About Bed Bug

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Are bed bugs contagious?

Bed bugs are not contagious in that they cannot be transmitted from person-to-person. However, bed bugs can hide and live in a person’s bedding, clothing, luggage, and furniture. When these items enter a home or are transported to another area, they can transport the bed bugs with them.

Are bed bugs dangerous?

Currently it is believed that bed bugs do not pose a significant health risk to humans, however, there is a study from Penn Medicine researchers in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics that has shown it is possible for bed bugs to transmit Trypanosoma cruzi. This is important because Trypanosoma cruzi is the parasite that causes Chagas disease, a deadly disease that is currently found in Latin America.

Even if a person does not contract Chagas from a bed bug, there are both psychological effects as well as monetary consequences from bed bugs. According to a study by Stéphane Perron, a doctor and researcher at the University of Montreal, when he looked at two groups of people, both of whom lived in unsafe apartments, those with bed bugs were significantly more likely to report anxiety and sleep disturbances than those without.

Bed bugs do not discriminate in regard to household income. They are found in both extremely wealthy areas as well as poor areas. No matter where you live, it can be difficult to exterminate bed bugs which leads to high costs for eradication. Seventy-six percent of the respondents to the 2013 Bugs Without Borders Survey stated that bed bugs were the most difficult pest to treat. If you believe you might have bed bugs in your home it is imperative to look into ways to remove them immediately. The longer you wait, the worse the infestation will become.

Are bed bugs ever visible?

Adult bed bugs are usually visible as flat, brown ovoid insects with six legs. They are wingless and their size can be estimated to be that of an apple seed. When fed, they usually become more rounded, and their abdomen usually has a red tinge on account of the blood they have ingested.

Typically, bed bugs come out of hiding at night to take a blood meal, and will scurry along fast when you switch on the lights. For this reason, some people usually don’t see them, or only see one or two at most and assume that the bed bug infestation is minimal. This is usually a wrong interpretation.

Immature bed bugs are usually translucent in color, and much smaller than the adult bed bugs. The younger they are, the smaller they are. In some cases, their very small size means that they require perfect eyesight in order to be seen. The bed bugs eggs are very small; usually equated to the head of a pin. They are usually black in color and collect in several dark, hidden spots in furniture or around the house.

Remember that seeing even just one bed bug, whether adult or young, does not mean that you don’t have nothing to worry about. This is usually an indication that there could be other bed bugs all over the house. As a result, you will need to take measures to eradicate them, and this could include the use of special, eco-friendly insecticides that are effective against them such as EcoRaider®.

Are there bed bugs in your home?

If you have a very large infestation you may see bed bugs crawling in your home; however the most common first sign of bed bugs is bites on the people living in your house. These bites are most often found on arms, legs, or other body parts that are exposed while a person is sleeping. Bed bug bites usually manifest themselves as itchy welts that appear in a zigzag pattern. The actual bite of a bed bug is painless due to a numbing agent that is discharged when the bug bites, however, most people develop an allergic reaction to the saliva which causes the welts. Unfortunately bed bug bites are often hard to distinguish from other common bites like that of mosquitos, fleas, or spiders. It is also important to note that you may have two people living in the home and while one may have a reaction to bed bug bites the other person may not.

Can bed bugs come through the walls?

Most people consider the presence of bed bugs as a sign of poor hygiene, but this is rarely the case. In many cases, the bed bugs are simply transmitted from one place to another through various means. One of these is through conduits in walls. If you live next to a home that is infested with bed bugs, there is every possibility that some of them will crawl through some of the spaces in the walls and access your home. This is particularly so if the number of bed bugs in the initial home have become too many.

Some of the conduits they can use include cracks in the wall, electrical and even plumbing conduits. This is one of the reason why an individual can do excellent bed bug removal, only to find that the problem recurs a few weeks or months later. This could be the result of more bed bugs moving from the other home across the wall to your home.

