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About Bed Bugs
3 New Facts About Bed Bug Treatment in Your Home
23 May 2013 at 6:00am

The rise of bed bugs in the past twenty years is an inescapable fact. All but eliminated in the early 20th century, these small parasites are once again at the top of every homeowner's "worry list." Anyone who has ever experienced a bed bug infestation or known someone who has gone through it is aware of how disturbing it can be. Bed bug treatment in your home has changed dramatically over the years, as basic knowledge about these little parasites have become more widespread. Here are three new facts about bed bug treatment that you might not be aware of:Fact #1: Sprays and bug bombs don't work.When you see any kind of bug in your house, your first inclination may be to reach for a poison. That's fine with for the ones that you can actually see, but bed bugs are great at hiding in all the little cracks and crevices in your walls, furniture, and pretty much everywhere else. This means that poisons are not likely to reach those that aren't in plain view. Same goes for bug bombs that blanket your home. Although effective against other insects, their poison won't reach the bed bugs, either. In fact, bug bombs are probably the least useful form of bed bug elimination.Fact #2:  Detection is sometimes difficult.Bed bug treatment starts with detection. You need to know if you have a problem before you actually take any action. The problem is that bed bugs are very small, which makes them hard to see. A good form of detection is to use a latex glove in the folds of your couch and bed to check for feces. If you're still not sure if you have bed bugs, hire a professional pest control company to conduct an inspection for you. They may be able to detect an infestation themselves or choose to use bed bug dogs for the inspection.Fact #3: Heating your home may work, but it can be dangerous.Bed bugs cannot survive a great deal of heat. For this reason, many people decide to turn up the heat and kill the critters that way. However, although this is an effective treatment, it can also be a dangerous one. Heating your home to the degree that's required can put your home and valuables at risk. If you decide to attempt heating your home, definitely consult with a professional. Photo Credit:L?u Ly via wikimedia


Products That Kill Bed Bugs: Heat Versus Cold Treatment
21 May 2013 at 6:03am

In our fight against those nefarious parasites known as bed bugs, a number of products that kill bed bugs have been developed, especially in recent years. This is due to their resurgence since the 1990s after a 50 year absence. Once you discover that your home has been infested with bed bugs, it's important that you get the annoying creatures out of your house as soon as possible. Bed bugs don't do well in extreme weather. But can products that utilize heat or cold be used to rid your home of an infestation? Let's take a look at the possibilities.Heat treatmentProducts that kill bed bugs by utilizing heat are divided into two categories: spot treatment and whole-house treatment. If your problem isn't too big, handheld steamers can work wonders, especially when it comes to treating one small area at a time. Not only do they not use dangerous chemicals in order to eliminate the critters, the attachments that are typically included with a steamer will allow you to reach all the corners and cracks where bed bugs love to hide. In addition to steamers, there are also portable products that you can use when away from home to treat your clothes using heat.As for whole-house treatment, this consists of a series of heaters being placed in each room of your home that raising the temperature throughout your entire home. While this is very effective most of the time, the temperature that must be achieved in order to eliminate the bed bugs is quite high, which means you'll need to take precautions (such as removing some items from your home) to avoid a risk of fire or melting of certain items).Cold treatmentWith products that kill bed bugs everywhere at this point, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with a way to freeze the little suckers. After all, these parasites can't survive in extreme cold temperatures either. Although some have tried to use freezers as a way to kill bed bugs, the unfortunate truth is that portable versions don't seem to be very practical. There are no effective products on the market, for example, that utilize extreme cold to get rid of bed bugs on your clothes when you're on vacation. A whole-house treatment is possible, but the below freezing temperatures that must be maintained are often difficult to reach at home.


Can Bed Bug Infestations in New York Cause Harmful Blood Loss?
16 May 2013 at 7:44am

Bed bug infestations in New York are on the rise, whether we like it or not. These little critters are not only troublesome, they're downright nasty. After all, how else would you describe an insect that sneaks into your bed while you're sleeping and sucks your blood?Speaking of sucking your blood, is it possible that bed bug infestations in New York can actually cause harmful blood loss? Most people would probably say no. After all, bed bugs are quite small. How much blood could they really ingest? Fast reproductionOne big problem with fighting bed bug infestations in New York -- or anywhere, for that matter -- is the fact that they can reproduce quite fast. Two measly little bed bugs can become thousands within weeks. Each of these must pass through several life cycles, which rely on the ingestion of blood to do so. This means that it's very possible that thousands of bed bugs will be seeing you as one big blood supply. And while one, two, or even a dozen bed bugs isn't enough to cause harmful blood loss, if thousands were to suck your blood, this could turn into a significant health hazard.Speed of reproduction definitely a factorWhen you wake up with a bed bug bite, the affected area is quite small. This might be annoying or even disgusting, but most people don't worry about it to a great degree. However, as illustrated above, bed bugs reproduce quite fast. How quickly do they reproduce? According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Florida, a pair of bed bugs can produce enough offspring in 11 weeks to cause harmful blood loss in children. For adults, the magic number would be reached in approximately 15 weeks.The possible harm caused by bed bug bitesWhen we say that harmful blood loss can result from bed bug infestations in New York, we're not referring to the idea of someone dying from bed bug bites. But while that may be a relief of sorts, this doesn't change the fact that blood loss can be dangerous. If left untreated, a loss of blood can make a person anemic, which can, in turn, cause other serious health problems to develop. Other possible effects of blood loss include an iron level  that is too low and a high level of stress being placed on other parts of the body. Photo Credit: Ollie Crafoord via Flickr


3 Bed Bug Infested Vacation Destinations
14 May 2013 at 6:02am

Back in the 1930's, the bed bug infested United States began to change. A movement to eliminate the little parasites began, and it wasn't long before they were no longer a problem. Citizens all over the country breathed a well-deserved sigh of relief.  In recent years, though, the bed bug problem has become a global problem. Let's take a look at 3 bed bug infested vacation destinations:The United KingdomAlways considered to be a vacation hotspot, the UK has also become a target for bed bugs, especially over the past few decades. London has been cited as a bed bug infested city in some reports, but the problem is widespread. Each year it gets worse, endangering both local residents and those from other countries who are visiting with their families.AustraliaIn recent years, Australia has become a huge tourist attraction. Perhaps the Crocodile Dundee films had a lot to do with this. But, no matter the reason, people flock to the country/continent every chance they get. Unfortunately, these visitors have very likely brought bed bugs with them, because Australia appears to be getting record numbers of the critters. And, according to certain pest control experts, the problem will continue to get worse if the issue isn't locked down quickly.The United StatesWe can't talk about bed bug infested areas without referring to the United States. After all, our country has many vacation destinations and they're usually much more affordable. Where are the biggest bed bug problems? Each year, there are fluctuations, but three of our most populous cities -- Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York -- seem to always be teetering near the front of the list, if not topping it.How to protect yourselfOne way to protect yourself from bed bug infested vacation destinations is to simply stay home and not go anywhere. But who wants to do that? Instead, follow these simple guidelines to help you avoid any problems while you travel: Research the area and hotel -- A quick online inquiry should give you a pretty good idea of any specific hotels or areas to avoid. Check your luggage -- Bed bugs love to hitch a ride inside your bags. Be sure that you check all the cracks where they could hide. Inspect the bed -- Don't rely on the hotel to be diligent about your safety. Inspect the bed each time you stay at a new hotel. Photo Credit:  rapidtravelchai via Flickr 


How to Use Professional Bed Bug Inspection Services and Products Together
9 May 2013 at 6:00am

Waking up in the morning to find itchy red spots on your skin can sometimes send shivers down a person's spine. After all, no one wants to consider the idea that they might have bed bugs in their home. But unfortunately, with infestations on the rise, it is a reality that you may have to deal with someday.So what do you do if you think your home might be full of the little nuisances? Is it better to call a professional to conduct a bed bug inspection or deal with it yourself? Actually, the best plan could be to join forces and take care of the threat together. You can do this by following these simple steps:Step #1: Identify your problem.Your first step should be to check your home to make sure you're right. A visual inspection of your bed, couch, and other areas may turn up results, but their size can make a visual bed bug inspection quite difficult sometimes. Pick up some latex gloves and carefully slide them between the creases of your furniture. Black spots on the gloves will indicate bed bug feces.Step #2: Set up traps.Once the bed bug inspection is complete, it's time to start dealing with the problem. There are two types of bed bug traps on the market: active and inactive. The active type includes a carbon monoxide concoction that will draw the bed bugs toward the trap. Inactive ones are placed under the legs of your bed to catch them as they're trying to make their way to you at night.Step #3: Use a steamer.Bed bugs hide in all the little nooks and crannies of your home. This means that they can often be difficult to reach. A handheld steamer will not only kill these parasites upon exposure (they don't do well with extreme heat), these devices use no chemicals and include attachments that can fit into those hard-to-reach places.Step #4: Call a professional.Bed bugs can be a real hassle to get rid of, even for professionals at times. If your infestation is too big for you to handle, it's time to call the experts. A pest control company that is well versed in the elimination of bed bugs will evaluate your home's needs and provide you with a realistic course of action that will get them out of your home quickly. Photo Credit: Jmabel via Wikimedia


How to Know If Your Bed Bugs Infestations Are Gone
7 May 2013 at 8:55am

Anyone who has dealt with bed bugs in their home knows just how difficult it can be to get rid of these pests. A small number of them can typically be handled by the homeowner, but it often takes a professional to handle bed bug infestations. Regardless of how you eliminate this threat, it is important to know whether or not the bed bugs are all gone once a treatment has been performed. To help you out, here are a few indications that the infestation is over once you or your professional have conducted an extermination:The itching has finally stopped.With a bed bug infestation comes a great deal of itching and redness on your skin where the parasite had been sucking your blood at night. In fact, this is often the first indication of bed bug infestations. Luckily, these insects do not carry any diseases, so the danger element is very low, but for sensitive skin, there's some irritation and a slight chance of infection. If your extermination has been successful, you'll start waking up in the morning free of any bed bug bites.Your furniture no longer has any feces.One of the signs of bed bugs is the discovery of feces in a piece of furniture, such as a couch, chair, or bed. Testing for feces is quite simple. All you need to do is slip on a disposable rubber glove and slide your hand inside the folds of the furniture. If you hand comes back with black markings, those are feces. Before an extermination is conducted, be sure to clean these areas thoroughly. That way, you can test for feces again without it being a false positive. If you hand comes back without any feces, you're in the clear.Bed bug traps yield no results.There are two variety of traps used to both test for and help prevent bed bug infestations. The first is an active trap, where bed bugs are attracted to the trap because of the bait inside. The second are inactive traps, which are typically placed around the legs of your bed, When the bed bugs try to get to you at night in order to suck your blood, they just fall right in. After your extermination is complete, set up a few traps and see if you catch any. If not, then there's  a great likelihood that they're all gone. Photo Credit: Ke7dbx via Flickr


