Bed bugs could be anywhere. They could be in a five-star hotel, a senior housing or a local apartment building. If you are not careful, they could also be in your place in the following days. And considering how widespread they are today, that could truly happen.
Some reports though said that bed bug infestations already abated. But despite that, to many, those bloodsuckers still remain a big problem. In Northern California, for instance, two bed bug cases pestered the residents just this month alone. And one of those cases happened in a place you would least expect to be infested.
According to a report, that first bed bug infestation occurred in a low-income senior housing. The said building was located in Stockton.
On the other hand, the second and more recent infestation reportedly happened in the popular coffee shop Starbucks. It was particularly its branch in Campbell at 1686 S. Bascom Avenue that was said infested by the pests, which were specifically found in the cushions of the shops sofa.
Read more about More Bed Bugs Found in California
“The parasitic insects, once thought to be eradicatedin the U.S., made a resurgence in recent years, irritating travelers and infesting homes.
While reports of bed bugs have waned, two recent outbreaks of bed bugs in Northern California this month indicate the pest remains a problem for many.”
Read more about More Bed Bugs Plague Northern California at: patch.com
In some cities and states, bed bug infestations must have indeed waned. However, in others, it was the opposite. And even if bed bug cases truly abated, the fact that those pests are still out there doesn’t make everyone completely safe.
Given that and all the problems that they could bring, you should take seriously the possibility of their infestation so you could protect your household from them. Nonetheless protecting yourself and your family from bed bugs does not mean just preventing their presence. It also means eliminating them in case they get past your defenses.
To do that, you would need to know everything about those vampire-like insects. You would need to know their appearance, their habits and their favorite spots to infest. That way, you could deal with them appropriately and get rid of them effectively.
In this post, we will help you with how to fight off those insects – particularly, with how to get rid of them without using harmful chemical ingredients.
Before that though, let’s go over the essential things about bed bugs that would help you eliminate them completely.
Bed Bug Appearance
Bed bugs are basically small creatures. But contrary to what others say, small as they are, they’re still visible to the naked eye. They are wingless but moves extremely fast.
Before feeding adult bed bugs are flat and brown-colored. After feeding though, they become plump with deep maroon color. Meanwhile, their eggs are shaped and colored like a grain of rice and their nymphs sport a very light to transparent shade until.
Here are more picture of bed bugs and their eggs and nymphs. Watch them carefully so you could differentiate them correctly from other common house pests to which they share some similar characters with.
Feeding Habits
Bed bugs feed on blood. But though there are a lot of animals that could be their host, they seem to prefer to attack humans.
Usually, bed bugs feed at night when you or their any other prey is asleep. That and the fact that their bite is painless are the reasons why they are rarely caught in the act. After their feeding those pests go back to their hiding places to molt or wait for another chance to attack. They could stay hidden for months without feeding so even if you don’t see them, don’t be too sure that they are not present.
Hiding Spots
Your furniture and walls are the most-likely parts of your house that bed bugs would invade. Specifically, they would be hiding in the gaps and cracks of them.
Beds, couches and closets are the furniture pieces that bed bugs love to infest. And because they also love to hide in the cracks in your wall, wall hangings and curtains are also a likely to be invaded by them. Hence, when searching for the pests, these items and spots are the first ones that you must inspect.
To make your inspection easier though, you must know the tell-tale signs of bed bug presence. The marks of bed bug bites are the first things that you must look for. According to CDC though, it could take as long as 14 days before they would appear. And so, it is important to know the other clues of bed bug infestation.
As the agency determined in its bed bug FAQ post, those other hints include the discarded bed bug shells, dark spots in sheets or furniture and musty sweet odor.
Here’s a part of the said CDC FAQ:
“One of the easiest ways to identify a bed bug infestation is by the tell-tale bite marks on the face, neck, arms, hands, or any other body parts while sleeping. However, these bite marks may take as long as 14 days to develop in some people so it is important to look for other clues when determining if bed bugs have infested an area.”
Read more of CDC FAQ sheet at: cdc.gov
By knowing the physical appearance of bed bugs, you could now identify them right. By knowing their habits, you know now that even if you don’t see them, you couldn’t be too complacent that they are not present. And by knowing their hiding spots, you could now speed up your bed bug search.
Bed Bug Treatment with a Bed Bug Spray
However, bed bug treatment doesn’t end in just finding those pests. It’s useless, not to mention senseless, to look for them and then just avoid them. You have to kill those pests if you want yourself and your family to be completely safe them. And given their ability to populate quickly, you have to do the process promptly.
To do that, here are the steps that you must take.
- Find the exact spot of the infestation. It could more than one so you must check all their possible hiding spots.
- Get a bed bug spray. The product would help you kill bed bugs promptly and more easily. However, see to it that you could handle the work. If the infestation is already severe, better hire an exterminator. But if you are positive you could do it yourself, pick a bed bug spray that is proven effective and without harmful chemical ingredients. It will save yours and your family’s health.
- Prepare the room to treat. Seal or close cracks or gaps where bed bugs could escape to. Put smaller items like books and clothes in clear plastic bags so it’s easier to see the pests in case they come out of hiding in those items. Don’t move anything out of the room though. Transferring those items could transmit the pests as well.
- Read the product’s instruction and when all is set, apply the solution. Make sure to spray spot on the infestation. Cracks and crevices, before covering them, should be sprayed as well in case bed bugs are hiding deep in them.
- Re-inspect the area. No matter how thorough you were with your bed bug treatment. There is always that possibility that bed bugs would re-infest the place. It could be because there were some bed bug eggs and nymphs hiding somewhere that you missed to spray or a new group of them have been unknowingly delivered to your place. Whichever is the case, you couldn’t allow them to progress and invade your place. Hence, you would need to continuously look for them
- But as said, bed bug elimination does not end in inspection. Your continuous search for those pests must be followed by continuous eradication. You wouldn’t want to wait for their number to increase before eliminating them because by then, their number might be too big for you to kill them by yourself. And that means a big expense for a professional bed bug treatment.
The Best Bed Bug Spray
As mentioned, a bed bug spray is your best help to execute a prompt yet easy bed bug treatment. But the question is, which product could also make your bed bug elimination effective and safe?
Considering that it is being used by pest-control companies and hotels for years already, Bed Bug Bully could surely make the process effective. Additionally, it is made out of organic ingredients and does not contain harmful chemical elements so it is safe. In fact, EPA has classified it as pesticide-exempt under FIFRA 25(b).
With those characteristics, sure thing, Bed Bug Bully is the kind of bed bug spray that you need. Try a sample of it today and see for yourself how well it works.
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