Dont Let The Bed Bugs Bite - Or Ruin Your Life Either

One of the most disturbing things when coming out of a deep sleep and waking up in the morning is finding small red bite marks up and down your skin. If you've had this happen then you know all too well that there are few bugs out there that can do this to you while you're sleeping. Perhaps you've been travelling on different beds or have just recently discovered traces in your home but it's likely you're dealing with the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius). In this article we're going to discuss bed bug detection, elimination and some recent history on these annoying little bugs and why they're back.

There are many expressions over the years when it comes to sleeping. "Sleep tight" which comes from medivel times when beds used ropes between the rails of the bed to hold the mattress. If these weren't tight your mattress would slip through to the floor. "Slept like a baby" which implies that you were quite asleep and that nothing was going to wake you up. Then of course this one, "Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Which of course is a referrence to those small little oval shaped bugs that sneak onto your bed and proceed to bite you all over in the middle of the night.

Strong synthetic pesticides like DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane) were used to eradicate bed bugs from 1939 on until DDT was banned. Believed to be causing cancer in humans and animals and posing a threat to all wildlife from crop dusting, DDT was banned for agricultural use worldwide under the Stockholm Convention in 1972. However this pesticide went a long way in eradicating bed bugs and for decades there were few if any cases of bed bugs being reported throughout the United States.  The old adage "Don't let the bed bugs bite" was starting to fade out of memory much like other common phrases with referrences to things in society of the past. Unfortunately though bed bugs didn't go away and are troubling us more than ever in the 21st Century.

The resurgence of bed bugs today can be attributed to many factors. Bed bugs are building up tolerances to weaker chemicals being used in managing them. Travel is also another consideration as more and more people travel between Europe, Asia and North America which may be helping to spread these annoying little creatures through living spaces, hotels and homes abroad. Having a clean and tidy home doesn't gaurantee a bed bug free space since we know they can get onto clothing, luggage or anything else they come in contact with. There are some things to look for when trying to determine if you have a bed bug infestation.

Bed bugs are noctural which means they only come out at night. More specifically when it is pitch black as they avoid light. Detecting them can be tricky because if you turn the lights on in a room they can hide and scatter quickly into floorboard cracks or crevices in furniture or beds without being seen. Try using a flashlight and avoid movement as this too will alert them. If you begin to notice red bites in a pattern or in the same area this is also an indication that bed bugs may be present. Visual detection of the bugs, the bites themselves or seeing them on your mattress or body will determine if you need to begin containment and eradication. Bed bug eggs are quite small almost the size of a grain of salt, very difficult to see. The bugs themselves are typically dark in color and oval shaped and about 3/16 of an inch in length. You may also see bed bug droppings or even small bits of blood in affected areas. If there are signs you have them and you're attentive you should be able to see them when carefully detecting them with the methods above.

Removing bed bugs can be attempted by the home owner or renter but it is actually best to involve a PMP (Pest Management Professional). They will have stronger industrial strength products that will be able to neutralize the bed bugs. They'll also be able to help determine what areas in your home are serving as a staging area for the bugs especially within walls and base boards. PMP's can offer suggestions for where to fill in cracks in floor board areas and are trained to find signs of where the bed bugs are coming from and what products can be safely used throughout your home to remove them. Adult bed bugs can live up to a year without a feeding so having professional help may be required to make sure they don't come back. Also, don't be surprised if it is recommended that you purchase a new mattress and bed then toss out current mattresses and other furniture if you do in fact have a bed bug infestation.

If you have bed bugs there have been some different techniques that have evolved over time that may or may not help you in your own situation. The idea of small bugs crawling on you while you're sleeping can be quite unsettling and can lead to poor sleep. Maybe some of these techniques will help. Some people have used cottage cheese cups or containers beneath the metal legs of their beds and used a combination of flypaper and double sided sticky tape to catch the little bugs as they crawled up. Other people recommend the use of neem oil sprayed on carpets, mattresses and bedding to control bed bugs. Neem oil is made from the neem tree in India and has been used for hundreds of years as an effective insect control. It has been approved as being safe by the FDA for external use. Just make sure nothing is touching the ground to your bed such as a bed skirt or have your bed pushed against the wall. Don't give bed bugs a chance to find away onto your bed.

In this article we've discussed the ever annoying bed bug. We talked about how they were nearly eradicated decades ago but have slowly been re-emerging in homes, hotels and other living spaces in recent years. We learned that they are noctural in nature and come out at night to feed which is the best time to detect them. Signs of bed bugs are bites on the skin in close proximately to each other as well as eggs or droppings that may be on your mattress or near the general sleeping area. Bed bug removal is best handled by a PMP who is trained in the proper products and detection to remove an infestation. We also discussed some techniques to manage bed begs yourself that others have found helpful over the years. So just remember, "sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite!"