Click Free Pest Control Quote
to fill in a form to obtain a free pest control quote today.
Bed bugs are blood feeding insects that feed on humans, usually during night hours when people are sleeping. Since we do not often observe bed bugs biting, it is easy to mistake the itchy, swollen areas on the skin for other insect bites. While the bites can become infected from scratching, bed bugs are not known to transmit any diseases; however, they are still a nuisance and serious pest problem.
Despite their name, bed bugs can infest areas other than beds. They tend to locate in cracks and crevices, such as behinds baseboards, wall outlets, and wallpaper; between bed joints, slats, and dresser drawers; and along mattress seams and in linens and clothes. Most bed bug infestations occur in the home, along with hotels, dormitories, and cruise ships.
Bed bugs easily transfer from one site to another through infested belongings like clothes, suitcases, second-hand furniture, beds, and bedding.
Adult bed bugs can survive 6-7 months without feeding, and have been known to live in abandoned houses for 1 year. This, combined with the fact that females lay 2-5 eggs a day (and 200-500 eggs in her lifetime), means that bed bug infestations will not go away without proper treatment.
Bed bugs are difficult to detect because of their elusive behavior, but here are some key things to look for:
There are several ways to get rid of bed bugs, though combining methods usually gives the best result. Since the bugs often hide in small cracks, treatment can be difficult, making it worth hiring a pest control specialist. Even if you hire a professional to inspect and treat your home, there are important steps for you to take as well.
Physically remove as many bed bugs as possible:
Sometimes treatment will require the use of insecticides. Dusts are preferred over sprays for bed bug treatments because dusts transfer from surfaces easier, are lighter, and penetrate further than sprays. Insecticides are used and classified according to four categories: Mattress, Crack, and Crevice; Indoor Surface; Indoor Space; and Fumigation.
Methods for non-chemical treatment involve physical removal and heat. In addition to the removal guidelines outlined above, mattresses, pillows, and box springs can be put in bed bug proof encasements. Make sure the labels say bite proof as well as escape proof.
Bed bugs begin to die at temperatures above 113F, so using high temperature when laundering or steaming infested items is another way for non-chemical control. Pest control companies also offer heat treatment for bed bugs. Methods can involve using polystyrene board insulation around items to be treated and heating these boxes to the appropriate temperatures with space heaters, or using commercial heaters to heat the entire room and its contents.
Bed bugs are not often removed with one treatment, and continued inspections and treatment follow ups are key for eliminating an infestation.
Awareness of bed bugs and their habits is the most important way to avoid infestations. When traveling or exchanging belongings, know what to look for to assure bed bugs are not present.
Visit the Florida Bed Bug Workgroup website to view articles, videos, and links about bed bugs and their prevention and treatment.
Read the original here:
Bed Bugs - UF/IFAS Extension: Solutions for Your Life
- Bed Bug dog sniffing out the bed bugs - May 20th, 2011 [May 20th, 2011]
- Exterminating Bed Bugs with Heat Treatment in St. Paul, MN call to get 10% off - August 7th, 2011 [August 7th, 2011]
- Kill Bed Bugs with HeatTreatment in St. Paul, MN - September 9th, 2011 [September 9th, 2011]
- Pest Control in Pinellas County FL Hunt Exterminating Co. Inc. - Video - October 27th, 2011 [October 27th, 2011]
- Advanced Pest Control Florida - On The News- Using ThermaPure Heat to Kill Bed Bugs -WPBF-TV.mp4 - Video - November 12th, 2011 [November 12th, 2011]
- K-9 Training Chicago - The Office - Video - November 22nd, 2011 [November 22nd, 2011]
