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There’s a tiny enemy lurking in millions of homes around the world. It’s so small that it’s barely noticeable to the naked eye, yet one single bite will leave the victim feeling uncomfortable for a few days. This enemy is surprisingly common and may be closer than you imagine, even as close as your own bed.
A bed bug is a tiny pest that makes its home in mattresses, furniture and bedding. While not nearly so big and so creepy as its larger cousins like the cockroach, this wee pest has the power to gross you out and leave your skin crawling.
These small, wingless insects live in small cracks, holes and crevices in walls and floors, mattress seams and even the folds of bedding. They look for dark places and tend to converge in untidy corners and portions of the house.
Blood is the only source of food for the pesky bed bugs. They are usually nocturnal creatures, thriving on the blood of unsuspecting, sleeping victims. While experts claim that they carry or transit communicable diseases, their bites can cause a great deal of itch and discomfort. Some people, including those with sensitive skin or allergies, may experience more serious health problems.
Control Bed Bugs
If you think that you may be sharing your bed with bugs, there are several steps that you can take to eradicate the problem. First of all, DON’T PANIC. Think clearly and make a sensible attack plan. Madly running about your home spraying pesticides will only drain you of energy and cash. Chances are, the nasty bed bugs won’t even notice. So, the fundamental question remains: “How are bed bug infestations controlled?”
Prevention should always be your initial priority:
* Even if your home is bug-free and clean, make sure that you know where bed bugs come from, and how to avoid an infestation.
* Cleanliness is a major factor in controlling or preventing bed bugs from thriving in your home. Keep your floors, furniture and walls spic and span.
* Bed bugs love to make their homes in dark, cozy, comfy mattresses. Change your bed sheets regularly, vacuum your mattress and ensure that your mattress is free of holes and tears.
If you find that there are bed bugs in your home, create a plan of attack that includes one or more of the following choices:
* Following manufactures instructions, apply pesticides or insecticides to the infested spots. There are many pesticides available and readily accessible on the market, as well as those specially formulated for bed bug control. Again, make sure to carefully read all labels and instructions before use.
* Pesticides are created with severe chemicals that can knock out insects like bed bugs. Insects are extremely resilient to chemical formulations, so if they’re strong enough to contain bed bugs, they will also pose a health threat to all of the other living things in your home. Therefore, you, your family and pets may also be at risk.
Many people opt to hire professional help. In the long run, this can be the most effective and budget-wise option:
* Controlling your bed bug infestation should not mean ‘spur of the moment’ decisions. It takes thorough planning to devise a successful attack plan. This is where the advice of a pest control authority can be irreplaceable.
* Look online or check your telephone book for a pest control company in your community. All you have to do is make the call, and assistance will be on the way.
* If you live in a building or in an apartment building, deal directly with your landlord or the person in charge of building maintenance. It is his or her responsibility to do the necessary arrangements for pest control measures.
* Depending on where you live, provincial, state or civil laws may mandate building owners or property managers to ensure that the building is safe and pest-free. Discuss the matter with them, and check who is responsible for the pest control service fee payments.
* Advice anyone living in your building when you plan to control a bed bug infestation in your home. Odor and residue from the pesticides will likely reach other living areas and apartments, and these may pose serious health risks for some people.
* Bed bugs are extremely persistent, so be prepared for the control process to be tedious and tiresome. Insects have extremely strong systems and have developed resilience to pesticide chemicals, so repeat treatments will likely be needed.
* Each visit from the pest control professionals will take a few hours. These experts need to be extremely thorough in their work, and will carefully check and treat any small cracks, crevices and holes where bed bugs might be hiding.
* Furniture and home accessories must be thorougly checked. If even one bed bug is overlooked, the infestation can begin all over again.
* Eliminating bed bugs may involve certain sacrifices. In extreme cases, pest control experts may advise you to discard clothing, bedding and even furniture. Most mattresses are made up of foam and other porous materials with small holes, creating the ideal breeding ground for bed bugs. Be ready and be willing to accept and follow through on this advice.
* If you are instructed to dispose of your mattress, make sure that it will not be used by anyone else. Otherwise, the bed bugs will only transfer from your house to another.
* Environmental concerns will prevent you from burning the mattress, so you’ll be required to use a special bag to seal the bed bugs inside.
Bed bugs are a persistent force, but they can be generally be overtaken. Arm yourself with the aide that you need, and you can sleep safe and sound once again.
Tagged with: bed bugs control • pests control
Filed under: Bed Bugs