March 23, 2013

How to Check Luggage, Clothing and More for Bed Bugs

You’re looking forward to a vacation, but it can quickly turn into a nightmare if you accidentally bring bed bugs home. Masters at hiding, these pests can make your home miserable and leave you afraid to visit any vacation spot. Luckily, there are steps you can take to make sure these tiny hitchhikers do not ride home in your luggage.

Start Before You Leave

Pack your clothes in plastic bags. You can conveniently organize all your clothes by outfit, but the plastic bags serve an important role in keep keeping bugs out of your home. Unable to penetrate the smooth plastic and hide in your clothes, you can inspect your items throughout your vacation to be sure you are still bug-free. Put dirty clothes back in the plastic bags and close them tightly before putting the bags back in the suitcase. Before you leave the hotel at the end of your vacation, you can easily inspect the bags and the crevices of your suitcase to be sure you are free of dangerous hitchhikers.

Even Five-Star Hotels Have Them

You have booked your overnight stays at the most expensive hotels in the area, but they could still have these insects. The fact is that bed bugs are so adept at riding in on luggage that even the finest hotels can have them. Whether you have spent a fortune for the room or saved money with a discount rate, there are a few steps you should take to keep the little parasites out of your luggage and away from your family.
• Research the hotel before you book to make sure there have not been any reports of bugs.
• Pull back one corner of the fitted sheet. Look at the crevices of the mattress for rust-colored stains. Check the sheets for similar stains. These are telltale marks of bugs, and you should request another room or choose a different hotel.
• Keep your suitcase elevated. Hotels feature luggage stands where you can set your suitcase. Rather than putting your luggage on the floor, an upholstered chair or even the dresser, use these stands. The bugs will have a harder time reaching your luggage, and that minimizes that chance that they will ride home in your clothing. Keep the luggage and rack pulled away from the wall to force the bugs to try climbing up the metal legs.
• Leave your clothes in the suitcase. The dresser may be more convenient, but the suitcase is safer.

When You Return Home

The most effective bed bug treatment is done in a controlled situation as soon as you return home. Empty the bags out in the yard, the garage or even in a bathtub where you can control where contents are put and easily spot any invaders.

Wash all clothing using the highest water temperature that is safe for the items. After washing in hot soapy water, put them in the dryer to kill any remaining bugs. If you do not have time to do the laundry, then keep the clothes in sealed plastic bags until you do have time. Otherwise, any remaining bugs will crawl out of the laundry and set up shop in your home.

Put the empty backpacks and duffel bags in the dry for 30 minutes to heat them and kill any bugs. If the bags cannot be put in the dryer, then use a bed bug treatment spray containing pyrethrins to kill any bugs.

It may seem a little paranoid to take all of these steps to avoid bed bugs, but it’s important to understand that these insects are nearly impossible to eliminate once they move into your home. Invading the walls of your home and feeding on your family as you sleep, an infestation can spread rapidly. It’s much easier to take these steps along the way and avoid an infestation to begin with than it is to try and eliminate them after they come home with you.

March 21, 2013

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Dorm Rooms

Bed bugs are brought into dorm rooms by any number of ways. What helps these bugs survive is their ability to go without food for long periods of time. In the perfect conditions, they can live for over 18 months without food. During this time, they hide in a dorm room, or somewhere in your home, and wait for the unsuspecting host to come along. You can pick up the bugs in most public places.

If you frequently watch the news, you have probably heard that they are picked up in hotels, inns, libraries, clothing stores, movie theaters and yes, college dorms. If you live in a college dorm infested with the bed bugs, you can easily transfer them to your home. Once you are infested with the bugs, the female can lay five eggs a day. It only takes 10 days for the eggs to hatch, and in 40 days, the bugs are mature. A female can lay over 500 eggs in her lifetime, so you can see that once an infestation begins, it takes no time at all before you have tons of bugs on your hand and a serious problem. This is why it is so important to know how to get rid of those bugs.

If you have a bug infestation, it is a good idea to call a pest control company who has plenty of experience with the bugs. Although we have seen these pests for years, there is a big learning curve when it comes to knowing how to control and get rid of them. The three most popular treatments for these bugs are heat, chemical and a combination of both the chemicals and heat.

Chemical Treatments

This type of bug has been treated with chemicals for a long time. Even though DDT is in the past, chemical treatments are still popular. When you chemically treat the bugs, your aim is to first flush them out, then put down some residual and regulate their growth. The biggest advantage to this type of treatment is that it is cheaper than treating with heat and that you have residual when you are done, which keeps the bugs from coming back. The disadvantage is the down time for the chemicals to be effective, the higher exposure to chemicals and the possibility of some bugs being resistant to the chemicals.

