Bed Bugs

Bed Bugs....Yes, they are real! They are not just part of a bed time story. Bed bugs were once common but were almost completely wiped out in the 40's and 50's. Now, they have made a strong come back in the United States. Nearly every large city has reported a drastic increase in bed bug cases. Read more about Bed Bugs...

Bed Bug Description

Bed bugs are small flat bugs that look similar to a tick. They feed on the blood of animals. Bed bugs have been around for thousands of years. Just because they are called "bed" bugs does not mean that they only are found in the mattress or box spring. They will inhabit any area that is near to a food source. Unfortunately, that food source is very often US! Read more about Bed Bugs Dscriptions

When Do They Feed

Bed bugs usually are active whenever it is dark. They like to feed between midnight and 5am when the person is sleeping. They crawl onto the person and then suck blood very much like a mosquito does. It takes about 10 minutes to finish feeding and then they will quietly slip back into hiding without disturbing the donor. Many times, people can go days or weeks without ever seeing a living bug. Some people will react to the bite by developing bumps or a rash while others display no symptoms at all. Read more about When Bed Bugs Feed

Where Do They Come From

Most people wonder from where they got their infestation of bed bugs. The answer is complex. The bugs like to travel so if you have stayed in a hotel, motel, dorm room or even at a friends, you are susceptible to bringing home the bugs in your luggage. If you live in an apartment, the bugs can easily travel between the apartment walls to infest connecting apartments. Read more about the Where bed bugs come from

What Should I Do

Bed bugs are difficult to get rid of. They hide well, they feed sporadically, they travel between apartments and they are becoming more and more resistant to standard pesticides. Normally, when you have a bug infestation, you would call a Pest Control Operator (PCO) to help get rid of the bugs. That is still a good idea with bed bugs bug the problem is that most of the chemicals that the PCO's use today are not effective on the bed bugs. The PCO is normally going to charge for multiple visits and offer no guarantee that they will be successful. What they do well, though, is perform a thorough inspection to verify whether you have bed bugs or not. Read more about the What you should do to prevent bed bugs

Where Do I Look For Them

The short answer is Everywhere! The long answer is that they can be found in and around the mattress, box spring, bed frame, head board, foot board, dresser, night stands, clocks, computers, pictures on the wall, baseboard....You get the idea. Trying to find the bug may be difficult, but you can usually find symptoms. Look for brown specs on the mattress. This can be dried blood or fecal matter. Also look for dried skins from during the molting process. Read more about where to look for bed bugs

How Do I Get Rid Of Them

Since DDT is not longer available, you have to work a little harder. Of course DDT is no longer available since it was potentially killing more things than just the bugs. In its absence, there is a real shortage of good pesticides to kill the bugs. Using an exterminator is a good idea if you have no problem using pesticides in your house, but there are areas that you don't want to use pesticides like on the bed or around a babies room. Read more about How to get rid of bed bugs

Can I Save My Furniture

All furniture in the house does not necessary need to be thrown out. Do a good inspection of each piece. Look for bugs, eggs and skins. Check the furniture for holes or tears in the fabric. If you find any, the bugs may be so deep into the furniture that you could never treat them effectively. You may want to consider getting encasements for the mattress and box springs. This will allow you to save these items and still be protected. Wood furniture is easier to recover by just ensuring that you have treated all of the cracks and crevices with a spray and you have inspected the piece extremely well. You may want to consider vacuuming each piece with a very good vacuum. Make sure that you dispose of the bag properly and quickly after each use. Read more about removing Bed Bugs..

How Do I Prevent Them

Be vigilant. Whenever you stay at a hotel or motel, peel the sheets back and look at the corners of the mattress. If possible, look behind the head board for signs of the bugs. Don't put your luggage on the bed or leave it on the floor near the bed. Take a bed bug spray with you like EcoBugFree for Bed Bugs. Spray your luggage before you re-pack your clothes. Read more about preventing bed bugs

Bed Bugs Articles - 5/17/2008

Bed Bugs are parasitic insects found most commonly behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the neck. The medical term for Bed Bugs infestation is Pediculus humanus capitis. There are 6 – 12 millions cases of Bed Bugs in the United States every year more commonly in children than adults...

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