Bed Bugs How To Avoid The Pest
Bed bugs have been around humans for centuries. We have been looking for ways of killing them since we met and we have been rather unsuccessful to be honest. Although they were thought to be wiped out from the US in the 1940s they have come back with a vengeance in the last decades. What has caused this is hard to say. Some feel that the increase in international travel has increased the chances of them crossing borders, making the harder to eradicate by any one country.
We are going to have a brief look into these beasties and find ways to find them and techniques to kill them. This is going to be harder than you expected, these are resourceful creatures, to say the least.
Where do they live? The term bed bug is not random. These creatures do tend to live in beds, other sleeping arrangements and in other hiding places close to human sleeping quarters. As we will see, if you have them, the chances are they are in your bed or very close.
So where can you find them? Anywhere, is the quick answer. These bugs are very small and flat and can fit pretty much anywhere. They will crawl under your doors, into your ventilation and water systems and appear in the least expected places.
During the day they tend to remain quiet, hiding inside the seams of bed mattresses, carpets, inside walls, small holes in furniture and pretty much anywhere you can imagine. However, it is useful to know that according to research, bed bugs do not tend to move over thirty meters, or a hundred feet, from its nest to its victim. This means that if you are experiencing bug bites you probably will find the nest close, in the same room where you sleep.
It is impossible to provide a comprehensive list of nest locations because they can live pretty much everywhere. They hide in tiny spaces, inside cracks or maybe just out of sight in dark areas. If you are not used to searching for bed bugs you have a challenge, even a bed frame can hold numerous hiding spots for these critters. However we can provide some general guidelines.
A good idea is to start your search inside and along your bedding. Look along the seams, both of mattresses and quilts. Remember they are very small and can hide pretty much anywhere. Then expand your search to furniture around your bed, also look inside the frame, the footer and header boards and even inside the walls.
How to kill them once you find them? Killing bed bugs is extremely difficult. Even poisons like DDT that were very effective in the beginning now just make them go hyper. There are sprays that can be used, but just make sure you talk to a professional exterminator before using dangerous chemicals. If you have bed bugs at home there a number of methods you can try to get rid of them. Steam is a great way of killing eggs and adults if you can steam spray the mattress and bed. The trick is to use extreme temperature for a few seconds for best results. You can also isolate their food source, you, by isolating your bed with barriers, of petroleum jelly, double sided sticky tape, because they cannot fly or jump, just crawl and drop from higher objects.
Next, learn more about my personal journey to a bed bug free home and find extensive resources for getting rid of bed bugs.