Heat Treatments

One of the more recent ways of treating the bugs is a heat treatment. The bugs die quickly when they reach a specific temperature. A room at a raised temperature level will kill all the stages of the bug. The process requires equipment that will heat the room to a high temperature, monitoring the hot room for several hours. There is no chemical exposure risk, and the heat kills quicker than the pesticide. There’s also a shorter time period of being away from the infested room.

The combination of both the heat and chemicals seems to be the best bed bug treatment option. Pesticides can get inside the crevices and cracks of the room. Then, when you add the temperature with high heat, it will kill off the rest of the bug population. There is a reduced exposure to chemicals with this combination.

Remember, if the bed bug treatment process is too big for you to handle, call a pest control company to get rid of the bugs.

March 18, 2013

Bed Bug Life Cycle

Bed bugs are terrible little buggers. They feast on blood and are nothing but unnecessary stress for you and your bed. Bed bugs are nocturnal and in adult life they are brown in color. They feed on the blood of warm blooded animals and, unfortunately for us, humans. A bed bug’s body is very very small and flat in nature; this allows them to hid in floor cracks, carpets and lucky for us humans, beds! Bed bugs do not have wings so they cannot fly. Bed begs are believed to have evolved from a sort of bug that lived in caves like bats.

A bed bug’s life is quite like a cockroach. A female bed bug will lay one small milky white egg, smaller than one millimeter in length. The eggs are cemented on to a surface, and this can make them a hassle to try to remove. The female bed bug may lay up to five eggs a day, making the multiplication of bed bugs a plenty. A female bed bug may lay up to five hundred eggs in their lifetime. These eggs usually hatch ten days later and a little bed bug called a nymph, pushing out of it.

At first, nymph bed bugs appear to be a smaller version of the adult bug. It takes around five weeks for the nymph to develop into the adult stage. The nymphs require blood to progress through the steps to adulthood. The female bugs require blood to produce every batch of eggs they lay. Bed bugs are nocturnal in nature and have top of the line surviving skills. They live in cracks and don’t leave until it is dark and quiet.

Once it is dark and relatively quiet, it’s feeding time. Feeding occurs from three to five times during the night. That being said, most of the feeding takes place in the early hours of the morning. Adult bed begs have a life expectance of about nine months, in some instances they can live longer. Nobody wants a massive colony of bed bugs, if you notice them, get them out of your bed as soon as possible. Blood loss in under nourished children can cause medical problems. In healthy adults it is not as scary. If you notice these little buggers in your bed, get them out!

March 10, 2013

Bed Bugs: The Worst Pest Ever

There are a lot of pests that people have to deal with in today’s world. Every year people fight mosquitos, ant infestations, termites and many other insects. Bed bugs can lay claim to one of the worst pests to deal with. With all the pests that annoy us, how are bed bugs one of the worst pests?

There are many examples of how bed bugs are one of the worst pests out there. A few bed bugs can turn into a big problem fast. Bed bugs can be hard to get rid of, usually requiring a professional. The process of eradicating bed bugs from a home can be expensive and time consuming.

Bed bugs bite! They feed off of blood from sleeping animals during the night. These bites can have varied effects ranging from no symptoms to serious allergic reactions. It can be hard to determine a bed bug bite. The bites often look like a rash and can usually be found on areas of skin that was exposed during the night such as arms and legs. Luckily, according to the CDC, bed bugs are not known for spreading diseases.

Bed bugs travel as stowaways. They can hide in luggage, clothing, boxes and any other cracks or crevices so it is easy to transport the hitch hikers from one location to another without even knowing it. Female bed bugs lay their eggs wherever they are. These facts mean that they can be spread through a home in a small amount of time.

Bed bugs are indiscriminate. Because these pests feed on blood, anyone can look like a tasty meal. This means that even the cleanest home can become infested. Keep in mind that bed bugs do, however, love clutter. When dealing with an infestation, get rid of any clutter and make sure the area underneath the bed is clear.

One of the reasons bed bugs can be hard to get rid of is due to the fact that they can live for months without feeding. This means leaving an infested area won’t help the infestation problem. In fact, it is common for those who chose to vacate an infected area accidentally take some hitch hikers with them, infesting the new space as well.

