Bed Bug Treatment

Bed Bug Treatment. Bed bugs are the last thing you want to think about when you go to bed each night.

Bedbugs are quite prevalent, unfortunately.

In reality, approximately one out of every five persons in the United States has had a bed bug infestation at their residence or knows someone who has.

We provide bed bug control services to individuals in and around the San Francisco Bay Area here at Smith’s Pest Management.

We’ll give you some of our best advice for eradicating bed bugs on your own without the help of an exterminator, as well as when to seek professional assistance.

What are bed bugs?

The tiny parasitic insects known as bed bugs, or Cimicidae. Species that prefer to feed on human blood are often referred to as vampires.

To effectively control a disease, early detection and treatment are crucial. Mattresses (98.2%), box Springs (93.6%), and nearby carpets and baseboards (94.1%) are the most commonly infested locations, according to a survey.

Bed bugs prefer environments with plenty of accessible hosts and openings and harborages within 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) of the host, in fact.

How do bed bugs reproduce?

Every week, female bed bugs deposit five to seven eggs. With proper feeding, this adds up to almost 250 eggs per lifetime.

It takes around ten days for the eggs to hatch. Bed bugs go through five nymph (youth) stages before becoming adults after hatching. They molt (or shed) their exoskeleton between each stage.

Before each time they molt, bed bugs must feed at least once, although they may feed up to once a day. Bed bugs reach adulthood in two to four months.

Via: pestguardsc.com

Bed Bug Behavior

Bettles can be hitchhikers, as well. They’re often transported in a purse, bag, backpack, or suitcase when they arrive at your house.

Bed bugs are most often discovered around and inside the bed, although they may be found anywhere that has human contact for an extended period of time. Bugs may enter your luggage on an airplane, train, at a movie theater, or while riding with a friend or rideshare service.

The bed bug Nightmare has started now, when you take your bag with bed bugs inside it into your bedroom.

Bed bugs are able to move and climb despite their inability to fly or jump. If the finish has even a slight texture, they can easily climb the metal or wooden legs of furniture to get access to a blood meal.

Bug Movement has been clocked at 3-4 feet per minute! At the day, they stay hidden in small harborages, then move around 5 to 20 feet from their hiding place to feed on their host.

By focusing on the carbon dioxide exhaled when we breathe and the heat that comes from our bodies, they can find a prospective host. Bed bugs pierce the skin and feed for 3-12 minutes once they have located a prospective host.

When bed bugs are feeding, the majority of individuals do not awaken, and each individual reacts differently to a bite.

How to tell if you have bedbugs

Look for the following signs of bed bugs:

Reddish stains on your bed sheets, pillows, or mattress (which may be bed bug corpses)
On your sheets, pillows, or mattress (which might be bed bug excrement), dark spots the size of a poppy seed may be present.

Exoskeletons bed bugs produce as they develop are tiny bed bug eggs or eggshells, and tiny yellow skins.
Bed bugs give off a musty odor that can be detected near your bed.

If you start to get bitten, you might also realize you have bed bugs. Little, slightly swollen, and red bug bite marks are common.

They might itch and take up to 14 days after being bitten. Bed bug bites, on the other hand, affect individuals in different ways. You might get a big red lesion or no symptoms at all.

If you have any of the following symptoms, you should see your doctor:

Many bites,
Blisters,
Bites feel swollen or ooze pus-like discharge (they’re painful).
Skin redness and swelling, or hives, are symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Via: bobvila.com

What Attracts Bed Bugs to Your Home?

Bed bugs are thought to be attracted to filth, and many individuals think that. As a result, many individuals believe that sleeping in a inexpensive hotel is bed bug-proof.

However, as it turns out, that’s a common misunderstanding.

Dirt or decay does not attract bed bugs. In reality, as long as they have access to the one thing they need to live, they may live in any conditions.

Blood.

Bed bugs can’t fly or live on their hosts, unlike mosquitoes and ticks, which are blood-eating insects. Instead, they must wait for a meal to become available to them, hiding near their food source.

Bed bugs are thus highly adaptable to changing environments. They may reside on a sofa’s cushions or a library’s carpet as long as they get adequate blood meals on a regular basis.

That’s why if you have bed bugs in your apartment!

In light of this, here are the top three reasons for bed bugs:

Buying used furniture and moving it into the residence. Luggage, purses, backpacks, used couches, and more are all possible ways for bed bugs to enter your space.

In a multi-unit setting, cross-contamination can occur. In apartment buildings and hotels, bed bugs may move between rooms.

Hotel, resort, or hostel contamination. Bed bugs may hitch a ride home with you if they get into your clothing or luggage.

New people are currently residing in your home. Guests may arrive at your residence bringing bed bugs with them, unaware.

Bedbug Treatments

The first step in eliminating bedbugs is to clean up the places where they dwell. The following items should be included:

In hot water, wash clean bedding, linens, draperies, and clothes on the highest dryer setting. Run on high for 30 minutes, stuffing animals, shoes, and other items that can’t be washed.

Before vacuuming the mattress, use a stiff brush to scrub bedbugs and eggs from the seams.

Frequent vacuuming of your bed and the surrounding area is advised. Immediately seal the vacuum cleaner bag in a plastic bag and dispose of it outdoors after vacuuming.