In these cases, eradication of the bed bugs once and for all normally requires a team effort. It might be necessary to consult with your neighbor, and to come up with a collaborative effort to get rid of the bed bugs. If not, you could even talk to the apartment manager, who could then fumigate the entire apartment block to completely get rid of the bed bugs. If you can identify conduits such as cracks in the wall through which the bed bugs go through, you could also try to seal them to prevent further movement of bed bugs.

Can bugs survive in water?

The survival of bed bugs in water depends on a variety of factors. One of these is the duration of time the bed bug has been under water, and whether or not it is floating or drowning in the water. Of course, when a bed bug is floating in water, it will definitely survive since it has the capacity to access atmospheric air. Examples of bed bugs that can float on water are the ones that have not fed. These are usually very light and flat, and can depend on surface tension to keep them afloat.

However, when a bed bug drowns due to the loss of surface tension or when the bed bug is heavy enough, there is a chance that it will die. Some experiments have been done showing that bed bugs drowned in water for 24 hours will die, while a small percentage will not.

Of course, raising the temperature of the water significantly will increase this effect, since the hot water will denature critical proteins needed for the functioning of the bed bug’s life functions. Agitating the water, such as in a washing machine, also results in drowning which has the potential to kill the bed bugs.

It can therefore be said that the survivability of bedbugs in cold water is inconclusive, but they will definitely die when placed in water at a temperature above 150 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have bedding or other clothing that has bedbug eggs or adults in the folds and creases of the dress, you can simply pop it in your washing machine and clean them in the hottest setting. This should kill the bed bugs and their eggs.

Can steam cleaning kill bed bugs?

Steam is an excellent tool you can use to kill bed bugs if you have such an infestation. The primary benefit of steam is the fact that it kills bed bugs in all stages of development, from eggs to fully grown adults. As is the case with other bed bug control methods, your rate of success will depend on how you use the steam and the quality of the material you use.

To kill bed bugs, the steam needs to be very hot. Below 160 degrees Fahrenheit, the bed bugs have a chance of surviving, so the steam produced should be hotter than this. Depending on the fabric you are steaming, very high temperatures may damage the fabric. To this end, it is usually recommended that the steam should be between 160 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit, though there are cases where people use steam at 200 degrees Fahrenheit if they are sure they will not damage the surface they are steaming.

When using steam to kill bed bugs, it is important to focus on areas where the bed bugs are likely to hide, such as in cracks and crevices. Patience is also important. Rather than simply passing the steaming device over a blanket or carpet quickly, you should take your time to make sure that the job is done thoroughly.

To increase the chances of success, you can then use another method of bed bug eradication such as the use of insecticides to kill any remaining bed bugs if any. EcoRaider® is a popular choice since not only has it proven to be effective against bed bugs, but it’s also environmentally friendly. It will not leave deposits of dangerous chemicals and heavy metals in the environment, and will not cause health problems for inhabitants of the house in the long run.

Can you freeze bed bugs out?

The main reason why bed bugs are so difficult to kill using chemical methods is due to the fact that they easily adapt to these chemicals. For this reason, a lot of time has to be spent to come up with the right chemical formula that will definitely kill them without making them develop resistance quickly. However, they have no ability to resist physical methods of extermination such as freezing and heating. Freezing bed bugs to death is a relatively novel idea that works well when used correctly.

The basis behind freezing bed bugs to death is the fact that by freezing them, the chemical reactions in their bodies slow down and eventually stop. These chemical reactions are necessary for generation of energy which is necessary for processes such as moving around, growing and digesting food. When they are frozen to a point where none of these chemical processes are possible, the bed bugs eventually die and can’t develop a mechanism to resist this.

Freezing bed bugs to death is ideal when the bed bugs have infested items such as bedding and clothing which can be put in a freezer easily. Of course, furniture including beds and sofas can also be frozen, but this would require using large freezers which might be impractical.

For optimal effect, the temperature needed to kill bed bugs should be at least 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. The items should be kept at this temperature for at least four days for you to be assured that the bed bugs are dead.

Could I mistake another bug for a bed bug?

