Identification
Bed bugs [Cimex lectularius] are wingless, flat-bodied parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed on warm-blooded mammals. Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and are visible by the naked eye. These creepy critters prefer to feed on human blood but will occasionally be found on bats and rodents. Other Cimex species are specialized to other animals, e.g. bat bugs, etc. Bed bugs usually feed on you at night while you’re asleep by using an elongated beak similar to a mosquito.
Bed bugs are nocturnal , which can make identifying a bed bug problem difficult. They prefer to live in dark crevices along floors and walls. Bed bug eggs can be laid by the hundreds in fabric seams and carpet.
Aside from bite symptoms consisting of itching and red, swollen welts, other signs include fecal spots that are small dark droppings found in patches around and especially beneath nest sites, blood smears on sheets, and the presence of their molted exoskeletons.
How, When and Why They Become a Nuisance Pest
Bed bugs can cause many health concerns such as skin rashes and blister-like skin inflammations, psychological effects from loss of sleep and allergic reactions to the bites. Bed bugs carry methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug resistant strain of the staph virus.
Bed bugs are surely a serious health concern. Bed bugs can enter your home many different ways. One of the most common ways is by hitching a ride on your luggage after you have stayed in a hotel, motel, etc. that has an active infestation. Of course, they feed on you while you are staying in the hotel room as well. They can also come in by way of furniture.
Wild animals such as bats or rodents living in your home may also harbor bed bugs. Or even domestic pets may bring bed bugs into your home. However these blood-sucking creatures end up in your home it appears bed bugs are becoming a problem once again probably spurred by increases in international travel and textiles being imported into the United States.
Atlanta, Georgia Bed Bug Removal & Bedbug Pest Control
There are multiple treatment methods available to effectively eliminate a bed bug problem. To control an infestation it is wise to hire a professional to help you in treating the problem. A thorough inspection of the entire home is required before any treatment is performed. A mix of insecticide treatments and heat treatments are particularly successful approach for control and eradication of an invasion.
Heat and steam treatments kill all stages of bed bugs. The structure being treated must reach 150-170 degrees for a sustained period, which means humans, cannot inhabit the home or apartment during the treatment. Steam is a contact killer that can kill both bed bugs and eggs on furniture such as beds. This process requires constant and thorough steaming of the mattress, box spring, bed frame and all other materials in the infested room, such as carpets & curtains.
A professional pest control operator, with experience in the elimination of bed bug problems, should treat bed bug infestations. This is not something the average homeowner should attempt to eradicate.