To prevent bedbugs from entering or escaping, encase the mattress and box springs with a tightly woven zippered cover.

To make sure all bugs in the mattress are dead, keep the cover on your mattress for at least a year. Bedbugs can survive up to a year without feeding.

Get rid of bedbugs by repairing plaster and gluing down peeling wallpaper.
Eliminate any clutter around the bed.

You may want to replace your mattress if it is contaminated, but make sure to remove any bedbugs from the rest of your home before placing them in your new mattress.

Bed bug interceptor traps

Bed bug interceptor devices may be placed beneath furniture legs to catch and hold bed bugs at bay. Interceptors can be purchased commercially or built at home. To build your interceptor traps, follow the steps below.

Via: epa.gov

Bed bug interceptors (use to capture bed bugs under furniture legs)

Make your own interceptor traps by gathering the supplies you need:

The bigger container is filled with two clean plastic containers with a 1-inch side on each. Deli or take-out food containers that have been cleaned and repurposed are a fantastic option.

A rough texture is provided by masking or painter’s tape.
Talcum powder.

To construct an interceptor trap, follow these steps:
Make certain that the little bag will hold a bed or sofa leg.

To make it easier for the bed bugs to climb into the bigger container, place masking tape all around the outside.

The little one should be placed inside the bigger one, with glue or tape.
In the bottoms of both containers, sprinkle talcum powder. The bed bugs will be kept inside the container because talcum is slippery.

Place interceptor cages beneath each leg of the infected furniture, such as beds, couches, and chairs, to make sure nothing escapes.

Only the furniture legs ensure that no linens are touching the floor, so if needed, move your furniture a few inches from any walls to prevent lines from touching the floor.

Every week, check and clean the interceptors. Talcum powder should be reapplied.
Place bed bugs in a plastic zip-type or sealable bag to dispose of them.

Evaluate and prevent future bedbugs

It might take a while to eliminate bedbugs. You’ll need evidence that the bugs have progressed before you can ensure that your cure has worked. For evidence of activity, check the infested zones every 7 days.

Place bedbug interceptors underneath each leg of the bed to make surviving bedbugs easier to see. Bedbugs will be trapped before they can climb into your bed with these devices. You might need to monitor the interceptors every year for a whole year.

Bugs are tough and can survive a lot of abuse. You might spot them again, just when you think you’ve wiped them out. To manage the infestation, you might have to use a variety of treatment strategies. You should then contact a professional exterminator if they do not leave.

Via: hearstapps.com

Get the pros involved

It’s time to call in the experts if you can’t remove bedbugs on your own.

Pest control firms have access to chemicals and other treatments that you do not have. They have chemicals that kill bedbugs both on contact and over time, killing bugs inside furniture and crevices.

Whole-room heat treatments are also available for pest control companies. They use special equipment to raise the room temperature to between 135 and 145°F (57.22 and 62.78°C), which is high enough to kill bedbugs.

They should provide you preparation instructions before the pest control crew arrives. You’ll have the greatest chance of killing off the insects if you follow their instructions carefully.

To begin working, professional treatments need two to three visits. You’ll have to avoid the treated rooms for a few hours after each treatment until the insecticides have dried.

Keep the bedbugs out

Once the bedbugs are gone, it’s important to keep them away for good:

Get rid of any unnecessary items. Don’t leave papers, books, garments, or anything else on the floor.
Line the inside of your bed with a bedbug cover and zip it up fully.
Frequent vacuuming and washing of bedding, furniture, drapes, and carpets is recommended.

Bedbugs cannot enter your home if seal leaks around light sockets, baseboards, or electrical outlets.
When you travel, check for bedbugs in hotel rooms and avoid bringing them home with you.

Via: vmcdn.ca

Treating bed bug bites

Bed bug bite treatment may include the following medications prescribed by your dermatologist:

Allergy symptoms For a severe allergic reaction, some individuals may need an antihistamine, corticosteroid, or epinephrine (adrenaline) injection.

Infection is the term used to describe a condition in which you are infected. An antibiotic may be necessary in the case of an infection. Your dermatologist may advise you to use an antiseptic cream that you can purchase without a prescription if the condition is minor.

Which one to use will be determined by your dermatologist. To avoid a skin infection, your dermatologist may also recommend an antiseptic.

Itching is a condition that causes irritation. It’s possible that an antihistamine medication or a syrup will help. A corticosteroid may also be used on the bites. Your dermatologist can help you decide between the two.

At-home treatment

You may frequently treat the bites at home if you don’t have any signs of an infection or a serious reaction.

Bed bug bite treatment includes:

Soap and water should be used to wash the bites. This will help combat itchiness and prevent a skin infection.

Apply a corticosteroid cream to the bitten areas if they itch. At your local drugstore, you can get a low-cost equivalent of this medicine without a prescription. A prescription is required for stronger corticosteroids.

Bites from bed bugs usually disappear within one to two weeks.

A last warning

pesticides, particularly when used indoors, should be handled with caution. Never utilize a pesticide that does not clearly state that it may be utilized indoors to kill bed bugs.

Don’t spray pesticides on yourself, children, or pets. Then, follow the label’s precautions carefully.

Directions for use on pesticide labels are more than just recommendations.

It is unlawful to fail to comply with instructions precisely, which may cause you or your family serious harm.

See the EPA’s pesticide and bed bug warning for further details.