There are other bugs that can be mistaken for bed bugs. The bugs that are often mistaken for bed bugs are bat bugs and carpet beetles. Carpet beetles are smaller than bed bugs. The average carpet beetle is an eighth of an inch in length (an average bed bug is only a quarter of an inch). There are other physical differences between carpet beetles and bed bugs, including their coloring. Carpet beetles have white and yellow-brown scales and tufts of hair on the back of their abdomen. There is also a significant behavioral difference. Bed bugs feed on blood while carpet beetles feed on substances like carpet and woolen fabric.
Bat bugs and bed bugs look extremely similar but there is a trick to identifying a bat bug. If you look at the length of hairs covering the thorax you can see that the length of the bat bugs hairs are longer than the width of its eyes; while a bed bug has hairs that are smaller than the width of its eyes. It is easiest to see this difference if you are able to get the bugs under a microscope. A pest professional may be need to distinguish between these two pests.

Do bed bug bites hurt?

Bed bug bites don’t hurt, and in some cases, you may not even realize that you have been bitten by one for days. The main problem with bed bug bites is the fact that they release chemicals which result in a delayed immune reaction which will manifest as itching, redness and swelling.

The itching can be continuous to the point of being embarrassing, but thankfully this gradually reduces in a few hours or days. If you have a bed bug infestation in your home, it may therefore not be possible for you to know if you have been bitten or not immediately.

However, some people have immune systems which react to the bites faster than usual, and will start scratching a few minutes after being bitten. When this happens multiple times at night, it has the potential to disrupt your sleep pattern, and you could find yourself feeling tired and groggy the next morning due to lack of sleep. This in turn can reduce your productivity throughout the day and result in mood swings, depression and other sleep-related problems in the long run.

From the above, it seems that bed bugs may not be that harmful particularly if you are able to sleep well despite being bitten multiple times. However, it’s important to get rid of the bed bugs since the scratching and itching will become more severe and the number of bed bugs biting you increase. Use EcoRaider® for a cost effective and eco-friendly defense against bed bugs. You will be guaranteed of better sleep, and less damage to your skin.

Do foggers work on bed bugs?

Foggers are one of the many do-it-yourself methods of getting rid of bed bugs from homes. They are essentially sprays that release a toxic mist which is meant to kill bed bugs within a room or home. Before using them, it is usually necessary to evacuate the home, since the mist might need to be in place for some time for it to be effective. People are also usually advised to cover their beds and have their laundry thoroughly cleaned to get rid of any bed bugs or eggs that might have embedded in them.

The reviews for bed bug foggers are at best conflicting. There are some people who say that they are effective, and others who see no change after using them, even after following the instructions. One of the common complaints is that the foggers do not affect the bed bugs in tiny crevices, which is where the majority of bed bugs hide when they are not out for a blood meal. This means that even after using it, you may still come back to a home that has a few bed bugs which will multiply rapidly. In addition to that, different brands have been shown to have different efficacy as well.

To avoid the confusion and wasting money, it’s usually best to use bed bug control methods which have a good reputation, and which have reproducible results. Insect sprays such as EcoRaider® are made to be used on bed bugs and other insects, and are therefore effective. They would be an ideal solution to such an infestation. Working with a high quality exterminator is also highly advised if you are stumped about what to do and don’t want to waste money.

Do mattress covers prevent bed bugs?

A simple and easily forgotten method to prevent bed bug infestation is through the use of mattress covers. The premise behind this is simple. One of the commonest hiding spots for bed bugs is within the mattress, particularly if you have a box mattress that has a lot of space within it.

When you use a mattress cover, it becomes impossible for the bed bugs to move from within the mattress to the surface in order to bite you. With time, the number of bed bugs will dwindle due to starvation, despite the fact that they have been noted to live for as long as a year without feeding.

Not all mattress covers have the same effect. If you intend to prevent bed bugs, you should do enough research and buy covers that are ideal for this. It might take some time and you may need to pay slightly more than you would for regular mattress covers, but the extra cost is well worth it.

Some of the qualities that the ideal mattress covers should have include having bite resistance, so that the bed bugs are unable to bite through it to get to the surface. Usually, the mattress covers have zips that are used to secure them in place. The zip teeth should be small; large zip teeth could allow smaller bed bugs to go through them and this will beat the purpose of having the mattress cover in the first place.

