Bedbugs are one of the most annoying insects. They bite painfully, can cause allergies and irritation, and can make it difficult for anyone living in a room with bedbugs to get a good night’s sleep. In this article, we’ll discuss how to get rid of bedbugs using both traditional and commercial methods, explain how they appear in your home, what to do to prevent them from appearing, and how to protect yourself from these tiny bloodsucking creatures.
In most cases, pests enter a home. They can attach themselves to a person on public transport, outdoors, in an office, or even in a store if the area is infested. They enter an apartment from neighbors through cracks in the walls, through holes around pipes, through electrical outlets, and so on. Moreover, the presence of ectoparasites is not related to a person’s lifestyle: you can maintain a spotlessly clean home and still end up with a bedbug infestation. Insects often enter an apartment with pets: dogs and cats bring them in from the street. In short, there is no 100% protection against infestation.
Habitats and signs of bed bugs
Before learning how to get rid of bedbugs in your apartment yourself, let’s consider where they typically live. Ectoparasites’ favorite places to gather are sofas, beds, mattresses, and bedding. They feed on human blood, not animal blood, because they can’t penetrate thick fur, so they prefer to live in places where people linger for long periods. They typically live either in or near the bed (nests can be found under paintings, carpets, in nightstands, tables, etc.). Colonies can also be found in unoccupied rooms, but the bedroom is most often the location.
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The presence of a parasite can be detected by the following signs:
- Bite marks (red spots) appear on the skin.
- Blood stains may be seen on the bed linen.
- Small brown lumps remain on the sheet, which are the remains of the pests’ vital activity.
- A specific “cognac” smell appears in the room.
In most cases, ectoparasites can be detected visually: they reach 2-3 millimeters in size and are reddish-brown in color.
Why are bedbugs dangerous?
Despite common misconceptions, bed bugs do not transmit tuberculosis, hepatitis, or encephalitis, but their presence should still be avoided. Brucellosis and even anthrax are often found in bed bugs’ intestines, but they cannot transmit the disease to humans through a bite due to the short duration of contact.
A typical adult parasite drinks about 7 ml of blood per night, and it doesn’t bite just once, but dozens or even hundreds. It simply crawls along the skin and bites, secreting a special enzyme that dulls the sensation of pain. Negative effects on the victim include:
- The appearance of redness at the bite sites.
- Constant itching, the person does not get enough sleep at night.
- A burning sensation occurs at the bite site, and swelling may occur.
- Some people develop an allergic reaction with sores at the site of the bites.
- Outbursts of fear and stress.
Ways to combat bedbugs
There are various ways to combat bed bugs. You can use folk remedies, buy specialized products at a hardware store or market, or call a professional service that will perform high-quality disinfection using cold or hot fog. Let’s look at how to get rid of bed bugs yourself.
Folk remedies usually involve dealing with individual insects rather than the entire colony. Place several traps near your bed to deter the movement of the pests. For example, tape, sticky side up, placed on the railing will catch any insects that come into contact with it. Place ordinary plastic jar lids filled with water under the legs of your bed to trap the pests and drown them. Place several flypapers on the ceiling to trap the insects.
Another interesting way to get rid of bed bugs permanently is by heating the room. Pests die at temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius, so a hair dryer or heat gun will come in handy. Antiparasitic medications, available as chalks, sprays, or powders, are considered quite effective and fast. Carefully read the instructions and use them strictly as directed. Check the expiration date before purchasing: the fresher the product, the more effective it will be against the bloodsuckers.
While the above methods reduce the number of bedbugs, they don’t kill the entire colony. How can you permanently get rid of bedbugs on your own to avoid further bites? It’s best to call a professional pest control service, who will treat the premises with special products that penetrate crevices, under baseboards, and other hard-to-reach areas. If necessary, repeat the treatment after 30-40 days to kill any newly hatched bedbugs.
