Preventing Holiday Bed Bug Infestations for Greater-DC Homes
12/07/2018
One of the best ways to pick up bed bugs is to travel. This is because bed bugs spread passively. They don't crawl up your exterior walls and slip ...
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Your mother was on to something when she sent you off to sleep, hoping the bed bugs wouldn’t bite. Bed bugs are biting, blood-sucking insects that love to sleep next to you at night. American Pest can help you get rid of them for good. Here are effective strategies to help you get rid of bed bugs.
What are Bed bugs?
Bed bugs are no bigger than the size of an apple seed. So, no, those aren’t crumbs in your bed. The flat, brown insects feed on birds and mammals, which means you and your household pets are at risk for feeding. After a bed bug feasts on your blood, it will swell and the brown body with transform to a reddish color.
What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?
Bed bugs pierce the skin and feed on your blood for as long as ten minutes. This all takes place without you even knowing it. Bed bugs feed primarily at night, which means your sleep schedule is ideal for their feeding times.
In most cases, you will not see a bed bug feeding on you because they suck and disappear all while you snooze. Bed bug bites are not as obvious as flea, tick, mosquito, and spider bites because they are virtually painless when you wake. You won’t notice a bed bug bite until late when it swells and becomes itchy. By the time you notice the bites, you will think they came from another source.
The only way to know you have been bit by bed bugs is to find the bed bugs themselves. The problem with doing that is that the bugs are flat and like to hide in tight spaces.
Where are the Bed bugs in Your Home?
Bed bugs prefer to hide in the places you can’t see or access. Common places where bed bugs lurk are:
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In bedding and pillow cases
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On curtains and linens
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In the nooks and crannies of mattresses, couches, and chairs
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In cluttered spaces
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
The worst part about getting rid of bed bugs is that you can’t do it alone. Bed bugs hide well, and their eggs are difficult to get rid of with at-home treatments.
Why At-home Solutions Fail
At-home solutions for treating bed bugs involve everything from soap solutions to essential oils, and self-made insecticides. These won’t work because they don’t address all the issues related to bed bugs and the habits of bed bugs. DIY bed bug solutions fail for many reasons:
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They don’t identify the source of the infestation
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They only kill exposed bed bugs, not the ones you can’t see
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They do little to deter, control and remove bed bugs
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The problem with moderately effective treatments and downright ineffective treatments is that you waste your money and don’t protect yourself from future infestations.
Call Professionals
Your best solution for getting rid of bed bugs is to call professionals. American Pest bed bug removal solutions include heat treatments, K-9 detection, encasement services, and traditional services as well.