- A Closer Look at the Verifi™ Bed Bug Detector - Video - November 27th, 2011 [November 27th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs 101 - Video - December 11th, 2011 [December 11th, 2011]
- K-9 Training Chicago - Bozo.mp4 - Video - December 12th, 2011 [December 12th, 2011]
- Dr. Philip Koehler talks about the Verifi™ Bed Bug Detector - Video - December 18th, 2011 [December 18th, 2011]
- Trace at Work Detecting Bed Bugs (Top Dog Scent Detection) - Video - December 18th, 2011 [December 18th, 2011]
- Bed bugs close Orlando Salvation Army shelter - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- Bed bugs close Salvation Army homeless shelter - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- Good day, bad day: January 26, 2012 - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- GOP leads the way in apoplexy - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- Palm Club Apartments, Lake Worth, Florida, The WORST! Unhealthy and Unsafe! - Video - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- La Niña and Flu Outbreaks; Men Overspend When Women Are Scarce - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- Bed bug infestation closes Salvation Army shelter - January 29th, 2012 [January 29th, 2012]
- Saratoga Springs Housing Authority put under microscope at City Council, resident meetings - February 1st, 2012 [February 1st, 2012]
- Saratoga Springs Housing Authority put under microscope at City Council, resident meetings (With videos) - February 2nd, 2012 [February 2nd, 2012]
- P Diddy,Jay Z,Beyonce And Drake-Please Buy Crazy Rockin Ronny Some Bed Bug Spray - Video - February 6th, 2012 [February 6th, 2012]
- The Drive Home: Episode 35: October 7, 2011 6:06 PM - Video - February 6th, 2012 [February 6th, 2012]
- Bank robbery couple sentenced to prison - February 15th, 2012 [February 15th, 2012]
- After bedbugs suspected in 166 rooms, accuracy of dogs is questioned - February 27th, 2012 [February 27th, 2012]
- Bedbugs confirmed in 166 rooms; treatments continue regardless of 'false-positives' - February 27th, 2012 [February 27th, 2012]
- Bedbugs confirmed in 166 rooms; treatments continue even in cases of false positives - February 27th, 2012 [February 27th, 2012]
- New Hanover Courthouse Denies Bed Bug Infestation, Still BedBugControl911.com Suggests the Purchase of Green Bed Bug ... - March 11th, 2012 [March 11th, 2012]
- Connecticut Lawmakers' Bill Mandates Expensive Bed Bug Treatment, BedBugControl911.com Offers Less Costly Solution - March 13th, 2012 [March 13th, 2012]
- Warm winter leads to more bugs in SWFL homes - March 15th, 2012 [March 15th, 2012]
- Pest Control Company Releases Top 50 Bed Bug Infested US Cities, BedBugControl911.com Offers Residents Green Help - March 23rd, 2012 [March 23rd, 2012]
- Not just drugs or bombs. Newest sniffing target for dogs: bed bugs - April 18th, 2012 [April 18th, 2012]
- EarthSky video schedule on Galavision’s Détras del Saber spring 2012 - April 26th, 2012 [April 26th, 2012]
- Pests appearing due to mild winter - May 1st, 2012 [May 1st, 2012]
- Senior residents complain of bed bug infestation - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Senior living residents complain of bed bug infestation - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- University of Florida Study Examines Potentially Harmful Effects a Bed Bug Infestation Can Have on Humans - October 15th, 2012 [October 15th, 2012]
- Florida Bed Bugs - Are You Bugged By Florida Bed Bugs? Get ... - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- Bed Bugs in Florida | Everything you need to know about bed bugs ... - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- bed bug - Cimex lectularius Linnaeus - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA ... - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- Bed Bugs Florida - Bed Bug.org - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- EENY140/IN297: Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius Linneaus (Insecta ... - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- Florida Bed Bugs | How Do You Get Rid of Bedbugs in FL? - November 7th, 2013 [November 7th, 2013]
