Fight Your Bedbugs
There’s nothing fantastic about bedbugs. They’re small. They’re ugly. They suck your blood. We thought we got rid of these pests with DDT 50 years ago – now they’re back and here to bite.
Since 2000, the number of bedbug infestations is increasing dramatically, notably in inner cities. With all the schools, hotels and apartment buildings, the Big Apple is a breeding ground for bedbugs. Some bedbug invasions are so severe that tenants must evacuate their building.
Experts believe the rise in bedbugs is due to globalization. Turns out these little critters are expert hitchhikers. If you stay in an infested room, they grab onto your clothing or crawl inside a suitcase, and you can unknowingly bring home an unexpected pet. It’s not a matter of hygiene or cleanliness. If bedbugs get into your home, they’ll suck your blood in any condition.
What do bedbug infestations look like?
The first sign of an infestation are bedbug bites. You’ll find itchy red dots all over your body. Some people break out in a full-blown rash from these bites, but that’s not always the case. Run warm water over any bite marks to reduce the itching sensation.
As crazy as it sounds, bedbugs don’t live inside beds. You’ll find them around mattress seams, but they can live almost anywhere. An obvious sign of bedbugs are dark speckled dots around your sheets, as if you spilled pepper all over your bed. That’s dried blood, which is a sign that the bugs are digesting their food between your sheets.
What to do if you have an infestation:
Call a professional. Bedbugs can spread throughout your house and down the neighborhood in a hurry. Don’t leave even one of these pests behind. Make sure the exterminator has proper credentials and experience to handle bedbugs.
Resist the temptation to throw out your furniture. When you move your bed, you’re moving the bedbugs around the house. Use a steam cleaner to penetrate the upholstery, which should kill all the bugs and their eggs too.
Don’t vacate the infested room. Bedbugs sense heat – this is how they hunt. They will track you down and spread their eggs in the process.
It’s always a good plan to change your bed sheets, but that’s not the final solution. Some New York Hotels found clusters of bedbugs in dark, stationary places like the back of a headboard or behind picture frames. Experts recommend covering your table legs or bedposts with petroleum jelly to stop the bedbugs from crawling up and infesting the furniture piece.
Most importantly, if you find an infestation, tell your neighbors. Infestations spread like a virus. Let your neighbors know about the problem before it’s a full blown infestation and you’ll save them time, heartache, and the worst rash known to man.
As a writer from Seattle,WA Pluto Graham is a bedding expert that will make your dreams come true.
Posted on September 6, 2009
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