The most ideal way to use mattress covers is after you have eradicated bed bugs in other parts of the house, if any. You can use insecticides such as EcoRaider® to get rid of other bed bugs in the house, and then use the mattress cover to seal the rest in for good.

Does vacuuming kill bed bugs?

Bed bugs are some of the most notorious pests in homes and some commercial facilities on account of how difficult they are to eradicate. A tried and tested method of doing so is through vacuuming. A high quality vacuum cleaner can be used to suck both the adults and the eggs in a heavily infested area, drastically reducing the population of bed bugs in the region.

To be effective, this procedure has to be done strategically. Bed bugs tend to hide in nooks and crannies, and these areas need to be focused on after vacuuming other areas of the house. A powerful handheld vacuum cleaner is ideal for these situations since a standard one may not be able to get to some of the hard to reach areas.

Once the vacuuming is done, emptying of the vacuum bag should also be done carefully. Emptying the bag close to the house only causes the bed bugs to crawl back into the house and start reproducing. Within a short time, you will have the same infestation again.

It is recommended that vacuuming should be done in conjunction with other methods of bed bug eradication to ensure maximum effect. Even if you are sure that all the bed bugs and their eggs are removed, the use of insecticides that are effective against bed bugs should be used just in case. EcoRaider® is effective against bed bugs, but it is also eco-friendly. This ensures that it will not cause undue harm to occupants of the house, including pets.

How can I prevent bed bugs?

Most people view bed bug eradication as a complex problem, and would rather not deal with it at all. In such cases, the next best thing is to make sure that you never have to deal with the problem at all. There are several measures you can take to prevent bed bug infestations, most of which revolve around making sure that they are not introduced into your house in the first place.

If you have kids, chances are that they may pick up bed bugs in areas such as camps, boarding schools or other areas where they interact with other kids for a long time. If they come back home and let their clothing and other items get into contact with your furniture, bed, carpet and other fabrics, the bed bugs could transfer from their clothing to your house. Policies such as having all their clothes washed in hot water as soon as they arrive might help in killing the bed bugs and their eggs before they have a chance to spread.

Bed bugs are also commonly picked up from areas of accommodation such as hotels. If you travel and intend to stay in one, make a point of checking the bedding for the presence of bed bugs, or signs of their presence. These could include dark spots on pillows and blankets which indicate their eggs. If so, you could either decide to visit a more hygienic hotel, or ask the concierge to change the room for you so that you can get a cleaner one.

You should also keep an eye out for even the slightest presence of bed bugs in your home at all times. Even if you see just a single bed bug, you should pull out all the stops to make sure that the entire room or house is treated to eradicate them before they multiply exponentially.

How do bed bug infestations happen?

Bed bugs are excellent “hitch-hikers”. Bed bugs can enter your home in a number of ways. In the past we always thought of bed bugs coming into our homes in suitcases after we had traveled. Now we know that they can be transported into people’s homes in boxes, book bags, purses, and even shoes. Since bed bugs are found in many places (they are not limited to homes and hotels) these pests can be brought into your home at almost any time. Pest control companies have reported infestations everywhere from single family homes, apartments and hotels, to schools, office buildings, and even retail stores.

How do bed bugs feed?

The carbon dioxide that we emit attracts bed bugs to us. When bed bugs find a host they must be able to stay on the host for approximately ten minutes in order to fully engorge themselves (this is the reason they often will feed on sleeping people). The bed bug inserts two hollow, beak-like, tubes into an exposed area of their host. One of the tubes injects the bug’s saliva which has an anesthetic that numbs the area. Because of the saliva, most people do not even notice that they are being bitten. The other tube is the one that actually draws the blood that the bed bug needs for nourishment. After the bed bug has engorged itself it usually finds a secure place to hide in order to digest its meal, mate, and lay eggs. They usually stay in the secure place for five to ten days before looking for their next meal.

How do you identify a bed bug?

In order to get rid of a pest in your home it is important to be able to correctly identify the problem. Bed bugs are small wingless bugs with six legs. They are oval in shape; their shape is often described as similar to an apple seed except that the bed bug is relatively flat.

