How do I identify and get rid of bed bugs?
Yes you can see bed bugs with the naked eye. Firstly you will know you have bed bugs when you see little blood spots on your sheets or pillows in the morning and you itch a bit and have small bites. They are very hard to get rid of. They hide in the seams of the mattress and bed base and place where you never look. You need to peel back the tread around the egde of the mattess and you will see them. If you have plastic corner protectors on the corner of your bed base, take them off – you may find them hiding behind. They will also hide in the seams of blankets and bedding. You will not see them just on the surface of the mattress or bed base – you need to go looking. They are nocturnal and come out looking for warm things to bite – like you! They can jump up to a metre – so watch out all around your bed. The bugs themselves can be killed with a insecticide available from most hardware stores – however this does not get rid of the eggs, which hatch, more bugs more eggs – catch 22. You n
Bed bugs are pests of domestic animals, bats, wild birds, and man. Climex lectularius is the only species in the north temperate regions that attacks man. Bed bugs are most commonly found in old hotels and boarding houses, but you can also find them in homes, apartments, restaurants, theaters, buses and offices. They are nocturnal insects, feeding at night and hiding in dark places during the day. Bed bugs feed only on blood, principally that of man. The period required to obtain a meal is anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes. Bed bugs are oval, flattened, wingless, and red-brown in color. Those full of blood are red and slightly elongated. The adult is 1/4 to 3/8 inches long. Bed bug infested rooms have a very characteristic odor. It has been described as a musty odor, a sweet odor, and even compared to the smell of fresh red raspberries. Other signs of infestation include black spots that have been left on surfaces where the insects have been, and blood stains on sheets and mattresses. The
The best way to identify if you have a problem with bed bugs is to look for the physical signs of them being present. The three key things to look for are: Live samples – often difficult to find as they hide in all kinds of nooks and crannies Cast skins – bed bugs shed their skin and leave a paper thin version of themselves Faecal traces – better known as bed bug poo The easiest to see if the faecal traces which look like someone has dabbed a felt tip pen on the surface. If you apply a little saliva to a cotton bud and drag it through the marks they will smear out and become a dark red to brown colour. As bed bugs are the only insects known to leave this particular trace sign it is the most accurate one to look for. It is also important to understand where your infestation may have come from. It is possible to pick up bed bugs in the following ways: Staying in an infected location – hotel, hostel, friends house Sitting on an infected piece of furniture – friends sofa, sofa in office, s