Are Heat Products That Kill Bed Bugs Safe?
2 May 2013 at 6:00am

Whether or not you've had bed bugs in the past, it's a good idea to be aware of ways to kill them just in case an infestation occurs. There are several types of products that kill bed bugs on the market, with some being much more effective than others.A few of these products include some type of heat application. The question is, are they safe? Should you trust the use of extreme heat as a way to help quell a bed bug infestation? Let's take a look at three possible heat treatments and how safe they may.Steam CleanersWhen it comes to products that kill bed bugs, it's hard to beat a steam cleaner. This basically comes down to two reasons. First, the heat emanating from the device is powerful enough to kill bed beds upon contact, without a chance of them escaping. Second, attachments allow you to get inside the cracks and crevices in your house where the parasites are hiding. The only drawback is that you can only treat your house one area at a time.Bug OvenOver the years, facilities such as dorms and elderly centers have employed the use of what is known as a "bug oven." The device is the size of a duffel bag and its concept is simple. As residents enter the building, they are asked to place clothes and other belongings inside the device, which uses heat to kill any offending critters. Unfortunately, the heat is quite intense and has been known to start fires if caution isn't utilized at all times.Whole House Heat TreatmentThis isn't a product, per se, but it's worth mentioning because it is a technique employed by many pest control experts, in addition to being something you can do yourself, if you're so inclined. Think of it as a fumigation process, but with the use of heat in place of toxic chemicals. But is this safe? Most of the time, nothing bad will happen, but it's important that you be aware of the risks. The process itself uses heat of up to 120 degrees fahrenheit for a period as long as 8 hours. This extended exposure to such intense heat is a bit risky and has, on several occasions, started a fire. But even if a fire doesn't occur, you need to be aware of other effects, such as melting and other damage. Photo Credit:  zackzen via Flickr


New York Bed Bug Treatment Products Myths
30 Apr 2013 at 6:00am

In all honestly, it can sometimes seem that getting rid of bed bugs is worse than actually having them. Exterminating these infuriating parasites can take both time and money, and most people would prefer not to use much of either. There are a number of bed bug treatment products on the market. Some are specifically made for bed bugs. Others are made for different insects, but are believed to be effective in fighting bed bugs, as well. To help you weed out the ones that won't be too helpful, we've compiled a few myths about some of these bed bug treatment products.Myth #1: Sprays are highly effective in combating a bed bug infestation.There's no reason to deny it. When most of us see a bug in the house, our first inclination is to reach for the poison under our sink. While that they be a quick solution to a line of ants or maybe even a cockroach skittering across the floor, it won't help you get rid of a bed bug infestation. Yes, you may be able to spray a single bed bug that you find on a mattress, but these parasites hide in your walls where a spray won't reach.Myth #2: Bug bombs will clear out a bed bug infestation.You've probably known someone who had to employ the use of a bug bomb to eliminate certain pests. For the most part, these devices are very effective. Unfortunately, this isn't the case with bed bugs. The reason for this is the same as above. Bed bugs are very good at hiding in your walls and other places such as the creases in your couch or bed. A bug bomb will coat your home, or a specific room, with poison, but it won't get to those hard-to-reach places where bed bugs have taken up residence.Myth #3: Any type of insect bait trap will work with bed bugs.Insect traps can be a highly effective form of pest control. Not only are they safer to use than sprays that expose children and pets to toxic chemicals, you can kill many bugs at once. However, bed bug treatment products are typically very specific to the insects they are meant to be targeting, and this goes for traps as well. So if you're looking for a baiting system, be sure to choose one that is designed for bed bugs. Photo Credit:  rakkhi via Flickr


Can You Sue Your Landlord Over a Bed Bug Infestation?
25 Apr 2013 at 6:50am

If you're renting a house or apartment, you might wonder who is responsible for insect removal. Bed bugs are a big part of this concern. We can all hope that a landlord will respond immediately to a request for extermination, but we don't live in a perfect world, so sometimes, renters need to know if a landlord can be sued for a bed bug infestation if they don't take care of the problem.The landlord's duty in regards to bed bugsBefore you contact your landlord, it's important to know whether or not he or she has any responsibility regarding a bed bug infestation. The legality of dealing with bed bugs differs between states. In some areas, for example, the landlord of an apartment complex is only responsible for getting rid of bed bugs if they are discovered in more than one apartment. Of course, it may be in their best interest to be proactive, but some of them won't follow the law until they have no other choice.The good news for residents of New York City is that landlords here absolutely have a responsibility for bed bug extermination. In fact, while some states may simply refer to "vermin" or something similar, NYC rental agreements specifically mention the removal of bed bugs. All you have to do is be willing to submit to a series of visits by the exterminator.The possibility of suing over bed bugsIf your landlord refuses to take care of the problem or drags his heels, you may be in for a fight. If the problem is big enough for you to move, it's usually not too difficult to get back your security deposit, in addition to getting out of your lease. But you may be entitled to much more. In the past several years, a number of lawsuits have been fought and won by tenants who had bed bug problems that were not taken care of in a timely manner.How much you can get will depend on the severity of the problem that you can prove. In some cases, tenants have been rewarded a sizable portion of the rent that they were continuing to pay during the infestation. In extreme circumstances, you may be able to receive punitive damages, which can be substantial. It really all comes down to what you can prove and what you experienced during the bed bug infestation. Photo Credit:  faul via Flickr


Can Bed Bugs Infestations Occur In My Attic?
23 Apr 2013 at 6:38am

You need to worry about bed bugs in a lot of places?both inside and outside your home?but your attic usually isn?t one of them. That?s because bed bug infestations are usually focused near bed bugs' food source, which is human blood. That explains bed bugs' affinity for beds?they don?t have to crawl far to feed, and no one notices them while sleeping. Unless it?s being lived in, an attic is simply too far from any food source for bed bugs to choose to live there. If you bring bed bugs home with you (which is the leading cause of bed bug infestations), they?re probably not going to make their way to the attic! They?re going to find a place close to you to hide. But does that mean you shouldn?t be concerned about bed bugs infestations in your attic? Not at all. Bed bug infestations in attics aren't common, but they can happen. Be Cautious Moving In When you move into a new home, you might not know the history of the attic. Don?t be afraid to ask if people slept in it. If the answer is ?yes,? then inspect the attic for signs of infestation. Bed bugs can live for months without a food source?sometimes longer than a year. A preexisting bed bug infestation in the attic could easily be spread to the rest of the home if you?re not aware of it. If there are bed bugs up there, you can be sure they?re just waiting to hitch-hike a ride down to where the humans stay. Be Careful What You Store Bed bugs are notorious for crawling into luggage, which many people throw right into the attic when returning from trips. Used furniture can also be a problem. You might bring home a piece that you plan to use later and store it in the attic until then. You shouldn?t bring used furniture into your home at all without thoroughly inspecting it for bed bugs, and sticking it in the attic certainly won?t keep an infestation from spreading. Maybe They?re Bat Bugs What you think are bed bugs in your attic may actually be bat bugs, which are related to bed bugs and look almost the same. As with bed bugs, you?ll need a professional exterminator to eradicate this problem, as well as the bats that are bringing them in. Photo Credit:  Infrogmation via Flickr 


Bed Bug Facts: What's The Difference Between Bed Bugs & Bat Bugs
18 Apr 2013 at 6:01am

Among the bed bug facts that many people don?t know is that bed bugs probably descended from bat bugs. In fact, a theory is that the predecessors of bed bugs began feeding on humans when our prehistoric ancestors figured out how to chase bats out of caves. To this day, many people confuse bat bugs with bed bugs because they look so similar. But at the top of the list of bed bug facts you should keep in mind is that bed bugs feed on human blood. That?s the critical difference between bed bugs and bat bugs?when given the choice, bat bugs would rather suck the blood of bats. What If There Are No Bats Around? You might think: I don?t have any bats in my house, so any bugs I see that look like bed bugs aren?t going to be bat bugs. You might also decide that you don?t have to worry about bat bugs because, after all, you?re not a bat. The problem is that?going back to bed bug facts?bed bugs prefer human blood, but lacking that, they?ll victimize any warm-blooded mammal, including dogs and cats. Likewise, bat bugs prefer bat blood, but they?ll settle for human (or pet) blood. And just because you aren?t aware of any bats in your home, that doesn?t mean they might simply be undetected, or just paying a visit as they fly around. You might have a bat problem, as well as a bat bug problem. How to Tell the Difference A ?trick? you can use is to look at the length of the hair on the upper part of the bug's thorax (between the neck and abdomen). A bat bug?s hair in this area will come up above its eyes, while a bed bug?s won?t reach its eyes. Not a lot to go on, is it? Well, here?s another one of those important bed bug facts you should know?bed bugs (and bat bugs) are extremely reclusive. You?ll be lucky to even be able to capture one to examine it. More likely, you?ll be noticing itchy welts from being bitten?or your pets will be scratching such welts. At this point, you?re going to need professional extermination whether you have bed bugs or bat bugs?both are worrisome pests. A pest-control specialist can tell you which type of bug you have, and then get rid of them (and bats, too, if necessary!) Photo Credit: The Itsy Bitsy Spider via Flickr


Can Human Hair Help Stop Bed Bugs Bites
16 Apr 2013 at 5:57am

Bed bug bites can be an extremely annoying prospect. It isn't bad enough to wake up one morning to discover that your house or apartment may have an issue with the small critters, but you have to deal with the itching and irritation that goes hand in hand with being bitten at night as well.Many people wonder if human hair can stop bed bug bites from occurring. After all, in order for bed bugs to suck your blood in the first place, they must be able to reach your skin. This means that any interference could, theoretically, stop these parasites from sucking your blood. Today we'll take a look at some facts concerning bed bug bites and what might stop or treat them.Don't fool yourself. Thick hair won't work.Let's qualify that statement first. Some people have such thick hair that any insect would be hard-pressed to get close to your skin. Even if the hair on your body isn't too thick, you might have felt an insect on your arm, just to discover that it can't penetrate this Fortress of Follicle you've set up (apologies for the pun). Bed bugs, however, are rather small. This means that, on occasion, a bed bug may wade through the hair on your body and begin feasting upon your blood. While it may theoretically be possible for very thick hair to block their entrance into your skin, this is definitely not something you should count on.What to do once they get through your hair...Now that you're aware that trying to grow out your hair to werewolf standards is not a sound approach to avoiding bed bug bites, you'll want to learn what to do once they reach your skin. The good news is that bed bugs have never been shown to carry disease. So there's no reason to worry about contracting something harmful from them. Of course, if you have sensitive skin, you may have a reaction to the simple act of these parasites piercing your skin.If you're experiencing bed bug bites, you should definitely treat the area. Although the red spots and irritation will often go away after a week or so, maybe less, it's an annoying thing to deal with. The best thing you can do is take a hot shower to dry them out, and apply some type of topical cream or aloe vera product. Photo Credit:  stevendepolo via Flickr


3 Tips to Protect Yourself From Bed Bugs in Dorms
11 Apr 2013 at 5:07am

When you decided to leave home and go off to college to live in a dorm, the last thing you probably thought you'd have to worry about was parasites. As if being in a strange place and doing mounds of homework wasn't enough, now you have to worry about bed bugs in dorms.The unfortunate truth is that dorms are ripe for a bed bug infestation. College students are constantly on the move, whether it's going back home for the weekends or being exposed to other students. Additional exposure means that you could easily find yourself with an infestation without even knowing it. To help avoid any problems, here are 3 tips to protect yourself from bed bugs in dorms:Tip #1: Perform daily checks of your furniture.This shouldn't be too difficult. After all, most dorms aren't exactly spacious. You might even have a bed, desk, and nothing else. But regardless, be sure to make inspections of whatever furniture is in your dorm. In all likelihood, you'll have a roommate, so make sure you have him or her check as well. Remember, there's no reason to be embarrassed about this. Despite popular belief, bed bugs will show up in places no matter how dirty or clean it is.Tip #2: Check all incoming and outgoing suitcases and bags.It's not like bed bugs traverse the dorm hallways to get from one room to the next. Instead, bed bugs in dorms are often a result of these insects hitching rides inside bags and suitcases. This is because they often find a small place to hide, which is something that bed bugs absolutely love. To avoid having bed bugs in dorms, it is important that you inspect all incoming and outgoing suitcases and bags. Although incoming might seem more essential, you also don't want to send bed bugs out into an unsuspecting world if your dorm already has them.Tip #3: Fortify your dorm room.Some bed bugs will enter your dorm through cracks and gaps that they find in your walls, window frames, and door frames. After all, these insects are quite small. To keep this from happening, be sure that these gaps in your room are filled in somehow. This will go a long way to avoiding bed bugs in dorms. In fact, this will also assist you with keeping a number of other insects out of your room. Photo Credit:  borman818 via Flickr