Bed bugs have a range of colors. A bed bug nymph is a nearly colorless white. As the nymphs mature they slowly change color from white to brown. Adult bed bugs are brown, however, as a bed bugs feeds on blood it turns from a regular brown to a rusty red-brown.

Bed bugs are small. The average adult bed bug is a quarter of an inch long and is about the width of a credit card. A newly hatched nymph can be the size of a pinhead. Both the nymphs and eggs of a bed bug are so small it is hard to see them without the use of a magnifying glass.

How do you inspect for bed bugs?

If you have bites, or have any other reason to suspect that your home may have bed bugs, the first place you should inspect is your bedroom. Bed bugs are attracted to the carbon dioxide emitted into the air as we breathe. Bed bugs often feed on humans at night when they are staying stationary because bed bugs require approximately five to ten minutes to engorge themselves with blood. Because of this, the most common place to find a bed bug is in the bedroom.

The first place to inspect should be the bed. Start by carefully removing the sheet and mattress pad. This will allow you to inspect the four corners of the mattress and don’t forget about the box spring, a favorite hiding spot due to its many cracks and crevices for bed bugs. You may find actual bed bugs, or more likely, you will find evidence of bed bugs. Evidence of bed bugs includes their molted skins, white sticky eggs, or empty eggshells. Finding small red to reddish brown fecal spots (often described as looking like sprinkled pepper) on mattresses, upholstery, or even the walls near your bed, may be a sign that you have bed bugs. Another sign of bed bugs is finding small blood stains or crushed bed bugs or remnants of bed bugs in the sheets, on the mattress or in the folds of the mattress. In a very heavily infested area you may be able to smell a characteristically sweet odor from the infestation.

Although bed bugs are most commonly found on mattresses, bed bugs are opportunists and will therefore go to any room in which they can find a host. Bed bugs prefer to feed at night, but they will bite their host during the day as well. They prefer to feed on humans but will feed on other warm-blooded animals if necessary. Because of those reasons, you should inspect other areas of your home besides just your bedroom such as living rooms near couches and seating areas, pet areas and even closets.

How do you remove bed bugs?

The removal of bed bugs is a problem that has stumped many homeowners over the ages, particularly if they have tried products that are not particularly suited for this purpose. For example, using regular insecticide is not a good idea since it only works for a small number of insects. If you are thinking of ways of removing insecticides, remember that they are very hardy and adaptable, so you need to use targeted approaches to remove them.

There are several proven methods of bed bug removal, and it is generally recommended that you use them in combination in order to achieve maximum effect. If you are interested in insecticides, you should pick those that are specifically designed for bed bug eradication. An example of this is EcoRaider®. Not only is it effective in this role, but it also has the benefit of being eco-friendly.

You can also use physical means to eradicate the bed bugs. The use of heat and steam is particularly effective, since it destroys the bed bugs and their eggs, and the bed bugs can’t adapt to these high temperatures. This is a process that needs to be done carefully and painstakingly if you are to get rid of them completely. As a result, most people prefer to use a pest control expert to do it for them since they are in the best position to understand the nature of the bed bugs.

In summary, the key to bed bug removal is understanding their nature, and making sure that the methods you use against them are tried and tested.

How fast do bed bugs duplicate?

Bed bugs can reproduce quite rapidly, creating an infestation issue in a home relatively quickly. The average female adult bed bug will produce one egg per day. An individual bed bug can lay between two hundred and two hundred fifty eggs in her lifetime.

Female bed bugs lay eggs singly or in clusters; the eggs are placed in tight cracks or crevices and due to their small size can be quite difficult to detect. Their proclivity for laying eggs in small tight places is one of the reasons they are drawn to the corners of mattresses where the seams produce a small crevice as well as the box spring. These areas are also advantageous because it places the eggs close to a feeding source, humans.

How long can bed bugs live without a blood meal?