Another reason a bed bug infestation can be hard to get rid of is that most commercial pesticides won’t kill bed bugs. Some chemicals that do kill bed bugs still can’t kill their eggs. More than one treatment is often required to eliminate a bed bug infestation. Hiring a pest control professional that has a background and knowledge to deal with a bed bug infestation is usually the best route to go.

When dealing with bed bugs, consistent laundering is usually needed as part of the pest control program. The hot temperatures can save bedding and any other washables. Vacuuming often is also needed.

Bed bug infestations are not only an annoyance. They are time consuming, easily spread, and difficult and expensive to eliminate. These examples easily explain the question: “how are bed bugs one of the worst pests out there?”

March 4, 2013

Natural Bed Bug Treatment

The number of bed bugs invasions across the world is on the increase because of climate change and because of the international leisure and business vacation industry. Bed bugs, which are found in living rooms and bedrooms normally, come out during night in order to suck the blood of animals and humans who are sleeping. Once they are established in your household, bed bugs can be tough to exterminate permanently. Most tenants and householders usually use chemical pesticides or even professional pest controllers in order to prevent and eradicate bed bugs in their homes. However, one can use home remedies to do away with these insects. The following are some of the home therapies for bed bug treatment.

Exterior Heat Treatment
Temperatures that are over 110 degrees Fahrenheit kill bed bugs promptly. An operational natural home solution to prevent and do away with bed bugs is to box up all the effected bed linen or clothes in a plastic crate that can be sealed and then leave it in a car. Leave the vehicle on the sun for the whole day. If your climate is hot, you can leave bed mounts, mattresses and other furniture in the sun in order to kill bed bugs that might be dwelling inside.

Interior Heat Treatment
Another natural bed bug prevention method is using interior heat treatment. If you wash and dry clothes in high temperatures, you will end up destroying bed bugs. This is very handy for people who have been on a holiday and are worried that they might have picked some bed bugs on their clothes. Hot stream treatments together with a transferable steam cleaner can eradicate bed bug spawns on the mattress hence preventing an extensive infestation. If you would like to treat the whole apartment for bed bugs, you should place a number of high-power movable heaters in the room and then turn them on to the highest temperatures for quite some time. You should make sure that you seal all the crevices and cracks in the room especially on the bottom of the walls and round electrical sockets in order to avert bed bugs from flying.

Red Flannel bed bug prevention
The rare home therapy for bed bug prevention and rheostat is to calm the affected rooms by turning off all the heating and opening windows. Cloak a red face fabric on a pocket heating cloth and then leave this at the center of your room. Scatter all over powder that is made from crushed iron enhancement pill or bean leaves from the face cloth. Put a hangover treatment tablet on damp sponge some few meters from the cloth. The hangover tablet will gradually release carbon dioxide and together with the scent from bean plants and iron pills and heat of a warm flannel, it will attract bed bugs. You can leave these throughout the night and then exterminate the bed bug and then dispose of the blarney in the morning. These are some of the natural bed bug prevention methods.

February 21, 2013

Bed Bugs: A Growing Problem

Bed bugs are scientifically known as Cimex lectularius. They tend to feed on warm blooded animals. They generally inhabit the nests of birds; however some of them have adapted to human environment and have started living in homes. Bed bugs are flat and oval in shape, and they have brown or burnt orange color. While the adults grow to about ¼ of an inch, the newborns or nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed. Due to their preference in human homes, mattresses, sofas and soft furnishings, they are called bed bugs. They are a growing problem in homes, dormitories, shelters, army barracks, and cruise ships.

Are Bed Bugs Dangerous?
They are attracted by the warmth of the human body and the carbon dioxide humans exhale. A bed bug feeds on its host’s blood in a painless way and while it feeds, it injects some saliva into the host’s skin. After some time, the human becomes sensitized to its saliva and develops an allergic response. The lesions are similar to a mosquito or flea bite and most of the people think that they have been bitten by some insect. The raised red bump caused by bed bug bite is often accompanied with itching. Some people may become ill and nauseous, and it is possible to get skin infections and scars. But they do not transmit diseases from a sick host to a healthy host.

Treatment for Bed Bug Bites
Most bites go off by themselves in one or two weeks. Treatments help to get relief from the symptoms.

* Get relief from itching by applying a topical cream.
* Scratching causes infection, so avoid scratching.
* Infections can be treated with oral antibiotics.
* Allergic reactions can be treated with antihistamines.

How Often do They Feed?
Bed bugs feed once in every five to ten days, but they can also last without feeding for several months. They have a lifespan of six to nine months. They take just 5 minutes to feed and after it they return to their hiding place.