Lower Frustration About Finding Bed Bugs With These Tips
9 Apr 2013 at 5:03am

Finding bed bugs in your home can be a time-consuming, frustrating ordeal. It's not enough that you wake up with red spots on your skin where they've been biting and sucking your blood at night. Now you're forced to put forth an effort to locate the little parasites.Easier said than done. Bed bugs are masters at hiding. Not only are they difficult to see due to their size, being small allows them to squeeze into every little crack and crevice in your home they can find.If you need assistance with finding bed bugs, try following these simple tips:Tip #1: Don't limit your search to your bed.Since these little parasites are called "bed" bugs, many people believe that beds are the only place where you might need to look. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Despite their name, bed bugs can take refuge in a number of small places throughout your home. They might be hiding in other types of furniture such as a couch or recliner. To check these locations, buy some latex gloves and run your hand within the folds of the couch, chair, or bed. Black on the gloves indicates bed bug feces. Also, don't forget to check inside your walls. They love hiding in there until you go to bed. Tip #2: Break out the magnifying glass.One issue with finding bed bugs is their small size. Although they are visible to the human eye, they are sometimes difficult to see, especially when they're in the early stages of their development. If you don't feel confident about being able to see the critters on your furniture or in your walls, be sure to carry around a magnifying glass during any inspection of your home.Tip #3: Consider the use of a pest control company.Since the resurgence of these parasites a couple of decades ago, many pest control professionals have gotten quite adept at finding bed bugs. Many can actually recognize the smell that occurs when bed bugs have congregated in an area. Some pest control companies also employ the use of bed bug dogs as a means of detection. These highly trained canines can be much more effective than humans in finding bed bugs. Keep in mind, however, that locating them is only the first step. Once you've done that, it's time to come up with a plan to eliminate them. Photo Credit:  katerha via Flickr


What To Do If Your Neighbor Has A Bed Bug Infestation
4 Apr 2013 at 5:15am

Speak with someone who has dealt with a bed bug infestation, and you'll be met with disdain over the process. Realizing that you have bed bugs in your home isn't too difficult. Simply look for red bites on your skin or fecal matter in your furniture. The real trick is getting rid of them. The awful truth is that your home isn't the only one you need to be worried about. What if you find out that your neighbor has bed bugs? Would you know what to do? Protect your own home If you discover that your neighbor's home has bed bugs, it's a good idea to conduct daily inspections of your own house, if only for your own peace of mind. While the little critters may stay in only one residence, spreading from house to house is a very real possibility that you'll want to avoid at all costs. Be sure to check any bags or boxes being brought into your home, especially if you or your family frequent the neighbor's house. Politely ask them about the problem Homeowners are often embarrassed when they discover a bed bug infestation. This is because of the stigma attached to the idea of having bed bugs. Many people still believe that if a person has bed bugs, their house must be filthy. But bed bugs don't care if your residence is dirty or sparkly clean. They'll set up shop anywhere. When you speak with the neighbor about the problem, make them feel at ease. After all, a bed bug infestation is no longer uncommon. No need to make them feel worse about the situation than they already do. Make suggestions on how to deal with it Many homeowners have no idea how to deal with a bed bug infestation. It never hurts to go over the finer points of getting rid of these parasites. Inform them of different treatments they can try, whether it's traps, sprays, or steamers. Explain that they can look for evidence of bed bugs in their couch by slipping on a latex glove and carefully checking for fecal matter in its folds. If all else fails, suggest that they contact a professional pest control company that is well-versed in dealing with a bed bug infestation. Experts will have both the knowledge and tools to remove the creatures, and will guarantee their work so that you can breathe easy. Photo Credit:  Tonp1 via Flickr


3 Tips for Bed Bug Detection You Can Do Yourself
2 Apr 2013 at 7:45am

Bed bugs can be extremely difficult to get rid of. But before you come up with a strategy to either kill or remove these parasites from your home, you'll first need to find them. After all, if you can't find the bed bugs, there's a very small chance that you'll be able to get them out of your house. This is where bed bug detectors come in. In order to locate these insects, there are a few different techniques you can utilize for detection. Let's take a look at these:   Detection technique #1: your own eyes Believe it or not, but one of the best bed bug detectors are your very own eyes. While some people are under the impression that these insects are too small to be seen without a magnifying class, this isn't true. The only real problem is that, in the early stages of development, they are especially small. Other than that, you can spot them by simply inspecting areas where they may be hiding. Plus, you can also look for their feces. If you slip on a latex glove and slide it in the folds of your couch, you might get black spots on it. This would indicate bed bug feces in your home. Detection technique #2: pest control expert If you're having problems finding evidence of bed bugs in your home, it might be time to call in the help of a professional. After all, bed bug problems have cropped up quite a bit in the past twenty years, and this has given pest control companies more than enough time to understand how to deal with such a menace. And, of course, pest control experts tend to be great bed bug detectors. Detection technique #3: bed bug dogs This is a technique employed by a number of pest control experts. As previously stated, bed bugs can be extremely difficult to locate. This is because they can hide in all the tight little spots in your home, whether it's inside your couch or bed, or even the walls of your house. Bed bug dogs are a somewhat new technique, and for the most part, they make excellent bed bug detectors. Their sense of smell can be an amazing asset, and is much more powerful than a human's sense of smell, which can also reduce the time spent trying to find bed bugs in the first place. Photo Credit:  Mikleman via Flickr


What To Look For In Bed Bug Elimination Consulting
28 Mar 2013 at 6:13am

It's been well documented how well bed bugs can hide within the confines of your house. Despite their given moniker, they'll invade other areas aside from your bed. In fact, they'll squeeze inside anywhere they can, and since they're so small, that leaves them with a lot of choices.Bed bug elimination can be a tricky endeavor. We often can't do it alone, due to the difficulty of finding these little parasites in the first place. But when consulting with a professional pest control company, what should you look for?Knowledge of bed bugs is essentialYou'll want to choose a company that is well-versed in where bed bugs hide, how to locate them inside your home, and the best techniques to get rid of them. Luckily, this shouldn't be too hard to accomplish. Since their resurgence around twenty years ago, pest control companies have taken it upon themselves to learn as much about bed bugs as they possibly can. Ask the company what types of techniques and tools are available, and their strategy for clearing the insects from your home within a timely manner.Success in the past will mean integrityIf a pest control company claims to be the perfect choice for your bed bug elimination, this should be easy for them to prove. All you need to do is ask for references from past clients. They should at least be able to provide between three and five solid references. Get a guarantee in writingAs previously stated, bed bug elimination is tricky. Not only for the homeowners, but even for professionals who have several years of experience. The truth is that even pest control experts sometimes have a difficult time determining whether the extermination was completely successful because of these insects' ability to hide. Before you hire a professional to deal with your bed bug elimination needs, be sure that there is some kind of guarantee of the service. This guarantee should cover follow-up visits over a reasonable amount of time if the bed bugs happen to come back fairly soon after treatment.   Photo Credit: Penarc via Wikimedia


3 Treatment Tips For Bed Bugs In New York
26 Mar 2013 at 10:46am

You've been denying the signs for weeks, but you finally have to admit it ... the bed bugs in New York have found their way into your home.If you're like many homeowners, there's a good chance that you have no idea what to do next. You've heard the horror stories, and now you're panicking. The trick, though, is to remain calm and think things through. Before you call on the help of a professional, start by following these three simple treatments:Treatment #1: poisonous spraysIf you only have a few bed bugs in your home, and a spray conveniently located under your kitchen sink, it doesn't hurt to spray a little in areas where you think they might be gathering. However, keep in mind that bed bugs are great at hiding in the little cracks and crevices all over your house, which means that no matter how much you spray, the poison may not reach them. Plus, the toxicity of over-the-counter products can be harmful to children and pets, and natural types might prove difficult to use.Treatment #2: bed bug trapsThese can be quite effective in getting rid of bed bugs in New York. You can choose to use either active or non-active traps. Active traps will attract bed bugs out of their hiding spots and trap them inside the unit. Non-active traps are set under the legs of your bed and are contingent on the bed bugs being trapped inside as they make their way either in or out of your bed when they go to feed on you at night. This latter type doesn't use any type of bait. But in a sense, you are the bait in this scenario.Treatment #3: steamers By and large, the use of a steamer is the most efficient way to get rid of  the annoying bed bugs in New York. These annoying parasites are very susceptible to heat, and all it takes is a little steam to kill them. There are actually steamers on the market that are specifically designed to take care of bed bugs. Remember, however, these insects will hide in every crack and crevice they can find, whether it's in your couch, bed, or walls. These devices will typically include attachments that allow you to reach all those hiding spots. Don't forget about cleanup, though. We recommend a vacuum cleaner attachment to suck them up. Photo Credit:  i_yudai via Flickr


Bed Bug Facts: Are Bed Bugs Only Active At Night?
21 Mar 2013 at 11:11am

Bed bugs get their name because they like to make their homes in mattresses, bed frames, box springs, and headboards. Those are perfect places for them to live because their favorite food source?human blood?is readily available every night. You're sleeping, so you don't notice that you're being bitten. When you wake up, you won't know then either because bed bug bites don't hurt until they become itchy red welts, which can take several days to happen. Some people don?t even have a reaction at all. Because of this nocturnal feeding pattern, many people assume that bed bugs only come out at night. But that's not the case. If you think you only have to worry about bed bugs at night, there are a couple basic bed bug facts you should know.Bed Bug Facts: They Like to Hitchhike Among bed bug facts, one of the most important to understand is that when bed bugs are "in transit," they will behave differently than bed bugs who've found an ideal place to nest, such as in the seams of a mattress or a crack in the headboard. When bed bugs find themselves without a "home," their natural instinct is to hitchhike on clothing and other personal items (e.g., luggage, books, even smartphones and laptops) in order to find a place to settle. And in this ?homeless? state, bed bugs will brave the daytime. Bed Bug Facts: They Come Out When They're HungryBed bugs get into the habit of eating at night when they have sleeping humans to feed on, but lacking that, they'll come out whenever humans are around. So, for example, you could go to a movie theater during the daytime and bed bugs could be out, because humans are always there at that time. Conclusion Don't assume you're safe from bed bugs just because it's daytime. Bed bugs prefer the night, but when they?re displaced or hungry, they?ll come out in the day. The reality is that bed bugs are always a threat when you?re in public places. You should constantly be vigilant to the possibility of bringing them home with you, no matter what time of day it is. Photo Credit: shahbasharat via Flickr


