Obsessing About Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs?

Bedbugs suck.  Although there is nothing funny about that because the source of their nocturnal suck-fest is you or your kids. Sometimes your pets. Which makes them about as welcome as all-expenses-paid trip to Iraq.

To make it worse there’s been a resurgence of bedbug infestations across the country.  That’s right bed bugs are back.  You may have noticed from the headlines they are showing up in theaters, hotels, even retail outlets.  And these are not necessarily in the seedy parts of town as you might think.  In fact five star hotels have had to deal with them.  As have more and more homeowners.  Even those living in 90210 type zip codes.  Which raises a lot of questions in the minds of some concerned homeowners.  Who are worried they might be next, want to know what remedies work, need to know what to watch for in terms of bites.

What are bed bugs?
These guys are small parasitic crawling  insects.  These are night time feeders and much like vampires they feed off your blood.  They don’t fly but often hitch a ride to their new home. They’re very tenacious which makes them hard to get rid of.  Tthey can go for months without feeding  –another trait which gives them staying power.  Plus they can hide in places you wouldn’t suspect.  Electrical outlet covers, phone jacks, smoke detectors even.  All of which makes control and extermination tough.

What do they look like?
They’re pretty small actually. You’ll typically see them compared to about the size of an apple seed.  They are brownish coppery colored with rather flat bodies.  That’s until after they’ve feasted on you.  Then they will swell up like a balloon only instead of air they’re filled with blood.  Yours.

What diseases do they transmit?
None.  Luckily.  But their bites can be a pain.  Literally. Their victims end up with large unsightly red welts which can be quite itchy.  Yet scratching them isn’t smart.  Luckily some may be in hard to reach parts of your body making scratching hard to do anyway.  Some feel the emotional trauma is much worse than their bite.

How can I tell I have them?
For sure you’ll notice the bites. You may also notice unexplained blood marks on your sheets.  You may see the actual bug in your mattress when changing sheets, around the head board or inside nightstands.  They don’t like to stray far from their food source so you will typically find them hiding in and around your bed.

How can I get rid of them?
Ahhh, the eradication question.  Treatment is much easier said than done and killing them is NOT a DIY job. For sure this is definitely not a pick your poison (literally) proposition.  Because randomly spraying from a can of pesticide or setting off a slew of bug bombs may make you feel better but likely won’t bother your uninvited boarders. For sure won’t kill them off or make them run for cover either.

What can I do instead?
Educate yourself.  Info is key.  This site is all about bed bugs so that you better know what you can do to prevent these unwelcome invaders in the first place.  Or what you’re up against and steps to take to protect yourself and your family should you find yourself an unwitting host.