Of all the indoor pests you can get, bed bugs are by far the worst. These six-legged bloodsuckers can make you and your family miserable. Once they get into your house they are very difficult to get rid of. It’s important to know what the signs are so you can defend yourself against bed bugs. Here are a few pro-tips for bed bug control.
How Do You Get Bedbugs?
Contrary to popular myth, having bed bugs has nothing to do with how dirty your home is. In fact, anyone can get bed bugs if they aren’t careful. Bed bugs can enter your house through clothes, used furniture you buy online or pick up on the side of the road, luggage (from contact with other luggage), and other items they can hitch a ride on.
Once inside your home, they will jump off and disperse throughout your house but prefer your bed where they can have easy access to blood. Even though bed bugs can’t fly, they can move very quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings. They tend to hide behind dressers, headboards, under mattresses and box springs, and in the folds of sheets.
Just one female can lay up to 200 eggs the size of a speck of dust in her lifetime. As their numbers increase they can spread to other rooms or other apartments.
What Are The Signs Of Bed Bugs?
Knowing the signs of bed bugs is the first step to bed bug control. The most obvious sign is waking up with itchy red dots on your body. Other signs include:
- Small bloodstains on your sheets or pillowcases
- Bed bug feces on sheets and mattresses or on walls behind headboards and dressers.
- Exoskeletons and eggs.
Bed bugs aren’t just annoying, their shells and feces can also cause allergic reactions. If you suspect bed bugs are present in your bed, remove all sheets and check it carefully for signs of bed bugs. Check around the bed, bedside tables and behind the headboard.
How Do You Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?
Bed bug control on your own is a huge chore that involves a lot of work.
- First, start by removing all sheets and clothing out of the infected room and put them in sealed bags to prevent bed bugs from spreading to other rooms.
- Wash sheets and clothes and dry on high heat to kill any remaining bedbugs and eggs.
- Place the washed clothes in NEW sealed bags to protect them.
- Cover your mattress and pillows with plastic liners.
- Furniture such as stuffed chairs and sofas may need to be discarded if infested.
- Clean the walls and floors behind beds, dressers, and furniture.
Even by doing all of these tasks you could still have bed bugs or bed bug eggs hiding in your room. The only be to be absolutely sure they are eliminated is by calling a professional extermination company like Cramer Pest Control. We are experienced in battling ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, and other pests in the Charlotte, NC area.
Call today at SC: (803) 802-7540, NC: (704) 763-0204 or contact us on our site.