Practical Pest Control Tips That Really Work

Although bed bugs are not dangerous and don't carry diseases, these bloodsucking insects are not the kind of house guest you want to welcome into your home.  They feed on blood and will bite you in order to do so, often causing skin irritation and itching.  But you keep your home scrupulously clean, so where do these creatures come from, how can you spot them, and what steps can you take to get rid of them?  Read on to find out more.

How to spot bed bugs

Bed bugs are so tiny that it's almost impossible to see them with the naked eye.  These flightless creatures live in and around your bed, attracted by your body heat and the carbon dioxide that you exhale as you breathe.  Bed bugs' bodies are flat, enabling them to squeeze into the tiniest of spaces, for example, inside skirting boards, in crevices and cracks in bedsteads, underneath wallpaper or deep within carpet pile.  Look out for:

• spots of blood on your sheets (caused by squashed bed bugs)
• tiny brown shells
• black dotting on your mattress or bedding (bed bug faeces)

Where do bed bugs come from?

Bed bugs are remarkably tough creatures that can survive for long periods without feeding.  Adults and their eggs are transported around in clothing, furniture or even luggage.  They can arrive in your home in any of the following ways:

• on visitors' clothing and bags
• on secondhand clothes or bedding
• on secondhand furniture or mattresses
• migration through holes in adjacent properties

How to get rid of bed bugs

Unfortunately, once a colony of bed bugs has become established, you'll quickly have an infestation on your hands, and the best way to eradicate the creatures is by contacting a professional pest control service like Ausmic Pest Control.  However, there are some steps you can take to slow down the spread of the colony in the meantime.

• Take all your bed linen and wash it on a high temperature setting.  After washing, tumble dry the bed linen on a hot setting.  If you don't have a tumble dryer, hang your washing out to dry in strong, direct sunlight on a very hot day.  
• Remove the mattress from the bed and burn it.  
• Use a vacuum cleaner to vacuum every single crack, crevice, and joint in your bedstead to remove any living bed bugs or their eggs.  Burn the vacuum cleaner bag or wash out the cylinder with boiling water and disinfectant.  
• Spray the bedstead and the immediate vicinity of your bed with a bed bug-specific insecticide available from good DIY stores or your local pest control company.

In conclusion

Bed bugs can infest even the cleanest of homes and are notoriously difficult to eradicate.  Always consult a reputable pest control firm for advice and, in the meantime, follow the steps set out above.