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Bedbug Treatments and Information

The old saying, “don’t let the bedbugs bite” had no serious connotations for at least a couple of generations. All that changed in 2010 when bedbug outbreaks began occurring in diverse places across the country. Incidences grew at such an alarming rate that cities such as Cincinnati, Ohio called on the federal government for funds to deal with the problem.

Most people were shocked by the sudden resurgence in bedbug infestations, particularly since the United States had practically eradicated them after World War II. Why bedbugs have suddenly resurfaced is not completely clear, though some speculate that international travel and pesticide resistance may be a big part of the problem.

Bedbugs

Before you consider which bedbug treatments to use, you need to understand a little more about the bug. Bedbugs are a parasitic creature that survive by ingesting blood from mammals. They are more hardy than many pests of the same ilk, for example head lice or fleas. A bedbug also goes through several molts before reaching adulthood. Stages are:

• Egg- about the size of a grain of salt and take about two weeks to hatch.
• Nymph- newly hatched bedbugs require a blood meal before they can molt or grow. Climate and accessible food have a lot to do with how quickly they will go through this process, warmer climates can see egg to adulthood in just a few weeks while colder areas could equal months.
• Adult- after the final molting bed bugs reach adulthood and are now capable of producing offspring. Typical females will lay 5-12 eggs per day and within a lifespan, this can add up to 500 eggs.

Since a bed bug can theoretically reach adult hood within 30 days, and a female can lay several hundred in that same time frame it is not hard to see how an epidemic like infestation can occur quickly. All it takes is one random pair (male and female) wandering into your home to start a chain of events that can quickly spiral out of control. Unfortunately, bed bugs are so tiny you often have the beginnings of a full-blown invasion underway before you begin to see signs.

It is important to note that while bed bugs prefer a human host, they can feed and survive on the blood from other mammals including your pets.

Habitat

Bedbugs can live in a variety of places including carpets, pet bedding, your bed, other furniture and even walls. As a general rule, they will be within a 20-foot radius of an accessible blood meal, which can encompass a large area of your home. In this way they are not unlike fleas, head lice and other parasitic pests, however the bed bug can live without a meal for up to a year! This means that even locations that have been uninhabited for several months are not safe from possible infestation.

Bed Bug

A bed bug is tiny, usually no more than 3/8 to 1/4in long and vary in color depending on life stage and whether they have recently fed. Young bugs will be light brown or yellowish in appearance while adult bugs will be a darker brown or even bright red if they have recently ingested a blood meal. A bug that has recently fed will also have a much different overall appearance, what is normally a nearly flat bug will now have a distended abdomen. Some report they look like a totally different bug entirely.

Signs and Symptoms

How do you know if you have bed bugs? In some cases, you may need the assistance of qualified professionals to determine an infestation. However, with a flashlight, magnifying glass and a little patience you can thoroughly examine your home.

Start in common sleeping and sitting areas, mentally marking out a 10-20 foot radius. Using the magnifying glass and added light you can begin to search for bugs, eggs and blood droppings in these areas. Pay close attention to crevices and cracks, this is a favored spot for laying eggs. Possible locations include, but are not limited to:

• Lamp shades
• Wall hangings
• Carpet
• Phones
• Clocks
• Wall outlets
• Cushion zippers
• Drawers- pull out, examine top, bottom, crevices, cracks, and even screw holes!

Often the first signs or symptoms of bed bugs are not visual in nature, at least not spotting the bug itself. Most people will first notice intense itching and tiny bites. Determining a bed bug bite from fleas and other common insects is difficult as they are quite similar. One distinguishing characteristic is the single line appearance. Professionals call this the breakfast, lunch and dinner location, referring to the fact that the bugs have been back to the same area for sequential feedings.

Other than bites and itching, the most common signs of this pest are tiny red droppings found on sheets and close to the bugs hiding places.

Bed Bug Treatment

Your first inclination may be to run for the hills! This is actually one of the worst things you can do as you will likely spread bed bugs to a secondary location and start the infestation process all over again. Before you react, take a deep breath and prepare for a battle with the bed bugs! It is best if you sit down and lay out a systematic plan for ridding your home of this annoying critter.

To begin bed bug treatment you are going to want to institute a rigorous cleaning schedule, which includes vacuuming carpets, beds, furniture and any other crevice you can find. At the same time, it is important to launder clothing and bed linens in hot water and dry on the highest heat setting possible. Make note, these steps alone will not eradicate bed bugs; treatment will at some point have to include insecticides if you want to rid yourself of them completely.

Before spraying any type of chemicals around your home, it is important that you eliminate as many hiding places as possible. Pick up and eliminate as much clutter as humanly possible. People have been known to trash a majority of their furnishings and clutter; while this is not necessary, it is important that you render anything you toss unusable to prevent the spread of bed bugs. Slash couch cushions or mattresses so they are not a temptation to someone else!

If you are keeping your beds, it is a good idea to purchase specially designed casements to prevent the bugs from feeding. Spraying a mattress with pesticides is not a very good options, so most people will rely on sealing the mattress for one year and waiting on the pests to die naturally. Make sure you choose a product that is specially designed for this task, since it will need to remain in place for at least a year it should be a hardy product.

Chemicals for bed bug treatment are available to the general public and as stated above are practically a necessity. Make sure you carefully read the labels of any spray or dust you plan to use, some will be safe for use in close quarters and even on mattresses, but never take this information for granted. Eradicating bed bugs is a difficult and time-consuming process, but it is not impossible!

Should you hire an exterminator? While this is probably your best and most effective course of action, ridding a dwelling of bed bugs is often pricey. Remember the plea from Ohio for federal assistance? You can expect an exterminator bill to be at least several hundred dollars and sometimes up to $1,200. On the upside, these are professionals experienced in locating and treating the many hiding places of the bed bug, which means they are much more effective.

Prevention

Perhaps the best bed bug treatment is prevention, though in certain areas this is becoming more difficult. A few tips to keep in mind for prevention:

• Check all rented or used furnishing for signs of bed bugs before moving them into your home.
• It is best to avoid picking up furniture found on the streets, though in some cities it is common practice for people to leave good furnishings on the curb, when bed bugs are involved caution should rule the day.
• Be cautious when traveling, always inspect motel rooms for signs of bed bugs and store your bags off the floors. Remember to keep your bags zipped when not in use.
• If you believe you may have come in contact with bed bugs wash and dry all your clothing immediately, drying on hottest settings.
• Caulk cracks and crevices around your home, this will help prevent bed bugs as well as other pests from getting into your home.

Conclusion

Bed bug treatment can be a frustrating and intense process, but take heart these bugs are not impossible to eradicate. Diligently cleaning and treating for bugs will eventually result in freedom from this pest. You may want to resist the urge to burn all the furniture and purchase new since bed bugs can reside in carpets and other furnishings you will likely just provide them with a new place to breed!