What Are The Most Common Causes Of Bed Bug Infestation?
19 Mar 2013 at 5:00am

Getting a bed bug infestation has nothing to do with leaving out food or dirty dishes or not cleaning up spills. Bed bugs don?t eat human food. Instead, they sustain themselves on animal blood, preferably human. That?s why they like beds so much?they give them plenty of places to hide and they?re close to their food source, which conveniently is asleep most of the time. But just sleeping in your bed isn?t a cause of a bed bug infestation. They have to come from somewhere. To help you prevent a bed bug infestation, you need to understand the real causes of a bed bug infestation in a particular home. Hitchhiking By far the most common way that bed bugs find their way into homes is on people?s clothes (or in luggage). You can pick up bed bugs almost anywhere. Bed bugs can be in workplaces, schools, movie theaters, laundries?any place where a lot of people come and go. The more traffic through a building, the more likely it has bed bugs. Hotels are particularly troublesome because not only do a lot of people come and go?from many different places?they are sleeping in beds, making them perfect bed bug victims. Therefore, it?s crucial to look for a bed bug infestation in every hotel room before you accept it. You should also take precautions in case you miss them in your inspection. For example, keep your clothes bagged in sealable plastic bags until you return from your trip and wash them in hot water, which will kill the bed bugs. As far as simply going out into public places, if you?re worried that you might have picked up bed bugs, you can immediately wash the clothes you were wearing, or bag them up until you do wash them. Other Causes You can also get bed bugs from people visiting your home, from indoor/outdoor pets that bring them inside, or by having openings to the outside in the exterior of your home. You can seal up the openings, but unfortunately the other two are almost impossible to prevent. Takeaway The possible causes of bed bug infestations all have to do with access to your home. The best you can do to protect yourself is to make sure your home is properly sealed to the outside and, most importantly, to take every precaution not to let them hitchhike inside with you. Photo Credit:  || UggBoy?UggGirl ||


Bed Bug Facts: What Are The Typical Feeding Habits of Bed Bugs?
14 Mar 2013 at 5:20am

The threat of bed bugs has many people concerned. As these pests have reemerged in North America, so has a desire to know more bed bug facts. People want to know how bed bugs operate in order to prevent infestations. Bed bug facts are also important in identifying existing infestations. Some of the most important and interesting bed bug facts relate to their feeding habits. Bed bug reproduction and maturation is dependent on animal blood. Adult females must eat a blood meal before laying eggs. And once the eggs hatch, the bed bug nymphs must molt (shed their skin) five times before they reach maturity. For each molting to occur, they must first eat a blood meal. Their preferred blood of choice is human, but they will also feed on pets. Bed bugs can live for months without feeding. At temperatures below 55°F, they can potentially live longer than a year. In normal temperature-controlled conditions, they usually can go 2-6 months. So just because a house or apartment has been vacant, don?t assume it?s free of bed bugs.  Bed bugs feed mainly at night. Bed bugs typically feed on their victims while the victims are sleeping. This is so you don?t notice you?re being bitten because the bites are painless and won?t wake you up. Bed bugs like to live near their food source. This explains why they like to live in beds so much that it gave them their name. But other nearby furniture, such as a nightstand, are also likely places for bed bugs to live. After they feed, they crawl to their nearby hiding place to digest their meal. Bed bugs use an elongated beak to pierce your skin when sucking blood.For some people, these piercings become itchy welts. For reasons not entirely understood, bed bug bites tend to be in patterns of three bites in a row, which is sometimes called their ?breakfast, lunch, dinner? pattern. After feeding, bed bugs excrete on their way back to their hiding places.You can sometimes see this as dark spots on your sheets. Left-out food doesn?t attract bed bugs. Although often taken as one of the most-obvious of bed bug facts, it?s simply not true that poor housekeeping leads to bed bugs. Photo Credit:  grenade via Flickr


What Are Other Symptoms of Bed Bug Bites
12 Mar 2013 at 5:07am

If you develop itchy red welts on your body, and you can?t figure out where they?re coming from, you?re right to think it might be from bed bug bites. But it?s not a conclusion you should jump to. The welts could be from numerous causes, such as common mosquito bites. There are some indications that the bites are from bed bugs?such as patterns of three bites right in a row?but even doctors can?t be sure of the cause based just on the appearance of the bites. Other Symptoms? Unfortunately, there really aren?t any physical symptoms that are clearly the result of bed bug bites. Scratching the itchy welts can lead to infection, but you still won?t know what caused the welts. Nor can you be sure that bed bug bites caused an allergy without some evidence to indicate that the bites are actually from bed bugs. So the ?symptoms? of bed bug bites you?re looking for aren?t on your body?they?re in your home. What Bed Bugs Look Like Adult bed bugs have a reddish-brown color. They are flat, oval, and usually just less than a quarter-of-an-inch long. But bed bugs by their nature stay well hidden. They usually only come out at night while you?re sleeping. The rest of the time, they live in clusters in the most out-of-the way places they can find that are also near to sleeping (and therefore unaware) victims. So it's not likely you'll just see them. Dark Spots on Your Sheets After feasting on human (or pet) blood, bed bugs excrete as they make their way back to their hiding place. This can appear as dark spots on your sheets. You might also crush a blood-engorged bed bug as you move in your sleep, producing a reddish smear on the sheets. Signs Around Your Home If you think you have bed bug bites, you?re not going to want to wait to catch a bed bug in the open, or even for evidence on your sheets. To find out immediately if you have a bed bug problem, you?ll need to thoroughly inspect your bed (mattress, box springs, frame, headboard) and the rest of your home, looking for bed bug signs such as unhatched eggs and discarded exoskeletons. Because of the difficulty of finding evidence of bed bugs, many people rely on professional pest-control specialists, who will also be necessary to get rid of any infestation.


Bed Bug Facts: Are Hotels In Warm Weather Climates Susceptible?
7 Mar 2013 at 6:30am

One of the bed bug facts that you might have heard is that they can be killed with heat. But does that mean you don?t have to worry about bed bugs in hotels that are in warm climates? Not at all. Hotels in hot places are just as susceptible to bed bugs as hotels anywhere else. Not Hot EnoughVery few places stay hot enough to kill bed bugs outside. To kill all stages of bed bugs, it takes at least seven minutes of exposure to temperatures of 115 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Even the hottest places in the world don?t consistently reach that level of heat. So while the hottest climates might hamper the spread of bed bugs, they won?t completely eradicate the problem. Counting on hot weather to kill bed bugs or keep them from reproducing is a misreading of the bed bug facts regarding heat. Heading south isn?t a way to escape the threat. Hotels Aren?t Hot AnywayOne of the lesser known bed bug facts is that they thrive in temperature of 70 to 80 degrees?which is the temperature range most hotel rooms are kept at. So, even if the weather outside is a blistering 115 degrees, bed bugs that have been brought into the room during cooler times will be protected from the heat by AC. And don?t even think about trying to keep the room cold enough to get rid of bed bugs. It takes temperatures well below freezing to kill them. So add this to your list of bed bug facts to remember?bed bugs are comfortable at the same temperatures that you?re comfortable at. Unless you plan on roasting or freezing in your hotel, you?re not going to kill bed bugs with temperature?regardless of how warm the weather is outside. Take PrecautionsUnderstanding the bed bug facts regarding temperature sensitivity should make it clear that you need to take the same precautions at hotels in hot climates as you would in hotels in cooler locations. Check out the hotels you?re considering online to see if they have repeated reports of bed bug infestations, inspect your room before accepting it, keep your clothes in sealable plastic bags, and immediately wash your clothes in hot water when you get home and treat your luggage with heat above 115 degrees. Photo Credit: ajcreencia via Flickr


How To Avoid Bed Bugs While On Spring Break
5 Mar 2013 at 6:30am

Spring break is a time of sun, fun, and friends. It?s a time to leave the worries of school behind. The last thing you want to think about during this annual getaway is how to avoid bed bugs. But bed bugs are a real threat when traveling, and it only takes a few simple steps to virtually eliminate the chance of them hitchhiking back home with you in your clothes or luggage. 1. Research hotels before you make a reservation.There are numerous websites where you can view the bed bug histories of hotels. Bed bugs can be brought into hotels that treat regularly treat for bed bugs, so one bed bug sighting doesn?t indict a hotel?as long as it immediately treats the problem. But if a hotel has repeated reports of bed bugs, you probably should look for another hotel. 2. Inspect hotel rooms before accepting them.Look for bed bugs and sings of them in the bed and furniture. To be thorough, you need to look on the underside of the mattress, check out the box springs, and examine the headboard. A fundamental point to keep in mind when thinking about how to avoid bed bugs is that they like to hide in cracks and crevices, as well as in places such as mattress seams. 3. Protect your clothes and luggage.Maybe you?re just not going to worry enough to inspect your hotel room at the beginning of spring break! Or maybe you do inspect, but miss bed bugs because they?re so hard to spot. To be safe even if the room is infested, keep your clothes (clean and dirty) in sealable plastic bags. Also, keep your luggage off the ground on the luggage rack (checking it first for bed bugs). 4. Treat your clothes and luggage with heat when you get home.Place your clothes into your washing machine directly from the sealable plastic bags and wash them in hot water. You can of course also go to a commercial laundry. The important thing is not to just dump out your clothes at home. Before you bring your luggage inside, it also needs to be treated. Putting the luggage in a hot car in the sun often works to heat the luggage to the 120 degrees necessary to kill bed bugs.  The best solution, however, is a PackTite portable heating unit designed just for that purpose. Photo Credit: jeeheon via Flickr


How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs Using A Heating Unit
28 Feb 2013 at 6:30am

In this day and age, everyone should know how to get rid of bed bugs. After all, since their resurgence back in the 1990s, these tiny parasites have once again become worrisome pests. If left unchecked, these bloodsuckers will hide in your walls, sneak into your bed, and take some of your blood, leaving you to deal with the itching. A number of ways have been discussed over the years on how to get rid of bed bugs. One successful way employed by homeowners and professionals alike is the use of heat. Bed bugs can't survive in rising temperatures, making heating units a great way to kill the little pests without the use of dangerous chemicals.  Heating Unit SystemsThere are a number of heating units on the market that are designed to effectively kill all the bed bugs in your home. These systems often include two primary components: the electric heating unit itself and a series of fans. The heating unit generates a good amount of heat, but it's limited to a small area surrounding it. In order to distribute the heat throughout the room, a series of fans are set up in strategic locations. This allows the heat to reach the bed bugs no matter where they're hiding. Keep in mind, however, that larger homes may need to utilize more than one heating unit in order to completely get rid of the pests. Portable Heating UnitsUnfortunately, bed bugs aren't just a problem when we're at home. They're also as issue when we go on trips and stay in strange hotels. Although hotels typically have a policy of specifically inspecting their rooms for bed bugs and disposing of them accordingly, you shouldn't leave it up to someone else to protect you against them. A portable heating unit is a great way to ensure that you won't have a problem. These smaller units can be taken anywhere and are used to treat your personal items for bed bugs. No ChemicalsThe best part for many homeowners when it comes to heating units is their lack of any chemicals. Some treatments utilize chemicals that could be harmful to pets, children, and even some adults. The last thing you want to do is breathe in toxic materials. Heating units have no need to utilize any type of chemicals when getting rid of bed bugs. All they need to use is heat. Photo Credit: comedy_nose via Flickr