Although in a bed bugs ideal situation they would eat every five to ten days, this does not always happen. The exact amount of time a bed bug can live without a blood meal is still being debated in scientific circles. Current research leads people to believe that the average bed bug can survive in a home or office setting for approximately three months without feeding on human blood. There is some evidence that shows that because bed bugs are cold blooded animals, if the temperature in an area drops significantly they will go into a hibernation-like state and can therefore last up to a year without feeding.

How will I know if I have bed bugs?

Identifying that you have bed bugs is an important skill and one that cannot be overlooked. Identifying a bed bug infestation early on will give you the chance to get rid of them before they proliferate to a level where getting rid of them will be a major problem. There are a few signs that could indicate that your home or other area is infested by bed bugs.

The most obvious is noticing them in bedding, clothing or other material. Bed bugs have a characteristic flat shape and are brown in color when not fed. When fully fed, they are round and reddish in color on account of the blood they have ingested. Bedbugs tend to be fast, and usually come out of their hiding holes at night. If you notice one during the day, you should assume that there are many more hiding within the nooks and crannies in your bed, furniture and other parts of the house.

Having itchiness when asleep or when you wake up could also be a sign that there are bed bugs in your bed. A bite from a bed bug will induce an allergic reaction that will result in the formation of a wheal which will reduce with time. When you are bitten multiple times, it may become difficult for you to have quality sleep since you will keep waking up to scratch yourself after a bed bug has bitten you. You may also see dark, tiny spots on bedding and on furniture as well as in cracks and crevices within the bed. These are bed bug eggs.

Once identified, immediate action needs to be taken against the bed bugs. Using eco-friendly insecticides effective against bed bugs such as EcoRaider® is one of the more effective solutions.

What is bed bug?

Bed Bug Anatomy Bed bugs, bed-bugs, or bedbugs are parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood. Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug, is the best known, as it prefers to feed on human blood. Other Cimex species specialize in other animals, e.g., bat bugs, such as Cimex pipistrelli (Europe), Cimex pilosellus (western US), and Cimex adjunctus (entire eastern US).

The name “bed bug” derives from the preferred habitat of Cimex lectularius: warm houses and especially nearby or inside of beds and bedding or other sleep areas. Bed bugs are mainly active at night, but are not exclusively nocturnal. They usually feed on their hosts without being noticed.

A number of adverse health effects may result from bed bug bites, including skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms.They are not known to transmit any pathogens as disease vectors. Certain signs and symptoms suggest the presence of bed bugs; finding the insects confirms the diagnosis.

Bed bugs have been known as human parasites for thousands of years. At a point in the early 1940s, they were mostly eradicated in the developed world, but have increased in prevalence since 1995, likely due to pesticide resistance. Because infestation of human habitats has been on the increase, bed bug bites and related conditions have been on the rise as well.
(wikipedia.org)

What is the life cycle of a bed bug?

During its lifetime, a bed bug will go through three distinct stages. The first stage is the egg. A bed bug egg measures roughly one millimeter which is approximately the size of two grains of salt next to each other. The egg itself is oval and is opaque white in color. This stage lasts from ten days to approximately two weeks.

The next stage of the bed bug’s life is the nymph stage. In the nymph stage the bed bug begins to feed. In fact, a bed bug must feed on blood at least once before it is able to molt and go on to its next nymph phase. The nymph stage can be broken into five phases because the nymph will molt five times before reaching maturity. In each of these phases the bed bug will grow approximately a half of a millimeter. At the first nymph phase they will be one and a half millimeters long, growing to four and a half millimeters long by the fifth stage. The nymph stage of the bed bugs life cycle takes from five to six weeks.
The last stage of the bed bug’s life is the mature bed bug stage. At this point a bed bug will both feed on human blood as well as have the ability to reproduce.

What is the most effective way to kill bed bugs?

Most people who are usually interested in finding the most effective way of preventing bed bug infestations are usually those who have tried different methods with various degrees of success. If you are interested in getting rid of the bed bugs once and for all, you will need to have a radical approach towards solving the problem. The most important thing is understanding that bed bugs are very hardy, and will withstand most interventions that would kill other insects including insecticides.

