The bed bug is an aggressive parasite that can adapt to any environment. Some people are under the impression that bed bugs are nocturnal insects. Bed bugs do exhibit nocturnal behavior, but that is about as far as it goes. As previously mentioned, bed bugs can adapt to all environments. As long as there is a living, breathing host, the insects can thrive in all conditions.
Bed Bug And Human Encounters
There is only one way your home will become infested with bed bugs. It only takes one brief encounter with a bed bug to be left dealing with a home bed bug infestation. A bed bug encounter can take place at any time or anywhere without your knowledge. In fact, if you ask most victims, they will swear never remembering any encounter.
Bed bug encounters can occur anywhere, such as in hotels, motels, country inns, daycare centers for adults or children, or medical centers. Like the other victims, you will probably not be aware of the encounter.
It may take several days or weeks before you begin to question if your home is infested with bed bugs. These tiny insects exhibit deceptive behaviors that allow them to share indoor environments with humans.
Signs Of A Bed Bug Problem
As mentioned above, it can take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks before you become suspicious. This basically means you will be sharing your home with bed bugs without knowing it. Just the mere thought of sharing your living space with parasites can be unnerving. But, when you consider bed bugs tend to infest mattresses, bed linen, and box springs, the unnerving can become severe anxiety in no time flat.
If you are a frequent traveler, have a college student living in a dorm, or volunteer at a homeless shelter, your risk of entering bed bugs is much higher than others. Knowing the signs of a bed bug problem will put you one step ahead in the process. The signs include the following:
- Dried blood on bed linen
- Black crusty debris on bed linen and mattress
- Tiny red spots on your body (Bed bug bites)
- Odd musty odor
In the early phases of a bed bug problem, a sighting is unlikely. After several weeks of reproducing, the problem will become more apparent. A single adult female bed bug lays between one and five eggs per day. Imagine if you are dealing with two, three, or even a dozen adult females.
Naturally Drive Bed Bugs Out Of Hiding
Once a live sighting has been noted, it is time to start driving the bed bugs out of their hiding places. Bed bugs are only a few millimeters in length. Some people describe the insect as being the size of an apple seed. They are also virtually the same color as wood finishes, such as walnut, cherry, and oak.
Since you do not have any special pest control tools, you will need an efficient alternative. Do not go out and buy expensive extermination equipment. Instead, you can utilize things lying around your home.
Portable Heater
Nearly every home has a portable heater utilized to heat small spaces. You can turn your portable heater into a tool to drive bed bugs out of their hiding places. It cannot be stressed enough, that the bed bug’s target area is the bedroom. In most cases, the bedroom of choice is the master bedroom.
Install one or two portable heaters in the impacted bedroom. It is important to note, that the common bed bug tends to hide in small crevices, cracks, and holes. The insects crawl deep inside the smallest vulnerability in furniture, floorboards, home décor, mattresses, box springs, hardwood flooring, upholstery, and drapes.
To maximize the effectiveness of this pest control method, it is recommended to rotate the heaters every few hours. Face the front of the heater toward the bed, keeping a safe distance between the two objects. Leave the heaters in this position for about an hour before rotating toward the wall or other piece of furniture. If bed bugs are infesting your bedroom, they will emerge from hiding after several hours.
Steamer
Utilizing a clothing or floor steamer, it is possible to drive bed bugs out of hiding. This method basically works in the same manner as the portable heater. Bed bugs are drawn to heat. They utilize their antennas to detect body heat to locate living hosts.
Frequently rotate the steamer to ensure the entire room is impacted by the hot steam.
Clothes Dryer
A clothes dryer offers two benefits for this project. It can drive bed bugs out of bed linen, drapes, clothing, and other materials. The heat produced by the dryer will also act as a natural extermination tool.
Before transporting the infested linen to the laundry room, carefully put them inside a plastic bag. Seal the top to protect the unimpacted areas of your home from the bed bugs inside the linen.
Carefully remove the infested bed linen and place it in the dryer. Preset the dryer to the maximum temperature to maximize effectiveness. It will take between 30 and 60 minutes to complete the process.
Adhesive Bed Bug Traps
To maximize the effects when utilizing heaters and steamers to drive bed bugs out of hiding, include adhesive pest traps in the process. Bed bug traps utilize a sticky adhesive that captures and traps.
Place the adhesive traps in proximity to the steamer or heater. When the bed bugs emerge from hiding, they will try to cross over the traps. Their legs and bodies will get stuck in the glue. Toss the trap in a waste bin once it is full.
CO2 Bed Bug Detectors And Traps
An electronic bed bug trap generates carbon dioxide and heat. As mentioned above, bed bugs can detect CO2 and heat. Place the CO2 detector in the impacted room. Again, you should rotate every few hours to maximize effectiveness.
Once the bed bugs come out of hiding, the trap will nab them as they make their emergence. A CO2 detector is a two-in-one device that draws and traps bed bugs.