Bed Bug Reality
Bed Bug Reality
Myth: Bed bugs are cute little bugs that snuggle up in bed with us at night and
count sheep.
Fact: Bed bugs are disgusting insects about the same size and color
of an apple seed and don’t sleep at night but drink human blood.
Another fact is that bed bug infestations are increasing all across
our country and bed bug awareness is needed for eradication of these horrible
insects. Bed bugs do not have any wings and are flat and oval in shape. When bed
bugs are fully mature they are normally around ¼ inch long. How do they drink
our blood? Their mouthparts are formed into an extended proboscis. When this
mouthpart is not active, it is tucked up under their bodies facing the opposite
direction. While you are sound asleep bed bugs are up and hungry. At dinner
time, their proboscis is facing frontward and their sharp pointy tubes puncture
your skin and siphon your blood.
Female bed bugs lay their eggs where they conceal themselves during the day. It
is alarming when you discover that female bed bugs can bear as many as five
hundred eggs. Bed bugs increase in development each time they molt. Baby bed
bugs or nymphs need to feed off our blood in order to molt and move to the next
step in their development. Baby bed bugs molt five times and once they are
mature suck human or pet blood at least one time during the course of a week.
How do bed bugs get into our homes? If you have just returned from a vacation
there may be a possibility you brought them back with you. Hotel mattresses are
a favorite breeding ground for bed bugs. You may also have brought them into
your house on furniture or clothing you purchased from a thrift store. There are
many ways bed bugs can enter your home and once they do you have a serious
problem on your hands.
After bed bugs drink your blood they leave behind red itchy bite marks,
resembling those left behind by mosquitoes. The urge to itch will be much
greater than that of a mosquito bite and the area can often times feel as though
it is on fire. Allergic reactions can follow due to the saliva of a bed bug.
There is a direct correlation between the number of bites you have and the
amount of bed bugs you have inhabiting your home. The more bites you have; the
larger the bed bug infestation.
Where else besides your mattress will you find bed bugs hiding? They love to
conceal themselves in cracks in the floors and walls, behind wallpaper,
dressers, carpets and blankets. They can virtually be anywhere. A good idea is
to fill in the cracks and crevices in your home with caulking. Bed bugs will
also take cover in cushy sofas and chairs. Just as with mattresses, look for bed
bugs along the seams and button areas of your furniture.
Anything that you can wash in hot water or steam clean should be done
immediately. All surface areas should be sanitized. Vacuuming with attachments
is also a good idea; you must properly dispose of the vacuum bag after you are
done cleaning. Burning it is a wise choice. Don’t forget your child’s toys and
stuffed animals; these should also be gone over thoroughly and cleaned.
After you clean, you are not through, you have really just begun. What you need
to do now is treat for bed bugs. A great inorganic material to use for the
treatment of bed bugs is diatomaceous earth. This white powdery substance can be
sprinkled all over your home. It is not poisonous, so you do not have to worry
about using it around your children or your pets. The bed bugs that are in your
home will die after they walk through the substance. Diatomaceous earth works
like little razor blades, cutting the exoskeleton of bed bugs, leaving them to
dehydrate and eventually die.
By: Bradley Skierkowski