There are several tried and tested methods of bed bug control which will definitely get rid of bed bugs when used correctly. One of the most effective of these is heat treatment. This involves heating bedding, clothing or even an entire house to high temperatures (usually above 160 degrees Fahrenheit) for as long as 60 minutes.

This damages the proteins making up the bed bugs, as well as damaging their eggs. In this way, the adult and young bed bugs will be gotten rid of, and there will be no way for progeny from the eggs to mature. This has to be done in all areas of a home where bed bugs are likely to be, as well as any clothing or bedding that is likely to be a hiding spot for bed bugs or their eggs.

Insecticides are a favorite for many people when it comes to insect control. When dealing with bed bugs, not just any insecticide will work. You will need to read the label and make sure that it has been designed with bed bugs in mind. An example of this is the eco-friendly EcoRaider®.

What temperature does it take to kill bed bugs?

Bed bugs are some of the most notorious pests to get rid of. The primary reason for this is that most people don’t understand the life cycles of bed bugs, and for this reason are usually not good at using effective means of eradicating them. One of the common methods used to eradicate bed bugs is through the use of heat. However, when the technique is not done properly, it will not yield the results expected.

Bed bugs are hardy animals. In order to kill them through the use of heat, they have to be exposed to heat at about 113 degrees Fahrenheit for around 30 minutes. This should be done for all items that the bed bugs have infested including clothing and upholstery. Some firms could even heat up the entire house to this temperature to ensure that all the bed bugs are eradicated, even those in hard to reach nooks and crannies.

The duration of heat treatment is also important. Exposing your bedbug infested items to high heat for a short time will not kill the bed bugs, since they and their eggs are hardy. This heat should be sustained for a minimum of an hour for it to have any effect. Thoroughness is imperative; all areas of the house, furniture, clothing and bedding that might contain the bedbugs should be subjected to the same temperature.

Eradication of any remaining bed bugs can be done through the use of eco-friendly insecticides such as EcoRaider®. These kill the bed bugs and other insects without posing a danger to people or pets in the home since they are not toxic to them.

Which cities have the most bed bugs?

Bed bug infestations have been on the rise in the United States as well as in many other parts of the world. Multiple factors contribute to this, but the net effect is that it has become a problem for more people. As a result, the medical fraternity has started doing research on this phenomenon, and part of this is doing a demographic study to find out the cities that have the highest bed bug infestation rates.

The city of Detroit has been shown to be one of the most bed bug infested cities in the country. There are measures being researched and put in place to reduce this proliferation, and residents are advised on methods of ensuring that they are not overly affected by the infestations.

Minneapolis, the city of lakes, is also a victim of bed bug infestations. Many pest control businesses report an increase in business regarding eradication of pests, and the city is also setting up industrial sized heating machines to eradicate the bugs from housing projects.

Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll house of fame, but has had to deal with increasing bed bug infestations in the recent past. Statistics show that bed bugs are on average double the number they were last year, and this is likely to keep growing if nothing is done about it.

The city of Louisville in Kentucky is also facing a major bed bug epidemic, and local authorities and state agencies are showing signs of helplessness about the situation. It is therefore up to the residents of the city to come up with methods of dealing with the infestation. Other cities with major problems with bed bug infestations include Indianapolis, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Dayton OH, Columbus OH, Denver, Chicago, and Cincinnati.

Why do bed bugs seem harder to kill than many other common pests?

Home-owners are not the only people who find bed bugs difficult to exterminate. In a survey of pest control professionals (2013 Bugs Without Borders Survey), seventy-six percent of the respondents stated that bed bugs were the most difficult pest to treat. There are several reasons bed bugs are difficult to treat, but the most pressing issue right now is the fact that bed bugs have become resistant to many pesticides. Pesticide resistance is not uncommon in pests, but bed bugs seem to be particularly adept at becoming resistant. It has been shown that bed bugs are resistant to even extremely potent pesticides like DDT (a pesticide that was banned in the US in 1972).

