Bed bugs are something you encounter, no matter how clean you keep your homes. One bed bug is all it takes to build a huge bed bug empire in your furniture. They can easily enter your home despite being very careful. If you are wondering if there is a bed bug infestation at your home, or are in search of bed bug control methods for your home, this blog answers all your questions pertaining to these tiny and quick bloodsuckers.
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are very tiny brown insects that can bite your skin to drink your blood. Scary, isn’t it? A bed bug infestation is very hard to find unless they multiply immensely and are seen in large numbers. Do not get manipulated by their name as they do not only live in the beds in your bedroom. You can find them on any random furniture at your homes, offices or even at schools. The bugs are quick runners and belong to the insect family. These creatures, they give out an unusual and unpleasant odour when they are squished. Read more about them beneath.
How bed bugs enter your home
There is no one reason to detect the entry of bed bugs into your space. If you feel that bed bugs cannot enter your home because you keep your space clean and tidy this is a wrong impression. Bed bugs need a little space to hide in your furniture creeks and a little blood from your body to live on. Here is how they could enter your home.
- Bed bugs can come from the window and door openings of your homes.
- They can travel along with you on your clothes and baggages from your workplaces or even transport.
- Bed bugs are common in hotel rooms and you can pick them up during your travel or stay.
- School furniture and office furniture can be a home for bed bugs too. They can get to your home along with you.
- Bed bugs can be carried by your pets as they love sucking the blood of your pooches along with yours too.
Indicators of a bed bug infestation:
It is hard to find out a bed bug infestation at an early stage, but this is however not impossible. Here are some easiest hacks that will help you get to know that you share your space with bed bugs before they make your home their territory.
- Itchy skin at nights – Your skin may suddenly feel itchy when you are asleep and it would itch so badly that you would wake up in the middle of the night spoiling your sleep. This itchiness happens after the bed bug bites you and quickly runs into its hideout after sucking your blood.
- Red marks on the body – Mosquito bites may cause tiny swelling or acne-like inflammation, but bed bug bites are bigger and the wounds are cut on the skin. These wounds are itchy and appear as red marks. You would find the bed bugs biting your legs, hands and the back region of your body. If you notice such marks, be sure that they are bed bug bites.
- Blood stains on your mattress – Your pillow coverings, bed and bed spreads will have tiny red spots on them if there is a bed bug infestation. These are your blood marks that make a mark on the bed and sheets when the bed bugs get accidentally squished by your body weight. These marks are another intimation of bed bug infestation.
- White powder on wood – There may be dandruff- like white powdery substance on the wood of your furniture. They can be evidently seen on darker wooden furniture and mattresses. These are the leftover residues of the hatched bed bug eggs. They are more like powder and you need to stay alert if you find them on your furniture because the bed bug family is expanding.
- Bed bugs running quickly into their hideouts – If you are awakened by the bites of bed bugs, quickly get your torch or turn on the bed lamp. You will find the bed bugs quickly running into their hideouts or under your pillow or mattresses. This gives you clear-cut confirmation that bed bugs live with you and suck on your blood.
- Unpleasant odor – The bed bugs have a weird and unpleasant fragrance. When they get squished accidentally, the fragrance becomes more noticeable. If you have had experience dealing with bed bugs before, you will be familiar with its fragrance too. This unpleasant odor confirms the existence of bed bugs.
Methods for Bed Bug Control:
- A spacious home has less bed bugs – Avoid overcrowding your home with lots of furniture. Too many wooden furniture can make more room for the bed bugs to hide from your place. Keep the furniture minimal and your space spacious. In this way, you can clearly see the infestation of the bed bugs and also prevent them from spreading all over your home.
- Vinegar to the rescue – The vinegar in your kitchen can be used as a natural bed bug spray to get rid of the bed bugs from your home. Citric smells irritate the bed bugs and they either choke or go away. The other alternatives could be bed bug control products that have natural essential oils like lemongrass or orange that are citric in nature.
- Choose bed bug control products wisely – There are many chemical and natural bed bug repellent sprays and products that are available in the market. You need to make the right choice of pest control for bed bugs. Some of the bed bug repellents can kill the bed bugs instantly, but also leave behind harmful side effects on you. Always prefer choosing natural bed bug control treatment and read the composition label when you are purchasing any bed bug control product.
- Borax – Borax powder can dehydrate the bed bug and kill them. If you spread the borax powder in the bed bug infested places, you would soon be finding its exoskeleton. Before you get the borax powder to destroy the bed bug infestation at your place, get to know that this bed bug control treatment can be harmful for kids and pets around. It holds good in places where there is less human contact.
- Natural bed bug killer spray can help – Bed bug control treatments can be safe and best when you choose the natural way to repel them. There are a lot of bed bug control products that are available in the stores but nothing can be safer than using what nature has bestowed. You can invest in natural bed bug killer spray and bed bug repellent spray that can help you get rid of all the bed bugs being harmless for you. The best sprays have oils like peppermint, spearmint, lemongrass and lavender that can repel all the bugs and other pests too.
These are the simple hacks that relieve you from the trouble caused by bed bugs. Try them out and have a safe home without pets in it.
About The Author
Caleb Klien is one of the best authors and bloggers who speaks in and out of pest problems. He has been known for his pest control blogs that have natural and easiest remedies to get rid of any kind of pests. With his thorough research and experience, his blogs work magic if implemented.