it's out of your control. Bed bugs are parasites that feed on blood. They hitchhike from place to place by their hosts in material items like furniture, clothing, and electronics. The most common place Bed bugs are found are in hotels / motels, apartments, and homes. Bed bugs have been found in other places like schools, hospitals, public transportation and even retail stores. This means that if you have been to or visited one of these places than you could have been exposed to Bed bugs. When Bed bugs are introduced into your home it doesn't take long for an infestation to occur.
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Bed bugs: The common Bed bug is visible to the naked eye. Adult Bed bugs are brown to reddish-brown, oval shaped, flattened, and about 1/4 to 5/8 inch long. Their flat shape enables them to hide in cracks and crevices. After a blood meal, the body elongates and becomes swollen. Eggs are not known to be placed on the host’s body but are found on surfaces near where the host sleeps or nests. Bed bugs have a beak like percing/sucking mouth part system. Adults have small, stubby, nonfunctional wing pads. Newly hatched nymphs are nearly colorless, becoming brownish as they mature. Nymphs have the general appearance of adults. Eggs are white and about 1/32 inch long.
Although the preferred host is human, Bed bugs will feed on other animals, such as poultry, mice, rats, birds, dogs, and cats if necessary. They normally feed at night, but may feed in the daylight in rooms that are not used at night. The life cycle stages of a Bed bug are egg, nymph, and adult. The females lay about 200 eggs, usually at the rate of three or four a day, in cracks and crevices in the floor or bed. Females lay eggs after a blood meal. Eggs will hatch in one or two weeks into nymphs. Newly hatched nymphs begin feeding immediately. At room temperature, and with an available
food supply, the nymph period will last 14 to 30 days. Bed bugs shed their skin five times before becoming adults. They will mate soon after becoming mature, so under favorable conditions, the time from egg hatching to egg producing will be four to nine weeks. Bed bugs are not usually considered to be disease carriers. They do suck blood from their host with piercing mouth parts but the bite is painless. The skin may become irritated or inflamed due to the salivary fluid injected by the Bed bugs. A small, hard, swollen, white welt may develop at the site of each bite. Bed bugs do not live under the skin. If you experience biting sensations during the day, it may be an allergic condition.
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To prepare for treatment, a customer should: wash and dry all bedding at hot temperatures, remove all pillows and either dry clean or replace them, inspect mattress for brown or black spots, and vacuum to remove dust, lint, and other matter from the mattress, its cover and the box springs. After vacuuming, remove the vacuum bag, place it in a sealed plastic bag and discard it.
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Physical methods:
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Find and remove as many insects as possible. A crevice tool on a vacuum can be used for the tight areas where bed bugs like to hide. Immediately seal and dispose of the vacuum bag if bed bugs are suspected to be present. Clear packing tape or extra sticky lint rollers can also be used to remove bugs and eggs from surfaces.
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For bedding, clothing, and other heat durable items, drying them on high heat for 30 minutes will kill all bed bugs, including the eggs. Use dissolvable laundry bags or plastic bags that can be disposed of outside to transport clothing to shared laundromats. After drying, items should be stored in sealable plastic bins or bags to stop bugs from moving back in.
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If you discard infested items, clearly mark them by drawing a picture of a bug on the item(s), which can be understood by people who speak a different language. Also, wrap your items before moving them to keep bed bugs from spreading.
Making your bed a bug-free island:
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Pull your bed away from the wall and other furniture. Inspect your bed frame, box spring, and mattress thoroughly and remove any bugs you find.
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Place traps under your bed legs to stop bed bugs from climbing up to bite during the night. You can buy traps or build your own. Do not allow linens to touch the floor.
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Mattress and box spring encasement can be used to salvage infested beds or protect replacement beds. They will trap bugs inside that are already present, remove hiding areas, and make future inspections much easier. If only one encasement can be afforded, the box spring should be encased first.
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For more information, please call Termacide Pest & Termites Control . (784) 455-1897/(784) 526-8086