No one likes an unwanted bed companion, especially of the bug variety. And because bed bugs love to hide, most people don’t know they have a problem until after they’ve been bitten. Bed bugs are one of the great travelers of the world and are readily transported via luggage, clothing, bedding and furniture. Getting rid of bed bugs can be a challenge, because they’re very good at hide and seek and reproduce quickly and often. Just sleeping tightly and hoping they – the eponymous bed bugs – won’t bite…won’t work. All stages of bed bug development are resistant to many forms of treatment, and the best way to get rid of them is to burn them out. But whichever treatment is used, it will only be effective if used in conjunction with control methods and preventative measures. Read on and learn how to get rid of bed bugs in your home, and to prevent them from entering in the first place.
Correctly identifying bed bugs is an important process. Bed bugs are small insects that feed mainly on human blood. A newly hatched bed bug is semi-transparent, light tan in colour, and the size of a poppy seed. Adult bed bugs are flat, have rusty-red-coloured oval bodies, and are about the size of an apple seed. Bed bugs can be easily confused with other small household insects, including carpet beetles, so if you're not sure that what you have is a bed bug, verify with a professional pest control agency. Bed bugs are small bugs that cause big problems. The truth is that most people don’t know they have a bed bug problem until a few days after they’ve been bitten. These bloodsucking pests are active only at night and are rarely seen by their victims. Bite marks may appear within minutes or days, usually where skin is exposed during sleep. These can be small bumps or large itchy welts, which usually go away after a few days. Blood stains, casings and eggs can be found in several locations, such as mattress seams and tufts, sheets and pillows, cases and upholstered furniture, crevices and cracks in furniture, and baseboards.
The best strategy against bed bugs is prevention. As a homeowner you need to be wary of acquiring second-hand beds, bedding, and furniture, all of which are popular breeding grounds for bed bugs. At a minimum, such items need to be examined closely before being brought into your home. Remove all clutter from your home, which makes finding bed bugs easier. Wash and dry your bed linens on the hottest temperature permitted. Bed bugs are very mobile, so when you are travelling in countries where bed bugs are prevalent, it is a good idea to examine the bed and headboard area for signs of the bugs, and to lift your luggage off the floor. Avoidance of bed bugs is especially challenging in hotels, motels, and apartments because occupants and their belongings are constantly changing. This affords many opportunities for the bugs to spread. So don't give them the chance!
There are different ways to get rid of bed bugs, but the most effective way is heat treatment. Pesticides can be toxic and, what’s more, they don’t work properly because bed bugs are continuously developing resistance to them, and quickly! Therefore, the most effective way of killing bed begs is through heat. Using high temperature heat treatment has proven to be the best and only truly complete method for bed bug extermination. Raising the temperature to the thermal ‘kill zone’ quickly kills all bed bugs and their eggs. The process takes only a few hours and your home is left bed bug free. Don’t try this on your own home; leave heat treatments to the professionals.
Bed bugs continue to be a huge problem in the Okanagan. Large buildings and hotels can be particularly difficult to treat. Call your friendly neighbourhood pest control company to check whether the next hotel you're planning to stay in has been treated for bed bugs. You can also check the Bed Bug Registry or BedBugs.net for more information.
BugMaster’s Inferno System is THE solution to eliminate bed bug infestations. This non-chemical, eco-friendly approach penetrates hard to reach locations and kills bed bugs of all growth stages including the eggs, which is vital in preventing a subsequent infestation.