How to Prevent a Bedbug Infestation
Bed bugs are a pest, like mice, roaches, and spiders, that can become too much - they are annoying, yes, but they can also cause health issues, itching, allergies and even asthmatic symptoms. Nonetheless, they are called a pest for a reason. These are quite common around the world including United States, Europe, and even Australia and in some locations it’s reaching an epidemic. Bed bugs can essentially live in almost any type of temperature or weather under 120degrees - which could really be anywhere. If you have bedbugs and you want to get rid of them, which you no doubt would want to, or you just want to prevent them from coming in your home, continue reading below. Before all that, though, here are some stats you should be aware of by Bugs without Borders: The main reason that bedbugs are scary is bb/c they bite us in our sleep and suck our blood, one way to think about them is a mosquito that cannot fly. If you live in the NJ area and you suspect that you have a bedbug infestation you should contact an exterminator in Essex County ASAP. Nearly all (99.6 percent) pest professionals have treated bed bugs in the past year, unchanged from 2013, but higher compared to five, 10 and 15 years ago. The top three places where pest professionals report finding bed bugs are apartments/condominiums (95 percent) and single-family homes (93 percent) and hotels/motels (75 percent). Past surveys have shown these environments to consistently be the top three where bed bugs have been encountered. Bed bugs are also found seemingly everywhere else and in higher numbers, such as nursing homes, college dorms, offices, schools and daycare centers, hospitals, public transportation and others. In addition to the environments above, pest professionals also report finding bed bugs in some very unusual places, results which illustrate how problematic this pest really is: A prosthetic leg; in a casket with a deceased body; vent above the bathtub; dance club; 911 call center; and in a towboat on the Ohio River. Bed bugs remain the most challenging pest to treat according to 68 percent of survey respondents, slightly lower than the 76 percent who said so in 2013, showcasing the industry’s greater understanding of ways to effectively combat bed bugs. Although not a seasonal pest, 61 percent of respondents said they received more calls at certain times of the year. Of those, two-thirds (66 percent) said summer was the busiest
season. People may unknowingly be transporting more bed bugs back home during the summer due to increased travel, use of public transportation and hotel stays compared to other times of the year. What Do Bedbugs Look Like? sOne of the most important things you need to know is what these little guys look like. They tend to have an oval body that is flat, but they are reddish brown in color. These are called bed bugs for a reason - they love beds, sheets, comforters, etc., but they will also spread to other areas of a room even if it’s not a bed. But, don't let the colors fool you, even though reddish brown is the most common, there are certain companies where an exterminator may see other colors such as white, tan and burnt orange - it depends on what stage of life the bed bug is at. Where Are They? Besides your home, bed bugs can be in other places such as hotels, motels, dorm rooms, etc. They tend to like a location where a lot of people are or a lot of people sleep. Because of their shape, they can hide just about anywhere from beds, sheets, mattresses, box springs, etc. but they can also hide in cracks, holes, and crevices. Bed bugs can also travel to and from rooms and to and from locations by using pipes and wires in the walls. Stop Bedbugs Before People automatically think because you have bed bugs that it means you are a dirty person or have a dirty home but in a lot of instances, people get bed bugs from other places and actually bring them home. That's right, bed bugs can hitch a ride on your clothes, laptop bags, backpacks, shoes and more. So make sure that when you come home from traveling, that you check for bedbugs before entering your building. Likewise, when staying in a hotel or motel make sure that before you unpack, you check the sheets, bathroom, and other locations to make sure that the room doesn't have any and if they do, get a new room! Signs You Might Have Bed Bugs
This gets a little more gruesome, but if you want to find out if you have bed bugs the biggest way is to look for fecal matter in the sheets. Yes, bed bugs do evacuate just like humans - hopefully not in your bed, though! Another way to tell if you have an infestation of bed bugs is the smell of coriander, I heard about this quite a few times and it seems to be true. If you found a bug or bugs and you don't know if they are bed bugs, you can consider taking them to an entomologist to see if they are or not. If you are too creeped out to deal with this, you can also have an exterminator come in and see if they can do anything about it. Chances are there will not be a natural way of getting rid of them and your house or apartment will have to be bug bombed, this means you will probably have to leave the house or apartment for a few days while the chemicals kill the bed bugs. Afterward make sure you have an exterminator come regularly to make sure they are completely gone and have not come back!