- florida — Got bed bugs? Bedbugger.com - November 7th, 2013 [November 7th, 2013]
- Bedbugs Miami, FL | Bedbug Control Services - November 7th, 2013 [November 7th, 2013]
- Bed Bugs -- School IPM - November 10th, 2013 [November 10th, 2013]
- South Florida Bed Bug Heat Treatment | West Palm Beach Bed Bug ... - December 7th, 2013 [December 7th, 2013]
- Florida Bugs | Florida Exterminators: Bed Bugs-Ants-Spiders - December 11th, 2013 [December 11th, 2013]
- Reports of Bed Bugs in Orlando Hotels - Orlando, Florida ... - December 23rd, 2013 [December 23rd, 2013]
- Broward County Bed Bug Control | Ft. Lauderdale Exterminator ... - January 5th, 2014 [January 5th, 2014]
- Bed Bug Control Boca Raton | Bed Bug Removal Delray Beach - April 21st, 2014 [April 21st, 2014]
- K9 P.I. SCENT DETECTION BED BUG Serving South Florida ... - April 21st, 2014 [April 21st, 2014]
- Researchers create easy, cheap way to trap bed bugs - May 27th, 2014 [May 27th, 2014]
- Bed Bugs Shut Down Pasco County Fire Station, My Cleaning Products Suggests a Bed Bug Spray to Help Others Kill the ... - May 27th, 2014 [May 27th, 2014]
- Family files $1.5M suit over reported bed bug infestation - June 13th, 2014 [June 13th, 2014]
- Bed Bugs In Florida | Bed Bug Identification In Tampa ... - June 28th, 2014 [June 28th, 2014]
- A low-cost trap to get rid of bedbugs - July 5th, 2014 [July 5th, 2014]
- Florida Bed Bug Control - October 14th, 2014 [October 14th, 2014]
- Bed Bugs Jacksonville Florida Termite Treatment and Pest ... - October 30th, 2014 [October 30th, 2014]
- Charlotte Co. movie theater treated for bed bugs - November 14th, 2014 [November 14th, 2014]
- Tampa area Exterminators see uptick in Bed Bugs | Angies List - November 26th, 2014 [November 26th, 2014]
- Bed Bug Exterminating | RIP Environmental Services of ... - November 27th, 2014 [November 27th, 2014]
- Veterans living with bed bugs in building not zoned for residential use - December 16th, 2014 [December 16th, 2014]
- Gary Geiger: Florida Bed Bug Buster| FMC Pest Wire - December 24th, 2014 [December 24th, 2014]
- Bed Bugs Conference on HUD Requirements By AudioSolutionz Gets a Tremendous Response - January 7th, 2015 [January 7th, 2015]
- Bed Bug Report for Rosen Center Hotel, Orlando, FL - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Bed Bug Control | Bed Bug Inspection - Florida Pest Control - August 7th, 2015 [August 7th, 2015]
- Orlando and Florida Bed Bug Inspection - August 9th, 2015 [August 9th, 2015]
- Bed Bug Report for Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, FL - August 14th, 2015 [August 14th, 2015]
- Bed Bugs - Pest Control Tampa Bay Florida Area - September 4th, 2015 [September 4th, 2015]
- Charlotte Co. movie theater treated for bed bugs - NBC-2 ... - October 8th, 2015 [October 8th, 2015]
- Fleas, Ticks, Bed Bugs Exterminator Pest Control Company ... - December 20th, 2015 [December 20th, 2015]
- Effective Home Remedies for Bed Bugs | FULL GUIDE - December 11th, 2016 [December 11th, 2016]
- Rare bed bug re-emerges in Florida after 60 years - February 2nd, 2017 [February 2nd, 2017]
- Letting bedbugs bite -- because science - Firstcoastnews.com - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Tropical Bed Bugs Returning to the United States SAT Press ... - Satellite PR News (press release) - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Bed bugs are a problem in these Florida cities - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Why Not Just Tent Fumigate For Bed Bugs And Save The Mess ... - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Allergy Technologies Hits the Road for 'Bed Bug Awareness Week' - PCT Magazine - June 5th, 2017 [June 5th, 2017]
- This Is How to Actually Spot a Bed Bug - SELF - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Bed bugs disappeared for 40 years, now they're back with a vengeance. Here's what to know - USA TODAY - June 22nd, 2017 [June 22nd, 2017]
Click Free Exterminator Quote
to fill in a form to obtain a free exterminator quote today.