You might have expected to catch a mouse, squirrel, bat, or bird in your house someday. Not an infestation, mind you, but finding a single specimen or two isn't unheard of. You might have expected -- or braced -- yourself for several things. What you probably never expected was finding bed bugs in your home. But that's exactly what you have. Here's how to get rid of them on your own (with a little knowledge to assist you).
Anatomy of a Bed Bug
The bed bug that feeds on humans -- Cimex lectularius – is a flat, reddish-brown insect that, lacking wings, is about the size of a cucumber seed. As it eats, primarily at night, it becomes darker and rounder, allowing you to see them. (Whereas you may overlook those who have not yet dined, in contrast.) …show more content…
and a year and a half without taking a breath. Living in ideal conditions they also breed rapidly, laying 200 to 500 eggs per adult female (or about 3 to 5 eggs a day). Bed bug populations can quickly explode, given the opportunity, as a result.
While bed bugs are not known to transmit or cause any disease or illness, they're not totally harmless. Biting in rows, a characteristic called "breakfast, lunch, and dinner," bed bug bites (which don't show up immediately) may cause irritation and, when scratched, become infected. Each bed bug may dine every five to 10 days and between meals, the bug stays within about 8 feet of a resting area or bed where they can sense the carbon dioxide in your breath.
Note: You can't feel the bed bugs when they bite. First, they prefer to dine at night unless the room is really dim during daylight hours. Further, a bed bug pinches the skin then injects a local anesthetic to prevent the victim from feeling the bite. This allows them to feed and disappear before you even know what …show more content…
Signs of Bed Bugs
So you probably won't know you have bed bugs until you realize you were bitten. Don't count it hopeless yet. To search for bed bugs, look for:
Shed skins Blood spots Fully engorged adults
Not only do bed bugs defecate, but when they do, they leave behind blood-colored splotches that are, literally, full of blood. They also emit a sweet yet musty scent (sometimes likened to rotten raspberries). The more bed bugs you have, the stronger the smell.
Note: Some pest service professionals will bring in special service dogs to hunt down bed bugs through smell.
Preventing and Killing Bed Bugs
If an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, then it counts doubly so when preventing bed bugs. Most methods to prevent bed bugs come back to common sense:
Avoid purchasing used furniture, especially beds and bedding. Look over motel rooms when traveling, especially around and in the bed. Set luggage on the luggage rack to deter bed bugs from climbing in. Unload directly into your (hot) washing machine and then dryer when you get
Anatomy of a Bed Bug
The bed bug that feeds on humans -- Cimex lectularius – is a flat, reddish-brown insect that, lacking wings, is about the size of a cucumber seed. As it eats, primarily at night, it becomes darker and rounder, allowing you to see them. (Whereas you may overlook those who have not yet dined, in contrast.) …show more content…
and a year and a half without taking a breath. Living in ideal conditions they also breed rapidly, laying 200 to 500 eggs per adult female (or about 3 to 5 eggs a day). Bed bug populations can quickly explode, given the opportunity, as a result.
While bed bugs are not known to transmit or cause any disease or illness, they're not totally harmless. Biting in rows, a characteristic called "breakfast, lunch, and dinner," bed bug bites (which don't show up immediately) may cause irritation and, when scratched, become infected. Each bed bug may dine every five to 10 days and between meals, the bug stays within about 8 feet of a resting area or bed where they can sense the carbon dioxide in your breath.
Note: You can't feel the bed bugs when they bite. First, they prefer to dine at night unless the room is really dim during daylight hours. Further, a bed bug pinches the skin then injects a local anesthetic to prevent the victim from feeling the bite. This allows them to feed and disappear before you even know what …show more content…
Signs of Bed Bugs
So you probably won't know you have bed bugs until you realize you were bitten. Don't count it hopeless yet. To search for bed bugs, look for:
Shed skins Blood spots Fully engorged adults
Not only do bed bugs defecate, but when they do, they leave behind blood-colored splotches that are, literally, full of blood. They also emit a sweet yet musty scent (sometimes likened to rotten raspberries). The more bed bugs you have, the stronger the smell.
Note: Some pest service professionals will bring in special service dogs to hunt down bed bugs through smell.
Preventing and Killing Bed Bugs
If an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, then it counts doubly so when preventing bed bugs. Most methods to prevent bed bugs come back to common sense:
Avoid purchasing used furniture, especially beds and bedding. Look over motel rooms when traveling, especially around and in the bed. Set luggage on the luggage rack to deter bed bugs from climbing in. Unload directly into your (hot) washing machine and then dryer when you get