How do Bed Bugs Get Into a House?
* Through luggage, furniture and bedding, while people travel.
* A bird or bat that flies into a home may bring in bed bugs.
* Bed bugs move through holes in walls, and through tubes that carry wires and pipes.

Signs of Bed Bugs
The first sign of bed bugs is people complaining of bites. Examine the creases of bed linen, and mattress tufts. They may also exist beneath wall papers near beds, in laundry, in drawers, desks, and dressers. Dark brown or reddish fecal spots can be seen on the mattress or bed sheets.

Controlling Bed Bugs
As they can hide well in small crevices, it is difficult to eradicate them. To eradicate them successfully get expert help, as exterminators know well to look for them and to eradicate them.

Preventing Bed Bug Infestations
Bed bugs move from an infested site to a new place through baggage, clothing, furniture, bedding, and boxes. A few precautions can help prevent bed bug infestation:

* Check secondhand furniture, beds and couches before bringing them home.
* Use protective encasement to cover mattress to eliminate hiding spots.
* Reduce clutter in home.
* When traveling, check the mattress and headboard in hotel rooms.
* Upon coming back home, inspect the luggage carefully and unpack the clothes directly into the washing machine.

Bed bug infestation is a great problem in urban and suburban areas that have a larger population of people who live close together. Even though it is the most difficult pest to treat, with proper care it can be avoided.

February 12, 2013

Cool Bed Bug Control Infographic

Check out this cool infographic with tons of information about bed bugs and bed bug control!

February 1, 2013

Could Your Sores Be Bed Bug Bites?

Do you have a nasty red spotting on your body and you can’t seem to figure out what it is? Well it may be bed bugs! These nasty creatures can leave unsightly sores and gross bites all over your body while you slip off into dream land. Below I’ll be discussing some of the signs that you may have bed bugs and how to treat your bed bug bites.

How do I know if I have bed bug bites?

Because bed bug bites look something like mosquito bites or a bad rash it’s hard to determine just what those nasty spots are, but fear not. Below is a list of things to look for.

Grouping of red spots on all or part of your body
Raised red bumps that look like mosquito bites
Light spots that turn a darker color
Blister like sores
Excessive itching

Bed bug bites are usually grouping of red spots, bites, or sores which can itch. Sometimes, however, itching isn’t there, so even if you’re not itching it doesn’t mean you don’t have bed bugs. The best thing to do is upon waking, check your body for spots or bites; usually it’s grouped and can be just on your legs, arms, tummy, back and even your head can be affected.

You might be wondering what exactly happens when a bed bug decides to bite you. Well, it’s pretty disgusting. Basically they feed off of your blood! That’s right, a real life vampire-like creature that attacks you while you sleep and sucks your blood! This can cause inflammation of the skin and, even worse, some people’s reaction is so severe that the sores swell up and hurt. These bites can also cause bacterial infections which you would have to actually seek medication to heal.

It’s important to keep them clean, and some people even use baking soda mixed with a tiny bit of water until it’s a paste form to put over the bite to ease itching. Others use over the counter medications such as cortisone cream, Benadryl or calamine lotion. Other natural ways to ease the itch and inflammation are Aloe which can help with stopping infection or a warm bath with a half cup of peppermint oil. Though there are many remedies to ease these bites it’s important that you get to the root of the problem or you’ll just be treating yourself over and over again.

If you’re still unsure if you have bed bug bites, try checking for bed bugs. The easiest way to do this is to check for blood spots on your mattress or skeletons of dead bed bugs, if you find blood spots you most defiantly have bed bugs and it’s time to get moving on a remedy. The scary part is that even if you work diligently to kill them they usually come back so you’ll need to hire a professional to rid your home of them. Throwing out your mattress doesn’t solve the problem. Typically they hide out in light sockets or old furniture and only come out when the lights are out, so it’s important that you get a professional to come in and clear these guys out!

December 17, 2012

Effective Removal of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are tiny insects that are white in color before their first feeding which quickly turns to red after they feed on human blood. This feature makes them hard to identify and is usually the case for the newborns. They are flat in nature and can be found in beds, wall cracks, carpets and torn wall papers. Unlike the common belief that they only occur in dirty places, bed bugs can infest even the cleanest places. Their habitation is favored if the place is dark and warm. The female lays the eggs and coats them with a special kind of glue that makes it easy for them to attach to a surface. These are very small hence almost impossible for the naked eye to see. However, bed bug removal is possible through some simple steps.

