Everyone has had at least one experience with a creepy crawly. Maybe it was when you slept over at a friend’s house and crept out of the covers to find spiders crawling over your legs or maybe it was when you saw that one scene in a horror movie where an evil bug crawled out of an abandoned hole in the wall and started eating its victims alive. The exact reason why there are so many people terrified of bugs is not known, but it is probably because we have been exposed to them since birth and have become used to seeing them around.
Even if most people would rather not think about them, they happen to be quite common throughout the world. Bedbugs, also known as Cimex lectularius, are small oval brownish insects that feed on blood and usually hide in beds at night. They are also attracted to warmth and carbon dioxide emitted from humans which makes perfect sense given their need for both these things for them to reproduce as well as survive.
In case you were wondering, bedbugs are not just one specific type of bug; they can be numerous different types of insects under the same genus (Cimex) with different names depending on where they live and how they look like. This article will give you everything you need to know about this creepy crawlies before taking any precautions or dealing with them yourself.
What are bedbugs?
Bedbugs are parasitic insects that belong to the Cimex genus and are found in warm and tropical areas, especially in areas where there is a high concentration of humans and human activities like hotels, cruise ships, and military bases. Bedbugs are small oval-shaped with flat bodies and can be found in a reddish-brown colour. They feed on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals and are most active at nighttime. Bedbugs are not able to fly and can only crawl, hence their name “bedbugs”.
Bedbugs are not related to spiders, they are not a menace to humans and they do not have venom. Bedbugs are treated as pests in hotels, apartments, and other places where large numbers of people reside. They are most active at night and hide during the day in cracks or crevices. In the morning, bedbugs are attracted to warmth and carbon dioxide released by people sleeping in beds. Bedbugs can be detected by their distinct blood-sucking saliva that stains sheets, mattresses and other materials.
How do you get bed bugs?
If your home is infested with bedbugs, you will bring them into your home by visiting someone who has them. From there, you can also bring them into your home by leaving clothing or any items that have been in contact with an infested area behind. This can also happen if you are travelling in a hotel that has bedbugs and you are staying in one of the beds that are infested.
Bedbugs can also be brought in on anything that comes into contact with an infested area, leaving behind clothes or bags that have been in an infested place. Since bedbugs are very small, they can also be found in furniture and other items that come into contact with bedding. Travelling with bedbugs is one of the leading ways that they are spread and brought into a new area. Tents, mattresses, bed frames, clothes, and other items that come into contact with bedding can be places to bring bedbugs into your home or to a new place.
Signs of a bedbug infestation
There are some obvious signs of a bedbug infestation, but you should also take note of any other signs of a possible infestation so that you do not miss anything.
- Mattress bugs – The main sign that you might have a bedbug infestation is blood stains on your sheets, mattress, or any other bedding items that have come in contact with bedbugs. You will find these in the mornings after you have been sleeping and usually near the bed.
- Bed bugs in other rooms – If you find bedbugs in other rooms like the couch, dresser, and other furniture, you should take precautions since this could mean that they were brought in from somewhere else.
- Bedbugs in the seams – You can also detect bedbugs in the seams of mattresses and other items that are stuffed with fabric by looking for small red spots that are the bedbug bites.
- Bedbugs in furniture – If you find bedbugs in furniture, this can mean that they were brought in from another place. Bedbugs can hide in the seams or cracks of furniture and this makes them very difficult to spot.
- Bed bugs in the sheets – You can also find bed bugs in your sheets by checking the seams or folds of the sheets. If you find bed bugs hiding in your sheets, you should take precautions by treating your home with an insecticide.
- Blood stains in furniture – If you find blood stains on surfaces or in furniture, you should take precautions since this can mean that bedbugs were brought in from another place.
- Small bed bugs – Bedbugs are usually found in larger numbers on mattresses and sheets where you find many small bed bugs, you can be sure that there is a bigger problem.
- Bed bugs droppings – If you find small yellow or black droppings in places where your bedding is, you should take precautions. This is another sign that you have bedbugs.
- Bed bugs in the seams – You can also detect bed bugs in the seams of mattresses and other items that are stuffed with fabric by looking for small red spots that are the bedbug bites.
Ways to get rid of bedbugs
- Vacuum your home – Bedbugs can be easily detected and killed with a vacuum cleaner.
- Vacuum your mattresses – You should also vacuum your mattresses since this is where bedbugs are usually found.
- Clean your bedding – If you have bedbugs in your mattress, you should clean your bedding since this is where they usually hide.
- Change your sheets – You should also change your sheets every few weeks since bedbugs can hide in the seams and folds of the sheets.
- Spray your mattress – If you are still not satisfied with the results from vacuuming and washing your sheets, you can now repel bedbugs by spraying your mattress with a muscle-relaxing, mosquito-repelling, or anti-itch spray.
- Seal cracks and crevices – You should also seal up cracks and crevices to keep bedbugs out.
Prevention is the best medicine
The best way to avoid getting bedbugs is to not bring them home in the first place. Bedbugs are usually found in beds and other places where people sleep, so the best way to avoid them is to avoid sleeping on a mattress or in a bed. This means that you should not share a bed with someone, you should use your bed, and you should not share a sleeping bag or couch with anyone else.
If you do find yourself with bedbugs, the first thing that you should do is remove them from your mattress and clean your room. You should also remove any items that were in contact with an infested area and wash all of your bedding.
Conclusion
Bedbugs are small pests that can be found in places where a lot of people live, like hotels, cruise ships, and military bases. They hide in cracks and crevices, so it can be difficult to detect them. Their bites are painless, so people do not usually notice that they are being fed on. If you do have bedbugs, you should clean your room, change your sheets, and vacuum your mattress to get rid of any signs of them.
You should also call an exterminator if you live in an area where they are common. Bedbugs are common, but they can be treated and prevented with some effort. In the end, if this article, you should be able to easily identify and get rid of these creepy crawlies!
