Your home should be a place where you feel comfortable and safe. Unfortunately, a wide range of household pests can infiltrate your home, making you feel anxiety or nervousness. Some pests can simply be a nuisance. Others can be harmful and pose a threat to your health and wellness. Bed bugs can fall into both categories. These tiny creatures can be a big problem for any homeowner. They can be difficult to dispose of if you do not follow effective measures. Pay attention to the right and wrong ways to get rid of them, so you can sleep easy tonight.
An Overview of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small insects that bite exposed skin and feed on the blood of humans and animals. Both you and your pets can be at risk when bed bugs are present. These insects are about the size of an apple seed. Their appearance is reddish-brown in color. They are usually most active during the night when you have retired for the day and have drifted off to sleep on your bed. The insects are not easy to see due to their minuscule size and ability to hide in your mattress or bedding. They can also retreat to the box spring or headboard. If they feel threatened, bed bugs can leave the bed and hide out in walls or in nearby piles of laundry or other materials. Female bed bugs are prolific egg-layers, often laying hundreds at a time in and around your mattress.
How You Know You May Have a Bed Bugs Infestation
Because they feed while you are asleep at night, you won’t likely feel the bite of a bed bug. You will, however, probably feel the effects of their attacks in the following days. When a bed bug bites, you will soon after develop red welts or sores on your body. These may show up on your hands, legs, arms, feet, face, or neck. Just about every part of the body is fair game to these bugs. You may also itch or even start to see blisters or hives. If you see these symptoms, make sure you check other family members for clues that bed bugs have started to stake a claim on the beds of your home.
The Consequences of Not Acting Fast
Bed bugs won’t go away on their own. If you have provided a nice place for these pests to stay, they’ll thrive and continue to grow in numbers. You may grow increasingly frustrated and continue to suffer the effects of their bites. You may want to avoid sleeping in your bed, which can affect your health, alertness, and even mood.
Avoid Doing Nothing
There are right ways and wrong ways to get rid of bed bugs. First and foremost, don’t ignore the problem. Some people may be in denial that they have a problem with these pests. It can be embarrassing to admit having such an infestation. However, dismissing this issue will only make it worse. The bugs can spread to other beds in the house. They may also be on your clothing or in your bedding. Act quickly and take the proper steps to eradicate these pests from your home.
Don’t Move to Another Bed or Couch
Some people think switching sleeping spots will help them avoid bed bugs. This is a fallacy and might only make the issue worse. If you relocate your sleeping place, the bugs will likely follow you, spreading the infestation. Head off the problem and take care of your bed. That way, if you do sleep in another place, the bugs won’t join you there, too.
Don’t Get Rid of Your Bed or Other Furniture
Some people act rashly when they discover bed bugs and think they have to dispose of their mattresses. The truth is, with effective cleaning measures, you can kill all the bed bugs on and in your mattress.
Don’t Panic
Learning that you have bed bugs can be embarrassing. It may even make you angry or anxious. The last thing you want to do is overly worry and go to extremes. This pest problem is controllable and treatable.
Don’t Use Pesticides
Garden pesticides may seem like a good idea. However, while these chemicals may kill the bugs, they can also be harmful to humans and pets. If you are thinking of resorting to chemicals, talk to a professional bed bug exterminator in Scottsdale for help.
Household pests come in many forms. Some of the most challenging to deal with are also the smallest. Bed bugs can plague you and be a nuisance to try to get rid of. Stay away from these responses and instead get in touch with a professional extermination company to make your home free of these creatures.
Posted by Judy Orr on
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