It is proven that spraying rubbing alcohol on bed bugs works wonders. Spray the alcohol all over the infested places directly on the bed bugs. This instantly kills them instantly after which you simply vacuum hence getting rid of them.
Even though bed bugs are known to prefer warm temperatures, extremely hot temperatures are deadly for them. You could put all the infested clothes in a sealable bag and subject them in high temperatures of above 120 degrees F. You could also try to put the bag under direct sunlight until the bugs are dead. These two options will make it impossible for the bugs to thrive hence die.
Extremely cold temperatures are very unfavorable for bed bugs. Putting the infested clothes in a sealable bag and putting it under very cold temperature will get rid of the bugs. It is preferable that the items remain under these freezing conditions for about two weeks. Eventually, the bugs will die.
Getting rid of their hiding places is a great start for eliminating bed bugs. Repair torn wall paper and cracks which create a great hiding place for them. However if the bugs are already there, get rid of them first by spraying rubbing alcohol directly on them. You could also use a hand vacuum to suck them off.
Using insecticides is a great and instant option too. It is a guaranteed way of getting rid of the bed bugs which are in hiding. It get the ones that are in hard to reach places like cracks. Use them as frequently as possible though it is advisable to follow the instructions given on the can.
Vacuuming the infested areas is a sure way of getting rid of the bed bugs. This mostly applies in the edges of carpets, wall and even on infested mattresses. Directly point the hose on the bugs and suck them out. You should however, burn the bag immediately to get rid of them.
Using the services of an exterminator is very efficient as they are well trained to get rid of the bugs effectively. They are well aware of the hiding places of the bugs hence will leave you whole house bed bug free. Some offer advice on how to keep them off of your property for good.

November 30, 2012

Bed Bug Exterminators – Should You Hire One?

Bed bugs infestations have been occurring all over the world starting about the year 2005. These bugs are not just limited to one area or region of the globe but they can be found in almost every community on the Earth. Billions of people are being affected by these blood sucking creatures and by some estimates there is a 50% chance that a structure will be affected by bed bugs.

Many commercial and residential structures within the U.S. have also experienced issues with bedroom bugs. One way that they deal with this difficult situation is with the use of exterminators. Professional and licensed exterminators are more than aware of the revival of bed bugs. They are being used as front line soldiers in the battle to control their populations.

Exterminators use a variety of methods and weapons against bedroom insects. Education is probably their best weapon against these creatures. Many exterminators encourage business and home owners to be proactive. They explain to customers how important it is for them to keep their bedrooms clean, free from clutter and dry as possible. They also encourage them to consistently wash bedding and to check their environment for any sign of these little beasts.

Companies or individuals that decide to utilize the services of an exterminator should make sure they are licensed and is a reputable company. They should also make sure they are bonded and insured as well. The exterminating company should also be familiar with the use and application of chemicals and how to properly use these chemicals within a structure. Most exterminators will have the knowledge that is needed to properly use chemicals and in order to reduce or eliminate infestations.

Insecticides such as deltamethrin, hydropene and diatomaceous Earth are chemicals that could be used to eliminate problems with bedroom bugs. These particular chemicals are used in many commercial and residential homes because they’re relatively safe for use around children and they break down within the environment within a relatively short amount of time. These insecticides also degrade in sunlight. They also use other types of insecticides such as insect growth regulators which cripples the young members of bug colonies. Most of these chemicals come in a dust or powdered form.

Heat applications are also commonly used by extermination professionals to get rid of bedroom bugs. High temperatures will eliminate bed bugs and exterminators will typically use extreme heating methods to get the bugs out of covers, blankets, sheets and pillows. Larger items can also be heat treated but exterminators typically uses a special heating machine to carry out this task. Exterminators usually try to avoid spray and aerosol based insecticides because of the potential health problems that they could cause to people.

Exterminators cannot guarantee clients that they will be able to completely remove all bed bug infestations but their efforts can keep them under control. Many exterminating companies will usually offer at least two visits without charging extra money for their services in order to rid a structure of bug infestations. Not all companies offer this type of service and many will charge per visit. Clients should check with a companies policies and make sure that they are explained ahead of time before they begin their work. Bed bug exterminators could be a great way for people to eliminate pests from their businesses and homes.

So my answer to the question, “Should You Hire One?” – YES! But first, I recommend doing some research in terms of which company is the most reliable. There are reviews all over the web…so get to it or your bed bugs will get to you!