Pests are never a welcome addition to a home or a business. Restaurants can be closed down by infestations, and some pests carry listeria, and salmonella, and can cause serious diseases in humans.
Other pests may be less worrisome in this regard, but there are links between bed bugs and asthma and other allergies. Suspecting that you have some kind of pest in your home can be upsetting, but it is a problem that can be dealt with.
One concern is locating where the problem lies so it can be effectively tackled. With bed bugs, one issue is that they can be hard to spot due to their size. And they are more active when people go to sleep, leaving them to move around undetected, or at least until you wake to discover you have been bitten.
Understanding what to look for
Bed bugs can be as big as 7mm, but before feeding are usually far smaller. They are small insects, oval in shape, and brownish in color. They expand once they have fed. Disturbingly, their food source is the blood of animals or humans.
Pest control firm, Toxic Respond, states that rust-colored or red spots on bed sheets can be a sign that you have these pests in your home. Hostels and guesthouses can be common dwelling places for bed bugs, but so are residential homes, particularly apartments and condos.
You may also find shell casings, and eggs, and notice a strange odor often described as musty. Something that can easily be unnoticed in an old hostel.
What other signs mean you might have bed bugs?
Apart from casings and dark spots on sheets, very often the first piece of evidence regarding bed bugs is bite marks.
Fortunately, bed bugs aren’t one of the pests you need to be worried about where disease is concerned. But, how people react to their bites varies quite dramatically. Some people have so little reaction to being bitten by a bed bug that they don’t realize it has happened. However, some people have shown hypersensitivity to bed bug bites and even required hospital treatment.
If you do start to notice swollen red itchy spots after sleeping then there is a possibility this has been caused by bed bugs. This needs to be dealt with swiftly, as they breed rapidly. It is best to find more evidence before assuming it is bed bugs you are dwelling with, and checking certain areas of a home is well worth the time.
Where do bed bugs like to dwell and hide?
It seems that bed bugs prefer the dark, and are mostly considered to be nocturnal. Nonetheless, one of the first signs you have bed bugs is witnessing one casually walking across your sheets or furniture in the daytime.
Different pests like different environments to hide in. Some pests can cause damage to attics and wiring, but bed bugs prefer to stay hidden quietly. Therefore, you can expect to find them in cracks, behind picture frames, or under loose wallpaper. They like to live within the seams of upholstery, and in any small gap they can access. This means joints in furniture are often perfect.
Used furniture is a very common way for bed bugs to be transported from one home to another.
Can you get rid of these pests easily?
The biggest concern with this particular pest is that they are easily in the top 3 of the worst infestations you can have. Removing bed bugs has proved an arduous task for many especially as the pest became resistant to pesticides.
Some pests like certain areas of a home and particular conditions. Sometimes you can help prevent pests by attending to problems such as dampness, waste, or clutter. One of the best reasons to clear gutters is to prevent pests. But, bed bugs don’t care how often you scrub your home clean.
Some people believe in home remedies for bed bugs, and others have had success with diatomaceous earth. Yet, modern techniques for the eradication of bed bugs often avoid any form of chemical and use heat treatment instead.
Depending on the temperature that bed bugs and their eggs are exposed to, they will die within 20 to 90 minutes. Some infestations are worse than others, and you may need a pest controller to visit more than once. Done properly, heat treatment can be 100% effective in the battle against these unpleasant pests.
Summary
Some prevention can help to reduce the chances of bed bugs reaching your home. If you wish to purchase old furniture then you should be given a proper check. Vacations can often see bed bugs grabbing a ride in luggage too. But, prevention is much harder with these pests than with some others.
If you have evidence that bed bugs are in the home then the best thing is to take action quickly to stop the inevitable spread.