Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus) are insects that feed every 5 to 10 days, mainly on human blood. They are usually active at night, and their bites often cause itchy skin.
Although they are not known to spread disease, they are considered public health pests. Here’s how to keep bed bugs out of your bed and home.
How do bed bugs get into your home?
Bed bugs enter your home by traveling on:
– the clothes of your family and visitors
– the luggage
– the boxes
– used furniture
– messy bedding
How can I prevent bed bugs from entering my home?
A number of precautions you can take to prevent bed bugs from infesting your home, include:
– Before leaving used furniture in the house, check for signs of bed bugs (bed bugs can live a year or more without eating).
– Put a protective cover on your mattress and box spring.
– Consider getting a mattress cover pre-treated with a pesticide.
– Consider getting a plain, light-colored mattress cover that makes it easy to detect bed bugs.
– Be careful and be vigilant if you use a shared laundry room.
– Vacuum frequently.
– Reduce clutter.
Travel prevention tips to avoid bringing bed bugs
You don’t want to bring bed bugs home after a trip. Here are precautions to keep in mind when traveling, including:
– Avoid putting your luggage on the bed. Consider placing your suitcase on a shelf that has been moved away from the wall or in a dry tub.
– Bring a flashlight and use it to check for signs of bed bugs. In addition to bedding, check the edges and seams of the mattress, box spring, and bed frame.
– Check furniture near the bed, such as nightstands.
If you spot signs of bed bugs, notify your host or hotel management immediately.
Lwhen you return home from a trip
When you come back :
– Separate the clothes with which you have traveled and wash them immediately with hot water.
– Vacuum your luggage, then outside, empty the contents of the vacuum into a plastic bag. Seal the bag tightly and dispose of it in an outdoor trash can.
Do you already have bedbugs in your house?
In addition to the presence of the bugs themselves, signs of a bed bug infestation include:
– Rust stains on bedding, caused by crushing bedbugs.
– Small dark spots on your bedding. Bed bug feces looks like a small dot made with a ballpoint pen. It can be rubbed on the fabric, like a marker dot on the fabric.
– Tiny white eggs or eggshells, about the size of the head of a pin (about 1 millimeter).
– Small yellowish-white skins, which the young shed as they grow.
What are bed bugs like?
Adult bed bugs have:
– a size similar to the size of an apple seed
– often a musty smell
– not freshly fed, they are brown and have a flat, oval-shaped body
– if it has recently fed, it has a reddish-brown color and a rounder, more globe-shaped body.
Young bed bugs (nymphs):
– they are smaller than adults
– are translucent yellowish white
– if they have not fed recently, they are almost impossible to see with the naked eye.
where to look for them
Bed bugs are not big and can get into small hiding places. To give you an idea of its size, if you can fit a credit card through a slot, there’s room for a thumbtack.
Bed bugs usually hide around your bed:
– on the mattress and box spring, in cracks created by seams, labels and edging
– in the crevices of the headboard and bed frame.
In case of strong infestation, they can be found far from the bed:
– in the seams and between the cushions of chairs and sofas
– in the folds of the curtains
– under wall hangings
– at the junction of the wall and ceiling
– under peeling wallpaper
– in drawer joints
– in electrical sockets
Bed bugs can travel up to 6 meters from their hiding place to feed.
Key points to remember
There are several ways to try to prevent bed bugs. Here are a few:
– take precautions during the trip
– check second hand furniture
– use a protective cover on your mattress and box spring
– vacuum frequently
If, despite all of these precautions, you discover bed bugs in your home, act quickly. You will need to get rid of bed bugs in the early stages of the infestation. The longer they stay in your home, the more difficult it will be to remove them.
* HealthKey strives to convey health knowledge in a language accessible to all. In NO EVENT can the information provided replace the opinion of a health professional.