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Because bed bugs can breed quickly, time is of the essence when combatting an infestation. Bed bugs are one of the most difficult pests to eradicate in the home and can be found nearly all over the world, including the U.S. Infestations may occur nearly anywhere where people may frequent, including hotels, hospitals and even forms of public transportation. Due to their small size and flattened body, bed bugs can hide in some unusual places, including couches, picture frames and behind electrical switch plates.
How do I identify bed bugs?
Their slim flat bodies allow them to fit into the smallest of spaces and stay there for long periods of time, even without a blood meal. Bed bugs are usually transported from place to place as people travel. The bed bugs travel in the seams and folds of luggage, overnight bags, folded clothes, bedding, furniture, and anywhere else where they can hide. Most people do not realize they are transporting stow-away bed bugs as they travel from location to location, infecting areas as they travel. The best way to treat a bite is to avoid scratching the area and apply antiseptic creams or lotions and take an antihistamine. Bed bug infestations are commonly treated by insecticide spraying.
Inside the Race to Crush Paris' Bedbug Crisis - WIRED
Inside the Race to Crush Paris' Bedbug Crisis.
Posted: Tue, 17 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Myth 1: You’re Safe From Bed Bugs if You Have a Foam Mattress
Disorganized messes are difficult to keep dust free and clean, and they also create hiding places for little creatures. Books and papers piled on an office desk are an invitation for silverfish and dust mites. Random boxes of stuff in an attic or basement invite squirrels, rats, and other small mammals to nest.
Preparing for Treatment Against Bed Bugs
An unexpected benefit of using fans and air circulators is that they also keep flies at bay. Flies are attracted to spaces with still air, so keeping a fan blowing will make your home less hospitable. Many LED light bulbs emit cool, white light, and should be avoided if flying insects are an issue at your home.
What kills bed bugs?
Balance food scraps with garden waste like fall leaves and grass clippings to prevent a smelly mess, and never compost meat, dairy, and fatty foods. Any little food scrap is an invitation for bugs and rodents, and dirty dishes are a veritable buffet bar for all kinds of pests. Keep your kitchen clear of insects and rodents by washing dishes after every meal. Wipe down counters, stovetops, and sinks while you’re at it.
If you can’t manage to eat your fresh produce before it gets overripe, consider freezing it for use in smoothies or baked goods. Pooling water attracts all kinds of pests, including insects, rodents, snakes and other unwanted creatures. Water in the basement also increases humidity that can lead to dangerous structural damage caused by termites and fungus.
How do you prevent bed bugs from coming out of hiding and spreading?
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Where do bed bugs come from? Here's how they get in and how you can check for their presence.
You might consider having a pest control professional inspect the furniture as it is difficult to detect an infestation if you are untrained. The primary cause of bed bugs is human activity, particularly those that involve frequent travel. Since these pests are stowaways, bed bugs effortlessly hitch a ride on luggage, clothing, furniture, and personal belongings of people who have been in an infested place. Poor sanitation does not directly lead to bed bugs as they solely depend on blood meals for survival and reproduction. Nevertheless, clutter can provide more hiding spots for these bugs, contributing indirectly to their infestations.
How do bed bugs start in a location?
Once bed bugs start, they can quickly infest an entire household or building. Once established, an infestation can be extremely difficult to get rid of. This is why it is so important to contact an exterminator as soon as a bed bug infestation is identified.
Bed bugs are a nuisance that most people hope never to encounter. These insects leave bites that can create swollen red welts on the skin and cause constant, irritating itching. Furthermore, bed bugs can evade even the most painstaking efforts to clear them out. If guests visit your home, they too can bring bed bugs in via their luggage. There’s not a lot you can do to prevent bed bugs in these circumstances, but you can be wary of their presence and address them at an early stage to make removal easier. If your guests inform you at a later date that they’ve got bed bugs, this can also alert you to their potential presence.
Travel has been a significant factor in the resurgence and spread of bed bugs in recent years. Everyone is at risk for getting bed bugs when visiting an infected area. If someone feels an irritating itch or bright red rash on their skin without explanation, it could be an early sign of bed bugs. Annoying bites alongside are an easy way to tell if you have bed bugs, especially if those bites are accompanied by dark stains or blood spots on a mattress.
And you will want to get rid of these pests as soon as you can. On top of feeding on your blood as you sleep, causing skin irritations and sometimes infections, they’re not hygienic to have around the home. Eradicating bed bugs can cause such strife, that it’s good practice to know how they spread into your home in the first place. That’s why we’ve listed 5 such ways bed bugs can travel into your home — so you know what to be wary of in the future and how to avoid potential infestations. Secondhand furniture, particularly mattresses, box springs, couches, and chairs, may be harboring hungry bed bugs. If you purchase secondhand furniture, be sure to thoroughly inspect the item for any evidence of bed bugs including cast skins, eggs, fecal spotting, or the insects themselves.
You’re looking out for some of the same signs as above, including feces and egg shells. Shed skins might also be prevalent as a sign of maturing bed bugs. Make sure such items are effectively steam cleaned to kill any potential bed bugs before bringing them into your home. Consequently, bed bugs can technically travel via any clothes you’ve purchased in retail as well as thrift stores. The appearance of bed bugs in such spaces is not surprising when you consider the large number of customers bringing in clothes from their homes, as well as returning items.
These areas include apartments, shelters, rooming houses, hotels, cruise ships, buses, trains, and dorm rooms. Bed bugs have been shown to be able to travel over 100 feet in a night but tend to live within 8 feet of where people sleep. Frequent Facebook Marketplace or secondhand shoppers will want to make sure they double-check furniture for signs of bed bugs. It’s easy to spot signs of bed bugs in beds and furniture if they know what to pinpoint. Bed bugs feed on blood, so if there are tiny bloodstains on the upholstered furniture, that furniture could be infested. Bed bugs also leave behind dark fecal spots, minuscule eggshells, and shed skins.
You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Their scientific name is Cimex lectularius and they’re closely related to bat bugs and pirate bugs. They are thought to have originated in Europe, the Middle East or in India, but moved across the world as humans did, the Center for Invasive Species Research says. I'm a former scientist, using words and an audio recorder as my new research tools to untangle the health and food issues that matter most to consumers. You can find me in the grocery aisle scrutinizing the fine print of every food item I put into my cart.
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