How To Protect Your Gym Bag From Bed Bugs Infestations
26 Feb 2013 at 6:30am

As the years go by, more people are realizing the importance of good health. Part of this involves going to a gym. Whether it's for a quick workout, strength training, aerobics, or a game of hoops, gym memberships seem to be on the rise. Although the last thing any of these gym goers want to think about are insects, it's important to realize that bed bug infestations can occur when you least expect them, and from the least likely of sources. You may not think that your gym bag is susceptible, but bed bugs will hitch a ride in anything they can find.  To help prevent the spread of bed bug infestations, let's take a look at how you can protect your gym bag. Check your bag before leaving the house.As much as you want to avoid bringing bed bugs home with you, there's something to be said about having the common courtesy of making sure you don't spread an infestation to others. Bed bugs are notorious for crawling into places such as suitcases, and a gym bag can be a perfect conduit to get out of your house. Don't concentrate solely on the primary part of the bag. Many gym bags have separate pockets for smaller items. Bed bugs are tiny, so it's vital that you check those areas, too. Check your bag before leaving the gym.People file in and out of the gym on a regular basis, and it's impossible to know who might be dealing with a bed bug infestation. Many people bring along a gym bag, and any of these can be carrying bed bugs without even knowing it. Of course, you'll want to keep your bag inside a locker, but there are times when it may be exposed. Your best course of action is to check your gym before you leave. Take out all your clothes and check them, as well. Don't loan out your gym bag.While it might seem rude not to loan out certain items, protecting yourself against bed bug infestations should be a priority. Knowing what you know about how easily bed bugs can get inside your gym bag either directly or by taking refuge in clothes or gym towels, you should think twice before loaning it out. If you decide to loan our your gym bag, make sure the person borrowing it checks the bag upon its return. Photo Credit: dmjarvey via Flickr


Choosing The Right Bed Bug Mattress Cover For Your Home
21 Feb 2013 at 6:30am

Homeowners seem to have a lot of questions when it comes to bed bugs. One of those questions is how to protect against the little critters. Whether or not you already have a problem with them, a bed bug mattress cover will go a long way to keeping these insects away from you and your family.A bed bug mattress cover will trap bed bugs inside your box springBox springs are notorious for harboring bed bugs. There are many small places in a box spring where bed bugs can easily hide. Even if you know they're inside, it's often hard to get rid of them due to its design. A bed bug mattress cover designed for a box spring will help keep any existing critters inside so that they won't be able to reach you.A bed bug mattress cover will protect against tearsIf your mattress has a lot of wear, it's possible that you may have tears in the fabric. This is the perfect opportunity for bed bugs to get inside your mattress. And once they're gotten inside, you might find it very difficult to get rid of them. Like a box spring, a mattress cover will help keep these little parasites inside the mattress, which means they will be unable to get to you.A bed bug mattress cover will keep them out These mattress covers aren't only for use after a bed bug infestation has occurred. While they will protect you from the parasites that have already made their way inside your box spring or mattress, this is only one of their advantages. The other advantage is the fact that these covers will keep them out during any future invasion. The bed bugs will be unable to penetrate the mattress covers, which means they'll have fewer places to hide.A bed bug mattress cover will provide an easier viewOne thing to remember is that these mattress covers will not protect you completely. That is to say, bed bugs might not be able to get inside your mattress in order to hide or wait until you're asleep, but they are still going to attempt to get to you. The good news is that mattress covers will ensure that any bed bugs who try to stir up trouble will be easily found because they have no place to hide. This can make the them easy targets. Photo Credit: Robert S. Donovan via Flickr


How To Soothe The Itch Of Bed Bug Bites
19 Feb 2013 at 6:30am

When dealing with a bed bug infestation, most homeowners are focused on how to get rid of the parasitic pests. Although they don't carry disease or destroy your home like other pests are likely to do, no one wants to think about bed bugs lying in wait somewhere in their house, tucked into all the little nooks and crannies. Another major concern, apart from simply getting them out of your house, are the bed bug bites that come with their presence. In order to grow from one life cycle stage to the next, these parasites must feed on blood, and that's where you come in. Luckily, though, it's not the end of the world and there are a number of ways to soothe the itch of bed bug bites. Here are a few of the most common techniques: ShoweringIf you wake up with bed bug bites on your skin, the first thing you should do is take a shower. The hot water will open up your pores and remove toxins and oils from your skin, which will help dry up the bites. Also be sure to use an anti-bacterial soap, which can go a long way to relieving the itching sensation. LotionsThere are a number of lotions available that are intended to soothe a variety of skin irritations, and they can work wonders on the effects of bed bug bites. You may choose to use calamine lotion, for instance, or cortisone cream. In fact, any lotion that contains pramoxine will help alleviate the itching. PillsSwelling often accompanies the itching caused by bed bug bites. To help the swelling go down, you might want to consider taking an over-the-counter medication. You can choose from different types of pain relievers, such as Ibuprofen, or you can opt for Benadryl or some other similar anti-histamine. By lessening the swelling, the itching will get better as well. Natural RemediesMany people swear by natural remedies, and they can definitely work wonders. Some of them are quite popular, such as St. John's Wart or witch hazel. Lemon juice is another solid choice. All of these work by removing the desire to scratch. Other sufferers of bed bug bites swear by the use of the aloe plant. While there are several lotions and sprays that contain aloe available, many people prefer the actual plant, which can be purchased for only a few bucks. Photo Credit: sarahemcc via Flickr


Bed Bug Colonies: Shouldn't Bugs Live Outside?
14 Feb 2013 at 6:30am

You?ve probably heard a lot lately about bed bugs. Infestations by bed bug colonies have risen rapidly in recent years, and people are understandably concerned. No one wants bed bug colonies to invade their home. Bed bugs make it psychologically uncomfortable for the people (and pets) who live there, their bites itch like crazy, and they can cause infections and allergic reactions. You might be thinking to yourself, ?OK, I know it?s a problem for some people, but not for me. Why would a bed bug want to come into my home? I don?t leave food or trash out.? The reality is that it doesn?t matter how clean your home is. These are the real reasons bed bugs could end up inside with you: You?re what they eat. Bed bugs don?t feed on left-out food or sticky spills. They feed on blood, preferably human. They will also feed on animal blood if they can?t find human, so your pets can be targets as well. What better place for bed bugs to live than in the same place as their food source? You?re inviting bed bugs to a meal each night when you go to sleep. Bed bugs need to feed on people who are asleep so that their bites won?t be detected. Where are they going to find people asleep? In homes, of course. Every night when you go to sleep, you?re putting an ?Open for Dinner? sign out for bed bugs. Bed bugs don?t like extreme weather.  Temperatures that are too hot or too cold can kill bed bugs. Their instinct is to form bed bug colonies where the temperature is moderate?like your home! You (or someone else) might bring them inside. Bed bugs don?t attach themselves to their victims--they feed and move on. And they aren?t very mobile on their own. Their solution is to get around on people?s clothes, luggage, pocketbooks, smartphones, etc. This hitchhiking is instinctual?and a cause for caution every time you come home from public places. If you bring bed bugs home with you, you?re likely to have full-blown bed bug colonies before long, and the only way to get rid of them at that point is with a professional pest control service. Photo Credit: Rennett Stowe Via Flickr


Vacationing To Your Beach House? Keep Bed Bug Colonies Away!
12 Feb 2013 at 6:30am

With the warm months just around the corner, you may be planning a trip to the beach. If you?re heading off for sun and fun, the last thing you want to disrupt your vacation is bed bug colonies in your beach house. But what can you do to prevent it? OwnersIf you own the beach house, and you?re the only one who ever stays there, then you can simply take the same general precautions you should take while staying at home: Immediately wash your clothes in the hottest water possible when returning from public places, or bag them in sealable plastic bags until you do wash them. Never bring used furniture into the home. Consider investing in bed bug prevention products such as ActiveGuard mattress liners, which trap and kill bed bugs, and Climbup Insect Interceptors, which you place under the legs of beds and furniture to trap bed bugs and other pests as they try to climb. If you sometimes rent out your beach house and want to be sure bed bug colonies don?t take hold due to the renter traffic, a solution is to hire experts in bed bug removal and prevention to regularly inspect and treat the house. RentersIf you?re renting a beach house for your vacation, then you?ll need to handle it just as you would a hotel room, because whoever has stayed there before you could easily have brought in bed bugs on their clothes or luggage. That means that before you settle in, you need to thoroughly inspect for signs of bed bug colonies. Check both sides of all mattresses and examine all the nooks and crannies in box springs and headboards. Also check furniture, as well as any apparent cracks or crevices, such as where walls join floors. Even if you find no evidence of bed bug colonies, you still can?t be sure they?re not around, because they?re masters at staying hidden. So, just as in a hotel, keep your clothes in sealable plastic bags to keep bed bugs from crawling into them, or from your dirties into your luggage. Then, as soon as you get home, wash the clothes in hot water and treat your luggage with heat, possibly in the sun if it?s hot enough outside (putting it in a car can raise the heat), or better yet, in a PackTite portable heating unit designed for that purpose. Photo Credit: brittreints via Flickr


Home Remedies For Bed Bugs: What To Use When You're Away From Home
7 Feb 2013 at 6:30am

Most home remedies for bed bugs are ultimately losing efforts. You might slow the tide, but once you have a bed bug infestation, you?re going to need professional pest control assistance to get rid of them. The reality is that the best "home remedies for bed bugs" take place outside of the home. Change clothes when coming home.Bed begs can be almost anywhere you go?the office, school, restaurants, laundries, movie theaters, doctors' offices, you name it. The place may be infested, or the bed bugs may have just jumped off one host and are looking to hitchhike home with someone. Any time you?re in a place where a lot of other people have also been, there?s a risk of picking up bed bugs. This might seem like overkill?and many people aren?t going to do it?but changing clothes when you come home and immediately sealing the dirties in a sealable plastic bag until you wash them will help keep bed bugs you?ve picked up from crawling off your clothes into your home. Take precautions in hotels.The first precaution you can take when traveling is to research websites devoted to reports of bed bug infestations in hotels. If a particular hotel is repeatedly reported, avoid that hotel. Before you accept your room, inspect it for signs of bed bugs. Check out both sides of the mattress, the box springs, and the headboard. Also be sure to inspect the nightstand, chairs, and other furniture. Keep your luggage on the luggage rack (after you?ve made sure there are no bed bugs on it!). If you put clothes in drawers, keep them in sealable plastic bags. Also bag your dirties as soon as you take them off. Treat everything when you return from trips.Even if you take all the right preventative measures when staying in hotels, when you return home, you should still treat your clothes and luggage. Keep your clothes bagged until you wash them in hot water, which will kill any bed bugs. And heat your luggage before bringing it inside. (A PackTite portable heating unit works great.) ConclusionMost ?home remedies for bed bugs? are too late?they can do some good, but they aren?t going to remedy anything. The real remedy is to keep bed bugs from ever getting into your home in the first place. Photo Credit: slightly everything via Flickr


Home Remedies For Bed Bugs: New Trending Practices
5 Feb 2013 at 6:30am

With the resurgence of bed bugs in this country, there are a lot of people seeking home remedies for bed bugs. Here are some that have become the most popular. Vacuuming.One of the simplest home remedies for bed bugs, vacuuming can be modestly effective?but only if you can see and reach them, which isn?t likely. Bed bugs hide in nooks and crannies where consumer vacuums can?t reach. However, if you suspect a bed bug infestation in mattresses or pieces of furniture, thoroughly going over them with a vacuum might get rid of some of the bed bugs. Washing everything you can.Bed bugs can be brought into your home on clothes, and they can live in items like stuffed animals, so using hot water to wash everything you can put into your washing machine is one of the home remedies for bed bugs that always makes sense. Unfortunately, bed bugs rapidly spread, so washing clothes is more of a preventative step than a way to get rid of a bed bug infestation. Dry Heat.On very hot days, you can place items in the sun (perhaps in a car) to kill any bed bugs, or you can use a PackTite portable heating unit. Caulk.Caulking all holes and cracks in your floors and walls is not only one of the best bed bug home remedies?potentially trapping some of the bed bugs?it also will help keep out other pests and probably improve your energy efficiency. Products to get rid of bed bugs.In response to the dramatic increase in bed bug infestations over the past few years, there?s been a flood of products that claim to kill bed bugs?from actual insecticides to natural products with ingredients such as cinnamon, lemongrass, and cedar oil. These are not good home remedies. The insecticides are largely ineffective and they can be dangerous, and most of the other products simply don?t work. Just last fall, the Federal Trade Commission charged two companies for deceptive advertising related to so-called bed bug products that don?t actually kill bed bugs. ConclusionSome home remedies for bed bugs are a waste of money and effort, but others are good steps to take, even though at best they?ll probably only slow down an infestation. Once bed bugs are inside your home, anyone will tell you that the only real solution is to call a professional pest-control service. Photo Credit: Anna Oates via Flickr


