Have you ever woken from a great night’s sleep only to find that you are covered in mysterious looking red welts? Or perhaps you have been mystified by the tiny pinhead sized coffee colored spots you have found on your bed linen? If you do your research you have probably come to the conclusion that you have bed bugs. What to do? Don’t panic, according to the knowledgeable experts at Stewart Termite & Pest Control the first thing you should do is positively identify them.
Can You See Bed Bugs?
There are many imposters that resemble bed bugs for example carpet beetles, roach nymphs, and spider beetles to name a few. Bedbugs don’t like the light and will typically stay hidden during the daylight hours and come out at night for a blood meal, and unfortunately that makes you the main course. If you take a flashlight you can look for eggs, and their cast off skins in furniture, small cracks, crevices, baseboards, and the bedframe itself. Examine your bedding, mattress, and box spring for the characteristic blackish brown coffee colored strains (digested blood). Bed bugs, during all stages of their lifecycle are visible with the naked eye, and if you have them in your home you will set eyes on them sooner rather than later.
Do You Need Professionals to Get Rid of Bed Bugs?
Never try to treat bedbugs on your own, DIY treatments are often unsafe, completely ineffective and can ruin your belongings in the process. According to the experts at Stewart Termite & Pest Control, bed bugs have developed a resistance to many insecticides and while you may end up killing some of the bedbugs, you also risk causing the rest to scatter, exasperating the problem and making it worse in the long run. What you can do at home is clean the infested areas and destroy any bugs you find to reduce the pollution until your pest control expert arrives. The easiest way to remove bugs is with a disposable lint roller. After use remove the tape and seal it in a plastic bag to prevent any of the bugs from dropping off. You can also kill bed bugs and their eggs with heat. Simply place your bedding, clothing, and other items in the dryer on the hottest heat cycle for 30 minutes or more.
Should I Move Rooms if I have Bed Bugs?
If the thought of sleeping in the room where you found the bed bugs terrifies you, you are not alone and you have good reason to be squeamish. So it’s not unreasonable to be thinking about sleeping in the spare room or on the couch, right? Don’t! According to experts, sleeping in a different room can actually cause bed bugs to spread. It’s much easier to treat and eradicate bed bugs in one room, than risk spreading them throughout the whole home. Try to remain calm and continue your normal nightly routine until help arrives.
How to Stop the Transfer of Bed Bugs
To prevent the spread of bedbugs to family, friends, coworkers, and members of the public you should limit the number & type of items you bring out of your home. Look packages over carefully and if possible consider using just one or two bags to carry items. Before leaving your home each morning, look over the items and the exterior of the bag carefully to make sure there are no bugs hitching a free ride. Consider keeping a sealed plastic tub near your front door to seal your things when you return to your home.
Bed Bug Inspection & Treatment
For more information regarding bed bug inspection and removal for your home or business, contact the knowledgeable experts at Stewart Termite & Pest Control today.