Currently, the main class of pesticides being used to eradicate bed bugs are Pyrethroids. Studies have found that bed bugs have genetically mutated in a way that makes their epidermal layer stronger. This layer has evolved in such a way that the toxins are less likely to be able to penetrate the epidermal layer and get to the target site of the nerve cells.
Because of these mutations and bed bugs ability to hide in difficult to find places, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for homeowners to rid their homes of bed bugs by using just the pesticides found in home improvement stores. One of the most effective ways to eradicate bed bugs is a professional heat treatment followed by use of a residual pesticide. Heat treatments are effective but costly and should only be performed by a pest professional. It will often cost $2,000 to $3,000 for a heat treatment for a single-family home. The high price of heat treatment is cost prohibitive for many homeowners and should never be attempted as a do-it-yourself home project.

Why have bed bugs made a comeback?

A few decades ago, the issue of bed bug infestation was not a major problem. Most of the insecticides and washing detergents then could easily kill them, and this resulted in their diminishing numbers. In the recent past, however, there has been an increase in the number of bed bugs in western countries, and this could be tied to the approach that people have towards the use of some forms of insecticides.

For instance, the use of DDT was abundant a few decades ago. This insecticide was very effective against most insects including bed bugs, and was widely used to control them. However, after further research, it was shown that this compound did more harm than good, and its use was severely limited. In addition to that, the components of insecticides also had to conform to stringent laws to ensure that they were relatively safe for the environment as well as for people and pests who might come into contact with them.

As a result, bed bugs have begun to proliferate at an unprecedented rate, since there are very few chemicals that can be used to keep them in check. Regular insecticides are not effective, since the bed bugs have developed resistance to some of the chemicals within the insecticides.

A few of the insecticides that might be effective against them including malathion are not meant for use indoors, which further exacerbates the problem. Newer current insecticides such as EcoRaider® are proving to be effective, and increased use could result in a decrease in bed bug numbers. Due to these factors and more, bed bug numbers are being seen to rise, and may continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

Will bed bugs bite during the day?

Bed bugs are a notoriously annoying group of pests, and can make life uncomfortable for many. Typically, they come out at night when one is asleep, and then take a blood meal from them since this is what they primarily feed on. The side effect of this is that a wheal is formed, and the area bitten tends to become very itchy. Bed bugs are usually more active at night partly because this is when one is in bed, and the chances of the bed bugs finding a blood meal is higher.

However, this is not an exclusive rule. In a few cases, the bedbugs can also come out during the day and bite an individual close by, either on the bed or sitting on furniture. This is particularly so if the bed bugs have not had a meal for a long time, such as when you have been away for a long time. However, this can be considered to be the exception rather than the rule.

Numerous products have been designed to try and repel the bed bugs, including repellent creams and sprays. However, the vast majority of these do not work, and are essentially a waste of money. The best shot at getting rid of bed bugs is by using a formulation that has been specifically designed to kill them and their eggs.

Products such as EcoRaider® are perfect for this. Not only are they very effective, but the fact that they are environmentally friendly means that they do not do any damage to the environment or to people and pets living in the house.

Will bed bugs make you sick?

Whether or not bed bugs make you sick is a question that many doctors will be hard pressed to answer. For most individuals with normal immune systems, the only problems they are likely to face is itching, usually after they wake up in the morning when the bed bug bit them at night.

However, there are significant cases when this problem is more severe. There are some people who are allergic to the bites of bed bugs. This means that once bitten, they end up developing an immune reaction that involves the whole body. This could lead to potentially dangerous situations such as very low blood pressure, loss of consciousness and in the most extreme cases, death.

Such a scenario is usually made even worse when a large number of bed bugs bite the individual, thus causing an even more aggressive immune system reaction. Typically, these individuals usually suffer from other immune-based diseases such as asthma and hay fever.

Another health issue you might encounter if you have a bed bug infestation is the fact that it might involve the whole of your skin. People who do not have immune hyperactivity but who neglect their bed bug problems could end up having a large number of bed bugs feeding on them on a regular basis. This results in itchiness and warts on large areas of their skin. If the skin becomes broken because of itching, it could result in infection which would need antibiotics to treat.

In summary, though bed bugs are not automatically linked to illness, they can make you sick in some specific circumstances.

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