Can Bed Bug Colonies Migrate Within Your Home?
31 Jan 2013 at 6:30am

As if the idea of a bed bug infestation wasn't scary enough, now some individuals are talking about the idea of bed bug colonies. The fear is that these bed bug colonies will not only migrate from one home to another, but will migrate within your home, moving from one central location to another. It's a somewhat frightening concept, because moving en masse could provide a way for bed bugs to take over your entire home. But is migration of these parasites possible? And if they are, will they migrate within your home? Do bed bugs colonies exist at all? That's exactly what we're here to find out. Understand insect coloniesMany types of insects are loners. They forage for food, attempt to find shelter, and do pretty much everything else without a lot of other bugs around. Even when others of the same species are sharing a similar space, they do not work together very often. Unless, of course, mating season is upon them. Other species are very social, gathering together as a colony. This colony works together to hunt and store food, search for a place to live, and maintain their residence once it has been constructed. Insects such as ants and honey bees, for example, belong to a colony. This group works so well together, in such an organized, efficient matter, that scientists say they operate as if the entire colony is one complete individual. All those ants you see scurrying around are simply extensions of the whole. Bed bugs are not social insectsBed bug colonies do not exist, which means that an entire group will not migrate from one part of your house to another. These small parasites do not work together in any way when it comes to their survival. While they will often collect together in a confined space, when it comes to survival, each bug is on its own. This is good news to us. Imagine if bed bugs did act as one single unit. They would very likely work together in a concentrated effort of moving as many bed bugs into the next stage of their life cycle as possible. This means that a well organized group could systematically attack you and your household members while you're asleep. If there's any way to count our blessings when it comes to these little parasites, the nonexistence of bed bug colonies is it. Photo Credit: BFS Man via Flickr  


How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs This Winter
29 Jan 2013 at 6:30am

Many insects want nothing more than to find a warm place to call home. For bed bugs, your walls and furniture can act as their sanctuary. The question of how to get rid of bed bugs during the winter is one that you can use all year long, but you must first realize that these insects can still be a problem even though it's cold. Bed bugs hide out in your home during the winterBefore we tackle how to get rid of bed bugs during the colder months of the year, it's important to realize that these parasites are a problem in the first place. Too many people believe that bed bugs don't like the cold and will therefore not be found during the winter. This couldn't be further from the truth. The fact is that bed bugs do not have the ability to hibernate. When winter arrives, they have no choice but to push through it and try to survive. The best way for them to do this is to find a warm place to hide out. If they can get inside your home, this becomes their warm place. And since bed bugs can often live up to a year without feeding, they can stay hidden for a good long while.  How to get rid of bed bugs during these colder monthsThe above information is given to demonstrate that when it's cold outside, you may not see the bed bugs, but that doesn't mean they're not there. Exterminating the buggers can be done in the same fashion that you might take care of them during the warmer months. You can try using poisons, but because they're so hard to find at times, a baiting system might work much better. If you already know where the bugs are hiding out, a bed bug steamer is a great way to kill them without any mess or fuss. If you have difficulty locating them or getting rid of them, it is a good idea to call a professional. With the increase of bed bug infestations over the years, pest control experts are well versed on how to get rid of bed bugs. If needed, they may suggest that you employ the use of bed bug dogs in order to locate them. At that point, these professionals will evaluate your needs and recommend what would be best in your specific situation. Photo Credit: mtphelm via Flickr


Bed Bug Bites: Easiest Ways To Stop The Itch
24 Jan 2013 at 6:30am

The most annoying aspect of bed bug bites, aside from the idea of an insect sucking your blood while you sleep, is the itching that comes along with it. The bed bug bites themselves can show up minutes or even hours after the insect has done its business. Often, this means that you wake up with little red spots on your skin.These red spots can show up pretty much anywhere, from your legs and arms to your stomach and lower back, and even in the folds of your body parts, such as under your arms and behind your knees. Obviously, scratching your skin will simply make it worse. But how do you stop the itch? We suggest that you try a few very simple ways... Shower -- Everyone loves a good, hot shower. Hot water will open up your pores, which will help remove toxins from your skin and dry out the bed bug bites. It's also a good idea to use anti-bacterial soap. The sooner you can jump in the shower, the better. Lotion -- Applying a cream to your skin, such as calamine lotion, can work wonders. These applications are meant to soothe your skin and will help alleviate the itching. Be aware, however, that this may do the opposite of drying out your skin. Ice Cubes -- In addition to the itching, you may also have a slight bit of swelling. Ice cubes being rubbed across the site of the bed bug bites will not only lower the swelling, it will numb the itching sensation. Medicine -- A number of pills on the market, such as Benadryl and other popular brands, will alleviate the itching associated with bed bug bites. Aloe Vera -- This substance that is drawn from the aloe vera plant can be a miracle worker, one that alleviates itches, sunburns, and even pain. Its healing qualities are nearly unmatched. At the store, you can find aloe vera in either a spray or gel form. But if you have access to an actual aloe vera plant, these can be even more effective. Simply break off one of the stalks and rub the exposed part onto your skin. Rubbing alcohol -- As previously stated, drying out bed bug bites are an effective way to lessen the itching. You can apply rubbing alcohol by the use of cotton balls or even cotton swabs (though the latter may take a bit more time). Photo Credit: xelusionx via Flickr


How To Test For Bed Bugs: 5 Practices You Should Avoid
22 Jan 2013 at 6:30am

Of all the insects that can invade your house, bed bugs might be the worst. They're masters at hiding in your walls and furniture, they feed on your blood, and once they're inside, getting rid of them can be a pain. Homeowners often make mistakes when deciding how to test for bed bugs. Here, we will illustrate five practices that you should avoid. Practice #1: Using a bite as your only evidenceIf you wake up with redness on your skin and an itching sensation, there's a good chance that you have bed bugs. But it's important not to jump the gun. Although it's rare, the bite could be caused by a different type of insect, or possibly even a spider. You can easily compare your bite with pictures found on various websites. Practice #2: Relying solely on your eyesDo you know how to test for bed bugs by sight? Some homeowners believe that all you have to do is take a look around. After all, these parasites are visible to the human eye. You must remember, however, that bed bugs are very small, which means a visual inspection might prove to be difficult. Practice #3:  Visual inspection for bed bug droppingsIf you're looking for something like rodents, you can simply look for droppings in your basement, attic, etc. This isn't true for bed bug droppings, especially since they're often hidden. Instead of relying on your eyes, use a disposable latex glove to rub inside the folds of your furniture. Black specks will indicate fecal droppings. Practice #4: Looking in the wrong placesHow to test for bed bugs in your house can start with a visual inspection if it's part of a full regimen of testing. To do this, avoid looking in places where bed bugs won't be found such as drains or in your garden. Focus on areas such as walls, furniture, and other tight places they can squeeze into. Practice #5: Using the incorrect type of insect trapInsect traps are often used to determine if an infestation is taking place. If you set up a trap and find bugs inside after a short time, there' s a good chance of infestation. However, you must keep in mind that bed bug traps are very specific to bed bugs, based on how they attract the bugs. It is important that you use traps designed for them. Photo Credit: Auswandern Malaysia via Flickr


How To Effectively Check A New Apartment For Bed Bug Infestations
17 Jan 2013 at 6:30am

You've moved into an apartment, unpacked all of your boxes, and enjoyed your first night of sleep in your new digs. So far, so good. Except that when you wake up, you notice an itchy red spot on your body. You don't think much of it, but after the second night of sleep, it happens again. So, you have to ask yourself ... could there be a bed bug infestation? Bed bug infestations on the riseThe truth is, bed bug infestations are more common than they've been in the past. Bed bugs were mostly eradicated in developed countries more than 60 years ago, but in recent years, they've cropped up again. This is why it has become even more important than ever to check for the annoying parasites. If you catch them in time, you might even be able to avoid a full-blown infestation. Checking your apartment for bed bugsFinding bed bugs inside your apartment can often be difficult. Bed bugs hide in every nook and cranny they can find within your home, usually only coming out at night to feed. The first thing you need to do is decide if you have bed bugs in the first place. Although they can be seen with the naked eye, these insects are still quite small, which makes them more difficult to see. Red, itchy spots on your body are a good indication of bed bug infestations. From there, you should check your mattresses, couch, and chairs for any signs of bed bugs. They like to hide in the crevices, so you might still have a hard time finding them. A good plan is to use a disposal latex glove and rub it inside these crevices. If the glove has black spots, this can indicate bed bug feces. Time to call in the expertsBed bug infestations are not to be taken lightly. If you suspect you have a problem with the parasites, but can't find any real evidence, it might be time to call the professionals. A pest control expert knows exactly what to look for in your apartment, and can provide you with a solid assessment as to how bad the problem is, along with solutions on how to fix it. Certain pest control companies now employ bed bug dogs, which are trained to detect bed bugs in a person's home, with an accuracy that is much higher than a person's. Photo Credit: mikecogh via Flickr


Bed Bugs In NYC: Can Bed Bugs Infest Gyms?
15 Jan 2013 at 6:30am

Many homeowners are well-versed in what to look for when hunting for bed bugs, and that's definitely a good thing. Unfortunately, a great number of us don't think about coming into contact with bed bugs outside of our home, and this could inadvertently cause issues at our own home in the event that they are able to hitch a ride back to where you live. Bed bugs in NYC can be anywhere. They can be in public transportation, clothing stores, or even restaurants. But can bed bugs infest gyms, too? The unfortunate answer is, yes. Yes, they can. Bed bugs love to hitch a rideThese little parasites that cause so much trouble to homeowners don't seem to like staying in one place. Whenever they're given the chance, they will find their way into suitcases, backpacks, or anything else they can think of. This actually isn't a conscious decision. It's not as if they know you're going out into the real world and they want to see the sights. Bed bugs in NYC are simply looking for places to hide, sleep, etc., so they crawl inside. And when they wake up, they're in a completely different place. Gym bags offer the perfect mode of transportationA big reason that bed bugs in NYC can be found in gyms is due to gym bags. At home, many of us keep gym bags packed with what we'll need while working out, doing aerobics, or whatever else we enjoy. We typically don't check our bags for insects every time we leave the house. If there is a bed bug or two inside, there's a good chance that the insect will get out of your bag and into the gym. And with so many people bringing in gym bags, it doesn't take long before an infestation has occurred. Prevention is an easy taskIf you want to avoid an infestation connection between your home and gym, it's easy. First, make sure you check for any bed bugs in your gym bag before leaving the house. Don't just poke around inside. Remove everything from within the bag, and inspect both the interior and the specific contents. Second, once you're in the gym, be sure to do the same thing before you leave. Bed bugs in NYC can just as easily hitch a ride into your home as they can when they want to leave it. Photo Credit: rinkjustice via Flickr


