Here's What You Should Know about Bed Bugs

January 15th, 2016

Bed Bugs. Just the words might make you shiver and swat at your arms and legs. Though you may not think bed bugs could possibly infiltrate your home, more people sleep with these little bugs than you’d expect. Are you one of the many? Read and find out.

About Bed Bugs

These tiny apple seed-sized pests are nocturnal and wingless, but they reproduce every single day. Bed Bugs feed on blood, leaving unsuspecting humans with bites and irritation. The good news is that they don’t transmit or spread disease, but they’re sneaky, spread quickly, and can cause itchy red welts on the skin.

Consider bed bugs the world’s greatest hitchhikers. They often travel in luggage or other personal belongings in order to enter your home, then hide in beds, furniture, rugs, and sometimes even electrical outlets.

How to Prevent Bed Bugs

Though bed bugs have many sneaky ways of maneuvering into your home, the best way to keep them away is to take purposeful preventative measures. If you purchase secondhand furniture, always inspect it for signs of bed bugs; look for black or brown stains or mounds, which signify the bugs’ defecation. You might also find the bugs themselves, which look like apple seeds, or their skins.

When traveling, keep your luggage elevated and away from the bed and wall, and always examine your items carefully while repacking. Traveling is the easiest place to pick up bed bugs, so extra care can prevent them altogether. If you’re still in doubt, place all of your clothing in the dryer on high heat for 15 minutes when you return home. That precaution will kill any lingering bug!

How to Eliminate Bed Bugs

You can try to rid your house of bed bugs yourself, but it’s best to call in the professionals. Since a female bed bug lays up to five eggs every single day, and each bug can live as long as a year or more, an infestation is very difficult to eliminate without professional help. The experts know how to identify pinpoint evidence and determine the best treatment plan for your home based on severity.

On your end, wash and dry your linens and fabrics on the highest temperature possible, including curtains, tablecloths, and stuffed animals. With your own attention-to-detail and the help of the professionals, your home will be free of bed bugs soon enough.