Bed bugs are pesky little critters that are both quite hardy and difficult to catch because of their nocturnal way of life. Sometimes, you’ll find out too late that you already have these unwelcome guests at home because seeing a bed bug out in the open is usually a sign that you already have a serious infestation.
To ensure you don’t have nightmares of bed bugs anytime soon, and to prevent them from invading your home, you need to take some decisive steps. But before talking about those, here are some important reminders about bed bugs followed by the essential steps you need to take in order to avoid a full-blown bed bug infestation.
Bed bug mobility secrets
There are many ways by which bed bugs can end up living in your home. Some more common ways bed bugs get transported from place to place include:
- They can be picked up unknowingly in infested traveller accommodation, such as hostels, hotels or motels, and then taken by the unsuspecting carrier into their home. Bed bugs can latch onto people’s luggage and clothing until they end up in your home.
- You can also end up bringing bed bugs into your home if you accept contaminated used furniture and furnishings, such as mattresses, bed frames, couches, cabinets or wardrobes. Used toys such as dolls and stuffed animals can also be infested.
- If you move into a new home or apartment, bed bugs could be hiding in crevices or cracks in the floors and walls. So, even if your potential new home looks clean, make sure to look into every nook and cranny. Also, check if any of your neighbours has had a bed bug problem because these little critters can move from one home to another.
- Another mode of transportation bed bugs use is other animals, such as rodents, household pets and birds. Once these pests get in, they’ll be multiplying soon and fast.
Remember that in favourable conditions, particularly at low temperatures, adult bed bugs can live for as long as 400+ days without food, while nymphs can live without food for five months! These characteristics of bed bugs make them particularly difficult to eradicate even when they are already starved for food.
Effects of bed bugs on human health
Unlike mosquitoes, bed bugs are not known to carry certain diseases, although some people can display anaphylactic reactions if they are allergic to bed bug bites.
However, one common and serious effect of bed bug infestations among people is stress, disturbed sleep or insomnia.
A person exposed to bed bugs can also experience light to severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, such as paranoia, depression, obsessive thinking and hypervigilance. These could also lead to more problems with sleep, additional stress and weakened immunity.
Signs of bed bug activity in a home
The moment bed bugs invade a space inhabited by humans, they start to feed and reproduce quickly. Female bed bugs can lay as many as twelve eggs per day. In fact, one pregnant female bed bug can already facilitate an infestation of more than 5,000 bed bugs in a matter of six months!
Bed bugs prefer to hide in narrow, dark, enclosed spaces like inside a mattress and cracks and crevices, underneath carpets, behind baseboards and so on. They can even penetrate and stay inside your router or electrical outlets for some time.
If you suspect a bed bug infestation in your home, be on the lookout for the following signs:
- You see a living bed bug (or more).
- You find tiny white bed bug eggs or molten bed bug skins.
- You observe fecal stains or blood spots on your sheets.
- You get bitten and see raised itchy bed bug bites on your skin.
Once you are certain that you have bed bugs at home, you need to take the necessary steps to prevent a full-blown infestation.
How to get rid of bed bugs
To arrest the beginnings of an infestation, you need to take aggressive steps to rid your home of bed bugs. Consider the following steps in your bed bug eradication project:
- Strip all beddings, including the mattress protectors.
- Put all beddings inside a clean garbage bag and then seal the bag tightly.
- Take the beddings directly to your washing machine and wash them using the highest temperature setting. Another option would be to use the hottest temperature setting in your dryer instead of the washing machine. Note that a temperature setting of 120°F or 49°C is enough to kill bed bugs.
- Follow the same procedure for any loose items, such as stuffed toys, pillows, clothing and curtains, that you keep on or near your bed.
- Put on household gloves and examine your mattress minutely. Start brushing it with a stiff brush. Try to focus on the seams or any tight areas that bed bugs love to hide in. If there are any live bed bugs, make sure to catch these (they move fast!) or have a ready container of rubbing alcohol where you can drop them in conveniently. They’ll die on contact, so don’t worry.
- Vacuum all parts of the mattress, such as the top, side, bottom, seams and box spring.
- Take the bed frame apart, examine it and vacuum it all over.
- Vacuum the box spring thoroughly. If it has some holes, consider getting a new one.
- Use a steamer at a setting higher than 120°F or 49°C and use it to steam your mattress without soaking it (else, mould would grow). Steam just enough to eradicate the remaining bed bugs and wait for your mattress to dry under the sun.
- Once your mattress is dry and ready, encase your mattress in a bed bug-proof cover. This way, any leftover living bed bugs will be trapped and eventually suffocate inside.
- Inspect every corner and side of your house minutely, and vacuum everything.
Another way of dealing with a mattress that has been inhabited by bed bugs is by getting rid of it, especially if it’s already an old one. Just make sure you put a sign that says your mattress has bed bugs so others don’t pick it up and reuse it.
If you have a major infestation at home and you know your DIY efforts won’t work, make sure to call pest control services to get the problem sorted out once and for all.
Make your home inhospitable to bed bugs
To ensure your home is unattractive to bed bugs, make sure to:
- Seal all cracks, gaps or fissures in your home.
- Declutter and get rid of anything you no longer use.
- Avoid storing anything underneath your bed and other furniture.
- Change and check your beddings regularly.
- Practise vigilance in all that you do, particularly when you are travelling.
Bed bugs can be a real nightmare once they establish themselves in your home.
To avoid such a scenario, make sure you remember these tips to keep bed bugs out of your home.