Are the bed bugs real? Or is it a fear of past? Unfortunately, bed bugs are real creatures and you might be sharing your bed with them at night.
Know what they are
- Grown-up bed bugs are oval shaped, wingless, apple seed shaped, brown coloured, looks like a tick.
- Their existence is million years old.
- They live on human blood and can consume blood 6 times more than their body weight.
- When they bite it resemble like a mosquito bite.
- They like to live in dark hence not visible in day.
- Hygiene has nothing to do with their existence as they can exist in clean homes.
- You often receive bedbugs from old furniture, a stay in hotel, while travelling or an old apartment.
Throwing your bedding or mattress does not solves the problem, it only worsens by spreading to someone else house. According to CDC, bed bugs do not carry spread or carry disease hence not a threat to human race. You can take some preventive measures to get rid of bed bugs.
Follow the following steps
There are many chemicals available in stores but they can be harmful to your health and spraying by yourself involves a greater risk. Usually bed bugs get use to those chemicals and you end up compromising with your own health.
- Inspect Again & Again
The early you detect the bed bugs the early you will be able to prevent them from spreading. Keep a flashlight, duct tape and mirror handy. We advise you to search some pictures of bed bugs online so you know what you looking for. Look into getting the best pest exterminator for the job as well if you truly want to take care of those bed bugs for once and for all.
Don’t forget their size is too small to naked eyes. Mostly you will find them around the corners or sleeves of your mattress. So you have to carefully inspect all the mattresses, seams, cracks in walls, hidden corners, dark areas and under carpets before you start with your plan.
Mark the areas those you have found infested. If somehow you fail to find any dry blood, brown smudges, feces etc then put a duct tape over the corner seams of your mattress which will help catch the bed bugs as they get struck in the duct tape overnight.
- Remove them physically
It’s like a war against bed bugs. Turn on your vacuum flick them out of the seams, catch them using sticky tape, crush them under feet or do whatever makes you kill them.
- Wash Bedding
Roll up your bedding around your sleeping area and wash them thoroughly. Once they are dry heat them up in dryer at high temperature. High temperature helps killing the bed bugs and their eggs. Don’t forget to wash your kid’s soft toys, blankets, pillows and sheets.
- Freeze it
Freezing does the same impact as oh heating. So if you cannot wash and have a big freezer in the basement or the attic, you can put all the bedding in it. Cold low temperature kills them instantly.
- Thorough Vacuum
Wherever you have found their existence, do a complete vacuum cycle including crevices, seams, top and bottom of mattress, bed back, bed front, headboard, carpets, hidden corners and especially dark invisible areas. You will have to repeat this process unless they are eliminated. Do not forget to remove the filter and throw it away. Also use a new hepa filter every time you vacuum the house.
- Oils
There are several oils available in market. Among them the most effective one are orange oil, Tea tree oil and cedar oil which are quite harmful for the critics. Mix some drops in water and spray the infested areas.
- Use DE
Diatomaceous Earth is known as DE and it is quite effective in the case of terminating bed bugs. It is also used by professional exterminators. Before spraying it wear a face mask and clean the entire house by sprinkling it on the infested areas.
These are the steps you can easily follow without any professional help and save a lot on removing bed bugs from your sweet home.
Author Bio:
Garry is working as the marketing manager for Sleepsherpa. Sleep Sherpa provides unbiased reviews to the bedding industries which includes Mattresses, Pillows, Bed Sheets, Dog beds etc.
We review each and every product from top companies in this niche and provide a genuine review based on our experts opinion.
