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How do you get bed bugs?
There are several ways you can bring bed bugs into your home unknowingly. One common way is to stay at a hotel/motel that is infested without checking it first. Before you take in your luggage or sit on the bed, you should first inspect the bed for bed bugs. Another way is to purchase used clothing, toys, books and furniture and bring it into your house; not knowing bed bugs are hiding in the seams. Never bring in anything that has been used by another person (no matter how nice it looks) without washing it and inspecting it well. Finally, allowing a house guest to stay with you that has a bed bug problem is a sure way to get the problem too. Bed bugs will come in hidden in seams of clothes, handbags, coats and luggage.
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small (tiny) flat bugs that feed on human blood. They infest a bed and hide in the seams and crevasses of the frame. They infest the seams of the mattress, box springs and blankets and pillows. Bed bugs reproduce very quickly. In her life span, a single female bed bug can lay up to 300 eggs! In less than 2 months those eggs have hatched and have matured to blood sucking insects! With a reproduction rate like that, it is easy to see how bed bugs can get out of control very quickly. Bed bugs are not a reflection of a dirty person or house. Dirt has nothing to do with someone having bed bugs. They are attracted to human blood. A bed bug comes out of hiding to feast on the exposed skin of a sleeping person. They usually bite in a straight line. Different people react differently to bed bug bites. Some find tiny red bites that itch. Others have more adverse reactions including swelling and whelps. It is possible to have an allergy to bed bug bites and any uncomfortable or concerning symptoms should be addressed by a medical professional quickly.
Bed bugs are one of the most difficult pests to get rid of. It is a job best left up to a professional. Even a professional exterminator may have to treat the infestation several times, depending on how badly infested the home and its contents are. Do not be under the assumption that you can simply move and leave the bed bugs behind. If your home is infested, so are your clothes, bedding, furniture and draperies. You will take the bed bugs with you if you move. You will also spread bed bugs by taking your clothes and checking into a hotel. You must have the problem resolved or you become part of the problem.
Even though your exterminator can get rid of the bed bug infestation; you still have a LOT of work to do. Here are some steps you need to take to ensure the removal of the dead bed bugs.
Inspect
Grab a flashlight and inspect every bed in the house. You must determine what must be discarded. Your exterminator can help you save many things. With proper treatment and proper coverings, some beds may be fine. Others may need to be trashed.
Washing
Wash everything you can in water that is hot, and dry everything with the heat of a dryer or the use of a blow dryer.
Anything that can be put in the (clothes) dryer must go in the dryer on the hottest setting possible with-out damaging the items.
Anything that cannot be washed must be sealed in plastic bags for a long time (at least a month).
Bed frames must be washed with very hot water and inspected.
If mattresses and box springs are badly infested, be prepared to throw them out. (If they are not too bad, clean them and then cover them with a bedbug proof cover.
Vacuum carefully; throwing out the bag when finished. Seal the bag in a plastic bag and remove it from the house. Take it to the outside trash.
Repeat vacuuming discarding bags after use until all rooms are thoroughly cleaned.
Drapes must also be cleaned and dried or taken to the cleaners.
If you have a steam cleaner, use it on everything possible.
Unplug everything in the area.
Bedbugs like to hide in electrical sockets, pull the cover off and clean.
Use bleach and hot water to wash covers outside and inside.
Pull everything away from the walls and remove everything from the walls. Wipe them down.
The exterminator will be able to kill the bed bugs in your home and the eggs that are unhatched. These steps are needed to remove the dead bugs and eggs.
If you bring home clothes, toys, shoes or bedding that are pre-owned; store them in a black bag (like a lawn and trash bag that has a close-able top). Store them in the hottest places you can. Put the bags in the sun or leave them in the car. Keep them sealed at least a month. This is to ensure you do not bring bed bugs home again. You may not know who shared them with you the first time.
Though bed bugs are a nightmare, a good exterminator can be your best friend during this time. If you allow a professional to treat and kill them, and you take steps not to allow re-infestation or spreading of them; it is a battle you can win.
NJ bed bug removal and control experts. Alliance Pest Services bed bug experts and pest control providers.
