One of the most upsetting things when leaving a deep sleep and waking up in the morning is finding small red bite marks up and down your skin. Maybe you have been travelling on different beds or have just latterly discovered traces in your home but it is’s likely you are working with the common bed bug ( Cimex lectularius ). In this piece we’re going to debate bed bugs detection methods and elimination.
There are many expressions over the years when it comes to sleeping and one of them is “Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” Which naturally is a referrence to those tiny little oval shaped bugs that sneak onto your bed and go on to bite you all over in the middle of the night.
Powerful synthetic pesticides like DDT ( Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane ) were used to exterminate bed bugs from 1939 on till DDT was banned. Claimed to be causing cancer in humans and animals and posing a threat to all wildlife from crop dusting, DDT was banned for agricultural use worldwide under the Stockholm Convention in 1972. However this pesticide went a good distance in eradicating bed bugs and for years there were few if any cases of bed bugs being reported throughout the U. S. . The old adage “Don’t let the bed bugs bite” was beginning to fade out of memory much like other common phrases with referrences to things in society of the past. Sadly though bed bugs didn’t go away and are discouraging us more than ever in the 21st Century.
The revival of bed bugs today can be ascribed to several factors. Bed bugs are building up tolerations to weaker chemicals being used in handling them. Travel is also another thing to be considered as more and more folk travel between Europe, Asia and north America that might be helping to spread these annoying small creatures thru living spaces, hotels and houses abroad. Having a neat and tidy home one thousand doesn’t gaurantee a bed bug free space since we know they can get onto clothing, luggage or anything else they come in touch with. There are some things to look for when trying to determine if you have a bed bug infestation.
Bed bugs are noctural which implies they only come out at night. More particularly when it is pitch black as they avoid light. Detecting them can be tricky because if you turn the lights on in a room they can hide and scatter quickly into floorboard cracks or crevices in furniture or beds without being seen. Try using a flashlight and avoid movement as this too will alert them. If you start to notice red bites in a pattern or in the same area this is also an indication that bed bugs may be there. Visible detection of the bugs, the bites themselves or seeing them on your mattress or body will determine if you need to start containment and eradication. Bed bug eggs are quite little nearly the size of a pinch of salt, extremely tough to see. The bugs themselves are generally dark in color and oval shaped and about 3 / sixteen of an in. in length. You’ll also see bed bug droppings or even small bits of blood in affected areas. If there are signs you have them and you’re conscientious you should be able to see them when scrupulously detecting them with the techniques above.
Removing bed bugs can be attempted by the home owner or renter but it is actually best to involve a PMP ( Pest Management pro ). They will have stronger business strength products that’ll be able to neutralise the bed bugs. They will also be ready to help determine what areas in your house are serving as a staging area for the bugs particularly within walls and base boards. PMP’s can offer ideas for where to fill in cracks in floor board areas and are trained to find signs of where the bed bugs are coming from and what products can be securely used throughout your house to remove them. Adult bed bugs can live up to a year without a feeding so having pro help might be needed to make certain they do not come back. Also, don’t be surprised if it is usually recommended that you buy a new mattress and bed then toss out current mattresses and other furniture if you do in fact have a bed bug infestation.
If you have bed bugs there have been some different systems of bed bugs extermination that have developed over time that may or may not help you in your own situation. Some have used cottage cheese cups or containers beneath the metal legs of their beds and used a combination of flypaper and double sided sticky tape to catch the tiny bugs. Others advocate the utilization of neem oil sprayed on carpets and mattresses. Neem oil is made of the neem tree in India. And has been used for hundreds of years as a good insect control. It has been authorized as being safe by the FDA for external use.