The bed bug nightmare…..I thought bed bugs were a myth!

When I was a kid growing up, I heard about beg bugs. To be honest, for some reason I thought they were a myth. Maybe it was the Aussie phrase, “sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite”, that to me, seemed  just a little fairytale “ish”.

Or maybe it was my penchant for weird “B” grade horror films, and in my mind I started to put them in the same category as the “Drop Bear” or “Jackalope”.  It wasn’t until many years later that I actually realised they are a real thing, and I was actually quite horrified to think that over the years I probably slept in many hotel beds that actually had real bed bugs.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has viewed these little creep crawlies in a similar fashion. So now that I know they are the real deal, we can look at a few horrors stories and then also ways we can defend our homes and beds against them.

The Bed Bug Life Cycle – What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are a parasitic insect present in most parts of the world, that pierce the skin and feed on human blood. They do not burrow into the skin and never use humans as a host. The life up to 6 months at room temperature, and feed generally night time.

Below is an image showing the life cycle of the bed bug courtesy of https://www.ecotektermiteandpest.com/blog/best-ways-get-rid-bed-bugs/

Bed Bug TV

Yes…there is actually a Youtube channel entirely dedicated to bed bugs. Why am I not surprised.

 

 

How To Inspect Your Bed For Bed Bugs

Probably the first video you should watch is how to inspect a bed for bed bugs.

 

 

How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

While not one of our most common services were are asked to provide in Adelaide, it certainly is steady. Our Adelaide bed bug treatment service is available for both commercial and residential customers. Our treatment solution has been fine tuned over the years for this specific environment in and around Adelaide, however there are many different solutions that are used around the world.

The Dry Ice Trap

This is an interesting idea and concept to catch bed bugs in your home.

 

The Foam Cup

This one is pretty cool as for 3c it’s worth a try. To honest there is no scientific basis behind this, expect a guy just accidently found a way to collect bed bugs with a foam cup.

 

 

Browsing Youtube, we actually found many videos of everyday home owners showing how they’ve be innovative in creating bed bug traps using everyday household items.

Bed Bugs Hate Yellow & Green

At first this seems weird, but in face there is a rather solid scientific study behind this idea. A paper in the Journal Of Medical Entomology found that the little critters have a strong preference for certain colours, and they also hate yellow and green.

Dr McNeill said: “We originally thought the bed bugs might prefer red because blood is red and that’s what they feed on.

“However, after doing the study, the main reason we think they preferred red colours is because bed bug themselves appear red, so they go to these harborages because they want to be with other bed bugs.”

The bugs appeared to dislike yellow and green shelters, possibly because these bright colours remind them of brightly lit areas that are less safe to hide in, say the researchers.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-36128646

The Bed Bug Itch

Not only are the little critters unsightly and simply something you don’t want in your home, if you’ve had the itch, it’s just plain annoying. If  you’ve been bitten, you might not know about it until later. Symptoms of a bite include itching, burning sensations, slight swelling and a red area in the centre of the bite.

Bed bugs will excrete a tiny amount of anesthesia into the blood, so you might not know immediately that you’ve been bitten. Luckily however, their bite will not transmit any diseases, but in rare cases the individual may have an allergic reaction.

According to an article in Healthline.com:

The biggest problem bedbug bites pose is that they are likely to cause a skin infection around the bite site as a result of excessive itching and scratching. You may also be more likely to experience insomnia as a result of worrying that you will be bitten again.

If you are allergic to a bedbug’s bite, you may experience more dramatic symptoms. The most common symptoms of an allergic reaction to a bedbug bite include engorged bite marks, painful swelling and burning at the bite site, and in rare cases, an anaphylactic response.

The Dreaded Hotel Room Bed Bug

If you’re on the road alot for work of pleasure, one of things I always worry about is the cleanliness of the beds, and if indeed the little critters are about. We found this article that has some really good tips on how check your hotel room for bed bugs:

1.When you first enter a new hotel room, put your luggage in the bathroom—an unlikely place for bed bugs to hide—while you inspect the bedding and furniture.

2. Pull back the bed sheets and check the mattress and box-spring seams for bugs, especially at the head of the bed. Adults, nymphs, and eggs are visible to the naked eye. Also keep your eyes peeled for exoskeletons (casings that the bugs leave behind when they molt) and dark, rust-colored spots.

3. Lift the mattress and check underneath, too, using a flashlight if possible. If you see any telltale signs, tell the hotel and ask for a new room in another part of the building.

4. Stow your suitcases on a luggage rack or a hard surface after checking it to make sure it’s bed bug-free. Even better, pack large plastic trash bags and keep your luggage in them during your stay.

5. When you get home, kill any bed-bug hitchhikers by tumbling your travel clothes in a hot dryer for 30 minutes. (Simply washing the clothes usually won’t kill bed bugs.) And if possible, store your emptied luggage in the garage, the basement, or a hot attic. (Temperatures above 120° F kill bed bugs.)

Source: https://www.consumerreports.org/hotels-inns/check-for-bed-bugs-hotel