This guy and thousands of his friends get together to form an infestation.
Bedbugs are back. During the 20th century, they were virtually eliminated in the United States thanks to potent pesticides like DDT. We've since learned about the health risks of those chemicals and banned them, and the bedbugs are back en masse. Bedbugs can infest anyone's home; they're not a sign of poor housekeeping or uncleanliness in any way. So you or someone you know may well have to ban the bugs yourself someday. Here are some steps to getting rid of bedbugs...
Make sure you have bedbugs. Look closely, especially in the seams around your mattress for tiny brown or black dots, which are signs of bedbugs. Also, check your body for tiny red bites, often in linear patterns. If your side looks like the belt of Orion, you may have a bedbug infestation.
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Step 2
If you do have a bedbug infestation, launder soft surfaces in hot water. Wash all your linens, pajamas, pillows, and other soft surfaces in the hottest possible water to kill the bedbugs. Alternately, freezing affected surfaces for 48 hours will also kill the bedbugs.
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Step 3
Vacuum everything thoroughly. Surprisingly, a vacuum can actually help remove a bedbug infestation. However, you will still need to use at least some of the other steps here to kill the hidden bedbug population.
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Step 4
Replace all the bedding you can afford. If at all possible, toss out your old mattress, pillows and linens and get new ones. You simply can't wash or deep freeze your mattress (in most parts of the country), so it's very hard for homeowners to kill bedbugs themselves. To truly get rid of a bedbug infestation, you may need professional help.
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Step 5
Call in the pros. Depending on the severity of the bedbug infestation, you may want to call in professional exterminators as soon as you suspect there's a problem. They can identify the bedbugs, or other insects, and have the chemical weapons to do away with them.
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Infestations
- Many times, a bed bug infestation in the home starts when someone picks up the bugs from another location--frequently a hotel, motel or dormitory. Bed bugs can also enter your home if you pick up used furniture or mattresses that have been infested.
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Symptoms
- Most people begin to suspect they have bed bugs in their mattresses when they notice itchy bites on their bodies. Bed bugs often bite along arteries and veins because they eat blood from humans and other warm-blooded animals.
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Habits
- Bed bugs tend to travel in groups, and they generally avoid daylight. During the day, they hide in carpet, furniture, mattresses and in small holes and crevices.
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If You Have Bed Bugs
- If you find bed bugs in your mattress, you should replace it. If that isn't feasible, you can purchase a mattress cover with a zipper. Be sure to clean and vacuum the mattress before covering it. Additionally, thoroughly clean the room, including vacuuming the carpeting and laundering the bedding and any clothes in the area.
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Stop the Spread
- If you throw away furniture and mattresses infected with bed bugs, you should try to bring them directly to a waste hauler rather than leaving them at the curb. If someone were to take your infected belongings, they could then infect their home.