Do Baby Bed Bugs Bite Too?
10 Jan 2013 at 6:30am

When people worry about being bitten by bed bugs, they usually picture being preyed upon by the adult bed bug?about 3/16th of an inch long, oval, flat, and reddish-brown. But when it comes to bed bug bites, baby bed bugs are often the culprit. The Bed Bug Life CycleTo understand why baby bed bugs are far from innocent when it comes to feeding on humans, all it takes is a look at the bed bug life cycle. The average bed bug will then lay about 5 eggs a day (up to 500 in a lifetime). The eggs are tiny, but they are visible to the naked eye. They are approximately 1 millimeter long and milky-white. However, bed bugs? natural tendency is to live and reproduce in cracks and crevices where you can?t see them, so spotting eggs isn?t common. After about two weeks, the eggs hatch, and the baby bed bugs start feeding immediately. Here?s the critical bed bug fact to know: Bed bugs must pass through five molting stages before they become adults, and each time they molt they must first feed. That?s why baby bed bugs are to be feared as much as adult bed bugs?they have a biological imperative in addition to hunger to feed on you. Your blood is their road to maturity! Molting EvidenceOne positive that comes from bed bugs? maturation cycle is that each time they molt, they leave behind an exoskeleton that you can see. These are often left in the open, so they can be your first realization that you have a bed bug problem. Starting Over AgainOnce a bed bug has molted five times, it?s ready to start the cycle over again?it?s now able to reproduce. If you consider that the path from inception to adulthood is only two weeks, and if you take into account the number of bed bugs each adult female produces, it?s easy to see how fast a few bed bugs inadvertently brought into the home can quickly become a full-blown infestation. That?s why it?s so important to call a pest control company that specializes in bed bugs as soon as you suspect you have bed bugs in the home. If you wait to act, the problem can become much more costly to eradicate as the baby bed bugs grow up and spread the infestation. Photo Credit: jawcey via Flickr


What Are Some Bugs That Look Like Bed Bugs?
8 Jan 2013 at 6:30am

Bed bugs are an extremely difficult pest to identify. Their nature is to stay hidden. They find the remotest, furthest-from-sight locations to hide until you go to sleep and they can come out and feed on you. And even if they?ve bitten you, their bites are hard to distinguish from other common insect bites, even by doctors. Making identification even more challenging, there are several bugs that look like bed bugs. So if you think you?ve spotted bed bugs?and even if you?ve checked out bed bug photos on the web to be sure?it?s easy to be fooled. With that in mind, here?s a list of bugs that look like bed bugs for you to review before jumping to a conclusion. The good news is that none of these bugs feed on humans! Bat bugs.These bugs look like bed bugs in that they both have broad, flat bodies and wide heads. One difference is that bat bugs bloat after a meal. Another reasonably certain sign that you?ve spotted a bed bug rather than a bat bug is if you saw it in your bed or furniture. Because bat bugs feed on bats instead of humans, they don?t share bed bugs? habit of make their homes in beds and furniture that?s near humans. ?  Poultry bugs (i.e., Mexican chicken bugs).These bugs look like bed bugs except that they have longer legs and beaks. As with bat bugs, these pests don?t normally live in beds and furniture, preferring instead to live near the fowl they feed on. Swallow bugs.These bugs look like bed bugs, except that they have long, silky ?hair.? These insects will sometimes live in homes when the cliff swallow birds they feed on are migrating. Carpet beetles.These bugs look like bed bugs in size and shape, but they have wings. Book lice.These tiny creatures look somewhat similar to bed bug nymphs. The Bottom LineIt?s helpful to know which bugs look like bed bugs but aren?t. However, chances are if you find the bugs around your bed or furniture, that they are bed bugs. Unless you can clearly determine it?s another type of bug, you?ll need to call a pest control company that specializes in bed bug detection and removal, because not only is it difficult to be sure you have bed bugs, getting rid of them is in no way a DIY job. Photo Credit: John Tann via Flickr


What Do Baby Bed Bugs Look Like?
3 Jan 2013 at 6:30am

If not handled swiftly, a bed bug problem can quickly turn into a full blown infestation. You might start with only a few, but before you know it, they've multiplied and then your house is overrun with the little parasites. To avoid this, you must learn how to identify these insects quickly, and part of that comes down to knowing what baby bed bugs look like. Baby bed bugs go through several stages of lifeBed bugs are different from a number of insects, because they do not have a larval stage. Once they have hatched, bed bugs look essentially the same as they will once they're all grown up. They are simply smaller. This is an important distinction if you hope to find one during an inspection. When looking for bed bugs, remember that they are usually tan in color, while red indicates one that has recently fed. Baby bed bugs go through several life cycles before adulthoodSince baby bed bugs look so much like the adults, it's often difficult to figure out which life cycle stage one is currently at. Although this might not seem to matter to the average homeowner, it's definitely something that you should think about when searching for bed bugs. Knowing the approximate stage that a bed bug is currently in could tell you how long they've been around. The life cycles are pretty much all the same, except for the size of the bed bugs. The real problem is the fact that even adult bed bugs aren't very big, so their differing sizes as they go from one stage to another is quite negligible. For example, a baby bed bug will only be around 1.5mm during its first stage, whereas its final stage before adulthood is only 4.5mm. Although that means the bed bug has tripled in size since being hatched, the size is still extremely small. Baby bed bugs just as annoying as adult onesMany insects don't seem to become a burden until they have reached their adult stage of life. Bed bugs, however, are different. In order to go from one life cycle stage to the next, they must feed on human blood. Once they've fed, they go through a molting stage, at which point they get a bit larger. At that point, they set out to feed once more so they can start the whole process over again. Photo Credit: nwfloridabeachrentals via Flickr


Do Apartment Buildings Appear On The Bed Bug Registry?
27 Dec 2012 at 6:30am

For many years, the idea of running into a bed bug was all but forgotten. Though they were once quite a nuisance in the United States, they were eradicated more than sixty years ago in most modern civilizations. But, unfortunately, in the past twenty years, bed bugs have seen a resurgence. Eventually, the bed bug registry was created as a way to help curtail the spread of these parasites. The bed bug registry helps stop bed bugsAs the number of bed bugs began to once again increase across the country, there was a need for a way to warn would-be residents of apartment buildings, in addition to hotel visitors. How it works is simple: you enter an address into the database of the bed bug registry, and in only seconds, you will be presented with any matches to bed bug reporting. With bed bug infestations on the rise, this registry can be an indispensable tool. The bed bug registry is a great resource for rentersNo one wants to move into a new home with the possibility of a bed bed infestation. If you're in the market for a new apartment, the registry can help make sure that your new residence won't already have roommates of the parasitic variety. The registry covers the entire United States, plus Canada, and has proven itself to be quite beneficial to lessening the number of bed bug infestations. As previously stated, all you have to do is enter the address of where you're planning to move and the registry does the rest. Within moments, you'll learn whether or not filling out an apartment application might mean you get more than you bargained for. The bed bug registry also helps travelersPreventing a bed bug infestation starts at home, whether you've just moved into a new apartment or house, or have been living there for years. But if you really want to make sure that the spread of these parasites is stopped, you must be aware of the possibility of picking up a bed bug or two when you travel, as well. Traveling between countries is one of the reasons that has been cited as to why bed bug infestations are once again on the rise. By alerting travelers to areas where bed bugs have been spotted, the registry is helping to lower the possibility of bed bugs moving from one location to another. Photo Credit: edenpictures via Flickr


How To Check For Bed Bugs In Hotel Rooms
20 Dec 2012 at 6:30am

All hotel rooms are high-risk when it comes to the possibility of picking up bed bugs, so it?s important to know how to check for bed bugs when staying in hotels, whether they're five-star or economy. There are two principal reasons hotel rooms are all-too-commonly infested with bed bugs: They offer bed bugs what they need?sleeping humans nearby to feed on Every time new guests check in, there?s a chance they?re bringing in bed bugs from wherever in the world they might have been. The danger is not just that you?ll be bitten during your stay, but that the bed bugs will attach themselves to your clothes or luggage and come home with you, where they will rapidly reproduce. If that happens, the hotel?s infestation problem becomes your infestation problem?and it?s such a difficult problem to get rid of that it usually requires professional pest control specialists to detect and remove all the bed bugs in your home. It takes a little time?maybe 15 minutes?but it?s not that difficult to check for bed bugs in hotel rooms. You?ll certainly be wishing you did if you transfer bed bugs from a hotel into your home! Before you accept a room, place your luggage in a place where bed bugs are not likely to be, such as by the door or in the bathroom, while you inspect the room. First check each mattress. Look on both sides, paying particular attention to seams, tags, and buttons. If there are any holes in the mattress, be sure to inspect them. Also look over the pillows in the same manner. One of the most important things to know about how to check for bed bugs is that they can fit into extremely tiny nooks and crannies. So once you?re done with the mattress and pillows, check the headboard, bed frame, and box springs for signs of bed bugs (small stains, molted bed bug skins, eggs) around any joints, crevices, cracks, or holes. Check the rest of the room, beginning with furniture near the bed (e.g., nightstand). Bed bugs can be almost anywhere, so you?ll need to go over all the furniture, keeping in mind that bed bugs like out-of-the-way, dark places to hide. Inspect where the walls meet the floor. Check cushions; pull out drawers; look on the underside of everything. Besides furniture, inspect picture frames, and very importantly, the luggage rack (before you put luggage on it!). Photo Credit: Alan_D via Flickr


Bed Bugs Can't Jump or Fly, But They Don't Need To.
18 Dec 2012 at 6:30am

You might have heard about bed bugs? habit of ?hitchhiking? into people?s homes on their clothes or luggage. You might also have heard how easy it is to pick up bed bugs in any place where lots of people have been?movie theaters, laundries, taxi cabs, airplane seats, restaurant lounges, and the like. But how do they ?catch a ride.? Do bed bugs jump? Do they fly? The answer to ?do bed bugs jump?? is no. Unlike fleas, bed bugs aren?t capable of propelling themselves from one place to another by leaping. Do they fly? Again, the answer is no. They have no wings. So How Do Bed Bugs Get Around?Bed bugs are crawlers. They can crawl up the sides of beds. The can crawl up walls. They crawl from their hiding places to feed on the blood of humans and pets at night. And they can easily crawl from a chair or sofa into your clothes?or from a hiding place in a hotel room into your luggage. How to Keep From Crawling Onto YouThere?s really no way to protect yourself against inadvertently picking up bed bugs in public places, except to avoid places that are known to have a problem and to keep an eye out for obvious signs of infestation. So if you want to be safe, anytime you?re out and about, immediately change clothes when you return home and either wash the clothes in hot water right away or bag them up in sealable plastic bags until you do wash them. (Temperatures above approximately 120 degrees will kill bed bugs.) This is burdensome, but it'll protect you from bed bug infestations, which almost always require professional extermination. When you?re traveling, you can search the Web for reports of bed bugs in hotels so you don?t check into a place with a history of bed bug problems. And before accepting a hotel room, thoroughly inspect it. When you return home, wash all your clothes in hot water, keeping them bagged until you drop them in the washing machine. You also should treat you luggage with heat, ideally in a PackTite portable heating unit, which is designed for that purpose. Key ThoughtDo bed bugs jump? No. Do they fly? No. But that doesn?t mean they can?t get around. If you?re not careful, they can crawl right into your life, and that?s not something anyone wants! Photo Credit: Medill DC via Flickr


