How to Know if You Have Bed Bugs

How To Know If You Have Bed Bugs

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How To Know If You Have Bed Bugs – Look For These Indicators

It would seem strange but it is a fact. Many individuals belonging to the current generation in especially developed countries have not seen bed bugs. If you are one of them, then you might definitely agree with me. While you know if you have body lice or know if you have chiggers, it is very much possible that you don’t know if you have bed mites.

Of course you are not to blame for this. The fact is that after the Second World War, these pests were virtually wiped out due to the extensive use of pesticides like DDT. Wide swathes of slum clearance projects and improved sanitation ensured that these pests were never given a chance to remain in a place and breed. This happened in most developed countries and to a great extent supported the belief people had about associating dirt and squalor with these pests. They now were convinced that as long as they could maintain hygiene and high sanitation in their homes, they would be able to resist any infestation.

This continued for many decades and most developed countries were virtually free of these pests. Improved standards of hygiene only made things better. However, one element was being overlooked and that was the ability of these pests to quickly adapt themselves to environments and also latch on to the personal effects of travelers when they visited crowded places already infested or even hotel rooms in foreign countries.

Increased global travel by people ensured that they took along these pests to their individual countries each time they happened to pick them up at hotels and other places they visited. The extreme small size of these bed bugs coupled with the fact that most of us do not subject our baggage and other personal effects to any kind of sterilization after a trip made it easy for them to get into our homes. The total lack of awareness of how they even look only compounded the problem.

This is a far cry from situations when you are better placed to know if you have lice or know if you have fleas. These are better known conditions and there is a constant awareness about maintaining body as well as hair hygiene to ensure these are kept away. In the case of bed bugs, that is not the case and you as the person bitten by these pests would not even know if you have scabies due to the presence of these pests.

Visibility of these pests or the lack of it has also helped their cause. While you can be sure of a cockroach or ant circling food morsels or any food particle, bed bugs are different. They do not look for solid food and are quite content seeking warm blood. This is something they are easily able to obtain every night from the host and other members of the family in whose house they have managed to make an entry.

This is what makes it difficult for anybody to spot them or become alert to the fact that their house has been infected by bed bugs. Till the time they notice bed bug rashes on their skin and the same starts irritating them beyond tolerance, they remain oblivious to the infestation.

The knowledge that bed bug bites are not harmful in the sense they cannot cause any serious disease could be another reason for people to remain complacent about them. These pests cannot fly and therefore cannot spread germs. It is only the skin blemishes that you need to take care through appropriate application of creams or lotions.

So the question is how to know if you have bed bugs or bed mites?

There are a couple of things you have to know about bed bugs. Firstly, they are minute oval shaped flat bodied insects that are capable of hiding amidst clutter, within gaps in wood furniture, underneath mattresses, soft furnishing folds like curtains, wallpapers and even upholstery.

The other thing is that they become active only during late night or towards twilight when you are in deep sleep. They also have a unique property in their saliva that lulls you to sleep the moment they insert their proboscis into your skin. Thus you are not able to feel the bite or sucking action of these pests and this ritual happens night after night.

It is only when the red puncture marks on your arms, face or neck start itching uncontrollably that you start looking for reasons. Look out for these marks arranged in a pattern or in a cluster. That is sufficient confirmation that you are a victim of bed bugs bites and it is time for you to take immediate action.

You should start looking for them under your mattress, within seam lining of the bed, near the bed box frame and so on. Look out for tell tale signs like brown spots, minute eggs, molting. With a flashlight and magnifying glass, you should be able to see them in the early hours of the morning. Notice the color of their bodies to get an idea of how active they are in their feeding. A light brown color would indicate that they are yet to feed, while a dark brown or black body would mean that they have had their share of human blood.

How to get rid of bed bugs?

On your own, you can take some immediate measures like washing the bed linen, curtains in hot water and placing the mattress under the sun. Bed bugs cannot stand heat and you will also do well to steam clean the sheets and upholstery. Plug all holes within your wood furniture so that they are not able to seek refuge in them. Discard unused items to reduce clutter in the house. The less space and opportunity you give them to hide, the better for you.

Upon finding specific places where they have been hiding, you can get the best available bed bug spray and make use of it in those areas. Ensure that you cover a wide enough area and make sure that you remove all traces of bed bugs. Do not leave behind any remnants.

While the above steps should help you, it is difficult to be sure. That is because unless the extermination is comprehensive and complete, these pests can easily make a comeback. If they have been staying in your house for some period of time, they would have started breeding and by nature they are prolific breeders. It is thus possible that they have managed to find some other place within your house that you are not yet aware of.

That is why it is recommended that you contact a professional exterminator agency to help you out. Though you would have to spend money for this, it is much better than having to deal with this problem again within a few days of you taking the above steps on your own.

These professionals know exactly what is to be done to get your house rid of these pests and can even provide you some guarantee. Moreover, they are only a phone call away if you do face any problem and that is a great assurance to have.

Tags: clutter, bed bugs bite, itching, immediate measures, brown spots, extreme small size <BR/>

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How To Know If You Have Bed Bugs
How To Know If You Have Bed Bugs
How To Know If You Have Bed Bugs

How To Know If You Have Bed Bugs

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