The first thing, and one can argue one of the most important things, that you need to know about bed bugs is that an infestation of bed bugs can happen to anyone and occur anywhere. Many years ago a bed bug infestation was associated with poor hygiene and poor economic situations. Today, that is simply not the case.
What are bed bugs
The bed bug, or Cimex Lectularius, is considered to be a parasitic insect. It is considered to be a parasite because its preferred food is human blood. The insect received its more common name “bed bug” because of the habitats that it was found in or near. This creature prefers warm areas in or around sleeping areas.
How Did They Get Here?
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From the 1940s until the late 1990s the bed bug had more or less been eliminated in North America. In the late 1990s more and more infestations where being noted across Canada. The return of the bed bug can be linked to governmental ban on pesticides (among other things).
How-to Identify A Bed Bug Bite
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Another important fact about bed bugs is that they feed on their human “hosts” without most people even realizing it. Additionally, bed bugs DO NOT transit diseases or viruses to humans.
A bed bug bite can take up to 14 days to appear. Some people may show no reaction to a bed bug bite while others will have a mild allergic reaction on their skin. It is very rare for a person to have a serious allergic reaction as a result of a bed bug bite, but it can happen.
How-to Identify A Bed Bug Infestation
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You can check your mattress for bed bugs by lifting it up. You will either see a mass small black dots (some no larger then a pinhead) or a line or group of black dots moving quickly across the surface.
Because bed bugs are nocturnal you can more easily spot their fecal matter or egg shell casings on materials. The fecal matter left behind by bed bugs is reddish brown in colour because it has blood products in it. You can also rub your hand very gently over the area to see if you bring up any dirt.
You can also scan the edges of your carpet, go through your clothes and look at every surface of the room.
How-to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
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You can get rid of bed bugs a few different ways. There are both natural and chemical ways to get rid of bed bugs. It can take a few weeks to a few months to get rid of bed bugs depending on the extent of the infestation.
The most popular non-chemical ways to get rid bed bugs are cold treatment and heat treatment.
For cold treatment set your freezer to 0 *F and leave items in the freezer for four days. Heat treatment requires putting items in the dryer on the highest heat setting.
There are home pesticides that you can use but you are much better off leaving chemical pesticide control measures to the experts.
Who to call to get rid of bed bugs?
At JDM Pest Control we are your safe, effective and eco-friendly pest control experts! We specialize in both commercial and residential pest control. We have more than 20 years’ experience in the Greater Toronto Area.
One of the best non-toxic pest control treatments that we suggest for bed bugs is Cryonite. This custom machine sprays CO2 snow at -110 degrees F. Cryonite is a green alternative to traditional pesticides.
Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions or need any advice on how to manage bed bugs. Remember, sometimes it is best to call the experts first before the situation gets out of hand!