How To Test For Bed Bugs: 5 Practices You Can Try
13 Dec 2012 at 6:30am

A bed bug infestation is often considered a scourge on a person's home. Not only do the little parasites invade our beds while we sleep in order to suck our blood, their small size makes it hard to get rid of them once they're inside. Many homeowners don't know how to test for bed bugs when trying to figure out if the bugs have gotten inside their home. Let's take a look at 5 ways you can test for the critters. Visual Inspection -- This one is easy. Bed bugs are quite small, barely bigger than a grain of rice at most stages. If they haven't fed, they'll be light brown in color. If they've already been feeding on you or a family member, they'll be reddish. If you see a bed bug, this obviously means they've gotten into your home. Itching and Redness -- If you wake up with itchy red spots on your skin, this is a good sign that bed bugs are present. This could also indicate spiders, but they don't bite very often and will be more like a painful welt. This is often the first sign that a homeowner witnesses to indicate an infestation. Set a Trap -- Learning how to test for bed bugs can be done at the same time as getting rid of some of them. There are insect traps on the market that you can use, but you can also try a home version. Simply take a flat bowl -- a dog dish works perfectly -- and set a glass of dry ice inside, then fill the bowl with water. Cover the sides with something rough to give the bed bugs a way to crawl up the sides. The carbon dioxide will attract the bed bugs and they will drown in the water. Fecal matter testing -- Use a disposable glove and slide it around the seams of your mattress and inside other furniture. Black spots indicate fecal matter. Another testing method is to pick up a professional fecal matter testing kit at your local home improvement store. Smell -- According to experts, a bed bug infestation has a distinct odor. They describe it ranging anywhere from musky all the way up to spoiled raw meat. If you smell something like this, especially in a typically closed area, such as your attic or basement, this would indicate that an infestation has probably occurred.


Can Bed Bug Bites Cause Sickness?
11 Dec 2012 at 6:30am

Bed bugs have been making a comeback in recent years, which has led a number of homeowners to become overly paranoid of what this means. We are all aware that bed bugs love to crawl into our beds at night and suck on our blood. The more important question for many people, however, is a simple one ... can bed bug bites cause sickness? Understanding the bed bug...Bed bugs don't bite humans because they're irritated or threatened. They do so out of necessity for their own survival. Without ingesting on our blood, a bed bug is unable to grow. Although they can sometimes go up to a year without having a meal, they will eventually succumb to starvation if they don't get what their bodies need. Of course, none of this is reassuring to the receivers of bed bug bites. The good news...When it comes to any insect, especially ones that bite, there is the fear of disease. A number of insects have been known to pass along diseases to humans, some of which can quickly lead to sickness or, in some cases, death. The good news is despite the fact that bed bug bites have been rumored to transmit diseases, research has shown that there is no scientific evidence to back up this claim. Bed bugs cause a lot of problems for humans, but disease is not one of them. Now, the bad news...Just because bed bugs don't knowingly transmit disease, that doesn't mean there isn't cause for concern. The big danger comes from the itching accompanying the bed bug bites. The itching can be quite severe, making it hard to resist. For those with sensitive skin, it can be even more intense. Plus, bed bugs crawl through dirt and grime found in the cracks and crevices of our home, not to mention outside, so there's no way to know what they might be carrying along with them.  If you scratch a bed bug bite, this could quickly lead to an infection, and that is where the real danger lies. If you are afraid of scratching, it is recommended that you employ the use of a topical anti-itch cream. In most cases, that will do the trick. If that doesn't work, however, and the redness or itching sensation doesn't go away after a week, consult a medical expert who can recommend a treatment, which might include antibiotics. Photo Credit: epSos.de via Flickr


Bed Bug Facts: Do Bed Bugs Shed Their Exoskeletons?
6 Dec 2012 at 6:30am

To reach adulthood, bed bugs must molt five times?once for each immature life stage?before they become adults. If you?re concerned about bed bugs in your residence, this is one of the bed bug facts that should be at the forefront of your understanding of bed bugs To molt and move on to the next life stage, bed bugs must ingest a blood meal.  Among the bed bug facts you should know, this one should really grab your attention?after all, the blood meal comes from you! While you sleep, the growing bed bugs come out to get the meal necessary to keep growing. It?s extremely unsettling to most people to realize that?if your home has a bed bug infestation?a multitude of bed bug nymphs are dependent on you to keep growing. Exoskeletons from bed bugs are a sign of infestation.Knowing all the bed bug facts in the world won?t guarantee that your home won?t get infested. You can certainly take precautions to reduce the chance that you?ll bring bed bugs into your home. But to truly be sure you?re keeping bed bugs from coming into your home, you?d have to take drastic measures. (Picture yourself asking guests to take off their clothes before entering your home and put on clothes you?ve washed in hot water to ensure they?re free of bed bugs!) So even the most diligent household still needs to be aware of the signs of bed bug infestation?and the shed exoskeletons of bed bugs as they molt are one of the most-definitive signs you can find. The discarded exoskeletons keep the form of the bed bug?oval and flat?but they are of course clear and empty. If you see shed exoskeletons, act immediately.Another piece of knowledge that should be at the top of your list of bed bug facts is that they reproduce very rapidly?adult females produce hundreds of eggs during their lifetimes. For each female bed bug you help to reach maturity by providing the food source they need to molt, you?re furthering the infestation, which can rapidly grow out of control and become more difficult and expensive to treat. So if you discover shed bed bug exoskeletons, you can save yourself worry and money?not to mention bed bug bites?by wasting no time in calling a pest control company that specializes in bed bug removal. Photo Credit: zackzen via Flickr


Bed Bugs In NYC: Can Bed Bugs Infest Restaurants?
4 Dec 2012 at 6:30am

Do you have to worry about bed bugs in NYC restaurants? There are no beds in restaurants, no sleeping humans to feed on, no one living there?so it?s understandable if you think the answer is ?no.? But consider the recent story of a restaurant that made the news for being infested with bed bugs. The restaurant wasn?t in NYC, but its story tells you all you need to know about the prospect of bed bugs in NYC restaurants. In the summer of 2011, Leilani?s on the Beach?an oceanside restaurant in Kaanapali, Hawaii?discovered bed bugs in the restaurant. In 2012, the restaurant?s bed bug situation was still making news, warranting an article in The Maui News.   Three points relevant to bed bugs in NYC restaurants stand out: 1. The restaurant did nothing wrong.A health department vector inspector said the restaurant made sufficient use of pest control companies.  The bed bug problem was due to one person bringing in bed bugs. Bed bugs do like to make their homes near sleeping humans, but they are also by nature hitchhikers. They will catch a ride on someone?s clothes, and then get off when they think they?ve found a new place to settle. Lacking a bed, this means chairs, sofas, car seats, movie theater seats, and the like. 2. The place to worry about is where people sit.Considering bed bugs? hitchhiking propensity, any public place where people sit is vulnerable to becoming infested with bed bugs. In Leilani?s case, the problem area was the chairs in the restaurant?s beachside lounge. 3. Follow-up visits are important.After initial treatment, a follow-up in January?using a dog specially trained to sniff out bed bugs?found a few bed bugs in a couple of chairs. Those bed bugs were immediately treated. But unfortunately for Leilani?s, this follow-up was not conducted before a compliant was made to the health department?a complaint that likely triggered the newspaper article, which although it vindicates Leilani?s, is not the type of press restaurants seek! ConclusionBed bugs in NYC restaurants are a real possibility, and if a restaurant is unlucky enough to have a bed bug ?jump off? a person while they?re patronizing the restaurant, the result can be costly negative attention. To be safe, restaurateurs should proactively have their premises routinely inspected for bed bugs. Photo Credit: Ben Husmann via Flickr


Bed Bugs In Dorms: 5 Prevention Tips For College Students
29 Nov 2012 at 6:30am

Bed bugs in dorms are fairly common, and it?s not hard to understand why. In college dorms, there are lots of people living in close quarters, and many people always coming and going. Bed bugs?who like to hitchhike on people?s clothing (or book bags)?can easily be transferred from one dorm room to another. If bed bugs in dorms go untreated, they can quickly spread to become a problem for many students. Therefore, it?s important for college students to take the following five steps to prevent bed bugs in dorms?both for their own sake and for the sake of their fellow residents. 1. Never bring used beds or pieces of furniture into your room without first thoroughly inspecting them for bed bugs. Hand-me-down and purchased used beds and furniture are staples of college dorms, but any time you bring these items into your room, you could be bringing in bed bugs. 2. Keep your room uncluttered. The idea that bed bugs are the result of poor housekeeping is a misconception?bed bugs can infest even the cleanest residences. Nonetheless, excess clutter gives bed bugs more places to hide and breed, and it makes it more difficult for professional exterminators to locate them. 3. Use Active Guard mattress covers on your bed. You can put these covers over your mattress to trap and kill bed bugs already in the mattress, as well as to kill those trying to crawl onto the bed. This protection will allow you to sleep easy knowing you won?t be bitten by bed bugs during the night. 4. Wash your clothes after visiting other dorm rooms. If you?ve been in someone else?s room, it?s not a bad idea to change clothes when you get back to your room and put the clothes you were wearing into sealable plastic bags until you can get them to the laundry and wash them in hot water. For busy college students, this step may be difficult to follow, but especially if your dorm has had problems with bed bugs, it's a worthwhile precaution. 5. Report bed bugs as soon as you suspect they?re in your room. Any delay will make the problem worse, so even if you?re wrong about being infested, it?s better safe than sorry. Your housing management should be quick to call in specialists in bed bug removal to inspect your room and exterminate if necessary. Photo Credit: DOliphant via Flickr


How To Effectively Exterminate A Bed Bug Colony
27 Nov 2012 at 6:30am

If you have a bed bug colony in your home, you no doubt want to get rid of it. While bed bugs don?t carry diseases that infect humans or pets, their bites can result in painful itching that can lead to infections if you break the skin by scratching. And bed bugs can cause a great deal of mental distress. After all, how can you be expected to get a good night?s sleep knowing there?s a bed bug colony waiting to come out and feed on your blood while you?re in dreamland? Unfortunately for homeowners and renters, a bed bug colony isn?t easy to destroy. The DIY ApproachYour first instinct upon realizing that your home is infested with bed bugs may be to try to take care of the problem yourself. But bed bugs are not a pest that can usually be exterminated by non-professionals. To begin with, bed bugs are extremely hard to locate. You may know you have a bed bug colony (or more than one) in your home because you?ve seen the bugs themselves, spotted signs of their presence, or keep waking up with unexplained bites (usually in rows of three). But finding out exactly where in your home the bed bugs are is a major challenge because they are masters at not being discovered. Even professionals often use dogs trained to sniff out all the bed bugs in all of their hiding places. Bed bugs are also difficult to eradicate without the proper equipment to distribute pesticides deep into the cracks and crevices where they're likely located. Besides, most store-bought pesticides?even if they claim they are for bed bugs?lack the residual power to kill all the bed bugs and their eggs. Don?t Waste Time and Money: Call an ExterminatorThe vast majority of people who try to get rid of bed bugs by themselves end up frustrated when the bed bugs reappear. Not only do they have to call an exterminator, they?ve wasted their effort and their money on store-bought pesticides. They realize they would have been better off calling an exterminator to begin with?of if they rent, their landlord, who would have then called an exterminator. It?s admirable to want to attack bed bugs yourself, but because of the difficulty of locating and killing them, the best way to effectively exterminate a bed bug colony is to rely on professional expertise. Photo Credit: Plutor via Flickr