Bedbugs infestation, Prevention and Eradication in your Home (Part 2)

Regularly Inspect Your Bedding for Signs of Bed Bugs 

This doesn’t have to be a task you do on a nightly basis, rather, whenever you wash your bedding take this time to inspect the condition of your bed for signs of bed bugs or bed bug residue.

If you see signs of bed bugs, remove your bedding from your bed and place it in the washer on the highest heat and cycle setting your bedding will allow. The heat and water combined will kill any bed bugs that might be hiding in your bedding. For good measure, consider also washing any curtains, rugs, throw blankets and pillows that might have also been exposed in your bedroom.

As for your mattress and box spring, take them outside and using a scrub brush get into the seams and other affected areas of the mattress, brushing any bugs or eggs out. Then, take a vacuum and thoroughly clean the entire surface of both the mattress and box spring. After you’ve vacuumed your mattress, vacuum your bedroom, emptying the contents of the vacuum into a plastic bag and placing it in a garbage can outdoors.

Finally, enclose your mattress and box springs in a tight-fitting plastic covering, leaving both outside overnight. The plastic will keep any air from entering the mattress, suffocating any remaining bed bugs or eggs.

At the end of the day, you might feel more comfortable throwing away your affected mattress and box spring. If you’re worried about the chance of returning bed bugs, it’s worth the money to buy a new mattress set.

When Traveling, Always Check the Room for Bed Bugs 

When traveling, check your hotel room for bed bugs before you unpack, focusing on the bedding, upholstered furniture and curtains. If you see signs of bed bugs, ask the front desk or host for another room, notifying them that you found bed bugs in your current room.

Don’t bring your luggage into the room until the coast is clear of bed bugs. Bed bugs can attach themselves to your luggage and can live up to a week, making it possible for them to find their way back into your home.

If you think your clothing may be infected, separate the infected clothes from the rest of your luggage in a sealed plastic bag. When you return home, place the infected clothes in your washing machine on the highest heat setting your clothing will allow.

Inspect your luggage outside before bringing it back into your home. Go the extra mile by vacuuming and hand washing the bag with hot, soapy water. Leave outside to dry and inspect one final time before bringing it in.

What Keeps Bed Bugs Away? 

According to some sources, there are a few scents that are rumored to repel bed bugs. All-natural products, like essential oils, are said to have an effect on bed bugs, but may not kill them off completely. If you’re dealing with a heavy infestation, it’s a better idea to call an exterminator with vast professional knowledge on best chemicals for effective bedbug extermination.

However, if you’re just looking for a preventative method that might repel bed bugs from your home, here are a few essential oils that may do the trick:

• Tea tree oil
• Lavender
• Thyme
• Lemongrass
• Peppermint

Use ten drops of any of the previously listed essential oils, dilute with water and place in a spray bottle, spraying around the affected areas of your home like your bed sheets, curtains, luggage and other areas where you might suspect bed bugs.

While you might not ever be able to completely prevent bed bugs from getting into your home, knowing how to properly identify, remove or call a professional to remove the bed bugs will help keep your household safe from infestations.

How quickly does bed bugs multiply?

Compared with other insects, bedbugs are slow to reproduce: Each adult female produces about one egg per day; a common housefly lays 500 eggs over three to four days. Each bedbug egg takes 10 days to hatch and another five to six weeks for the offspring to develop into an adult.

How Bed Bugs Move and Multiply so Quickly 

Bed bugs are a problem that no one wants to deal with. They can be incredibly difficult to get rid of once an infestation starts in the home. Many people believe that they reproduce quickly and move fast, but both of these conditions are misconceptions. Here is some interesting information on how bed bugs multiply and move.

Reproduction Habits 

Compared to other insects, bed bugs produce rather slowly. Adult females generally lay only one-to-seven egg per day, which is far less than the 500 or so a fly will lay in the course of three-to-four days. Bed bug eggs gestate for about 10 days before they hatch. They become adults in about six weeks. Female bed bugs can become injured if they mate too frequently. But, if they can find someplace with a food source where they can be alone, they can produce more eggs. If a single female bed bug is careful about where she goes, she can cause an infestation of 5,000-bed bugs within six months.

Bites and Health Concerns 

Bed bugs usually bite people at night while they are sleeping. Hungry bed bugs may also feed during the day, especially if this is when the occupant normally sleeps. They feed by piercing the skin with an elongated beak through which they withdraw blood. Engorgement takes about three to 10 minutes, but because the bite is painless, people seldom realize they are being bitten. Bed bugs normally do not reside on or attach to people like lice or ticks; immediately after feeding they crawl to a secluded location to digest their meal.

Symptoms after being bitten by bed bugs vary from person to person. Many develop an itchy red welt within a day or so of the bite. Others have little or no reaction. Sometimes the reaction is delayed days or even weeks, which can make it difficult to determine where or when bites actually occurred. Studies conducted in bed bug-infested apartments suggest about 30 percent of people do not react even when bitten repeatedly, and even higher levels of non-reactivity occur among the elderly. Unlike flea bites, which occur mainly around the ankles, bed bugs feed on any skin exposed while sleeping (face, neck, shoulders, back, arms, legs, etc.).

The welts and itching are often wrongly attributed to other causes, such as mosquitoes. As such, infestations may go a long time unnoticed and can become large before being detected. The likelihood of bed bug involvement increases if the affected individual has been traveling, or had acquired used beds/furnishings before symptoms started to appear. Bed bugs also are suspect if you wake up with itchy welts you did not have when you went to sleep. Conversely, it’s important to recognize that not all bite-like reactions are due to bed bugs. Confirmation requires finding the bugs and/or their signs, which often requires a professional. (Other possible sources of irritation that may be mistaken for bed bugs.

A common concern with bed bugs is whether they transmit diseases. Although the bugs can harbor various pathogens, transmission to humans has not been proven and is considered unlikely. Their medical significance is mainly attributed to itching and inflammation from their bites. Antihistamines and corticosteroids may be prescribed to reduce allergic reactions, and antiseptic or antibiotic ointments to prevent infection. Though not known to transmit diseases, bed bugs can reduce quality of life by causing discomfort, sleeplessness, anxiety, and embarrassment. According to some health experts, the added stress from living with bed bugs can have a significant impact on the emotional health and well-being of certain individuals. 

Insect repellents used to deter ticks and mosquitoes do not appear to be as effective against bed bugs, and applying them at bedtime is not recommended. Sleeping with the lights on is also not likely to deter hungry bed bugs, as they will adjust their feeding cycle to the host’s sleep patterns.