Lurking in the bunk beds, a silent menace

Did you know that not all vampires are charismatic heartthrobs who are trying to save us from their dangerous thirst for blood? There are some that will lurk in the darkness and as we sleep at night slip silently under our covers and drink from our blood without any kind of sense of remorse or concern for our wellbeing. These nocturnal creatures lay in waiting until we least expect them and when they strike we are left powerless against the bites that accumulate each night on our bodies. Sound like the stuff of pop culture and teenage fiction? Guess again, because right now there could be bloodthirsty bed bugs hiding in your mattress or within the frame of your kids bunk beds.

Bed bugs are revolting parasites that seek to drink from your flesh each night and they get their devious name from their practice of living within your most intimate resting places. The bite that they can inflict can cause sores, rashes and even psychological side effects. Although this seems like an unstoppable menace, bed bugs were actually almost rendered extinct at one point after serious efforts were undertaken back in the 1940s. After the war was over DDT was used and by the 80s there was nearly no trace of the insects in the developed world.

Then in the mid 1990s an outbreak pushed the spread of bed bugs back into the mainstream and now we have cities who are reaching epidemic levels in regard to the numbers that are invading and populating homes. There are many people now that are waking up in the morning to find that they have been bitten not just once, but countless times.

A prime example of just how bad this is getting is an article that was published in the British paper the Guardian about a family that was suffering from an attack. It is important to note that having bed bugs doesn’t mean that you are unclean, it just means that you have been in contact with someone who has an infestation and it has spread to you and your home.

Two of the family’s children where becoming overwhelmed with bug bites during the night to such a point that the school called just to find out what was going on. It got to such a stressful point that the family was beginning to loose sleep. As a result they hired an exterminator and used a chemical agent to destroy the insects.

After this had taken place the father decided he wanted to check out the children’s bunk beds and took them apart to see inside. He laid out white sheets so he was able to see what would fall out and he was horrified to find that over 40 bed bugs were inside the bunk beds. They were fat with blood from his children the night before. The sheets became blood stained after he destroyed them and his daughter was horrified by how much blood was produced. He could not bring himself to tell her that the blood was actually hers.

It doesn’t matter how much you clean your home, bunk beds, or mattresses, contact is the critical element to keep in mind when it comes to prevention. Then, if you become infested, call a professional.

Hopefully you don’t already have bed bugs. If so, look around on this site for advice on how to get kill off bed bugs. Perhaps you have had bed bugs, and you know want to prevent getting these bugs again? The best way is of course preventing getting bed bugs entirely, because they are very hard to get rid of, once they have entered your home. What You Should Do To Prevent Bed Bugs Do not bring them home yourself. Used mattresses and furniture is one of the most common ways for bed bugs to enter a home. Buy a NEW mattress, luggage or furniture – NOT used. If you have been traveling, you should closely inspect all your items that have been in hotel rooms. Remember that luggage is a favorite hiding place for bed bugs. Vacuum the luggage lining carefully, and using bed bug spray in and around your suitcase is a very good idea. Use a good suit case, and keep it zipped up carefully at all times. Store luggage off the floor. It should be placed on hotel racks or on top of furniture. . When buying something in a foreign place, keep your items off the floor. Place them on top of furniture or on racks, etc. Keep your place tidy. Don’t leave a lot of stuff out, where bed bugs can hide. They like to live inside magazines, equipment, shoes, cracks in the wall, around baseboards, etc. Minimize the number of places that the bed bugs can stay out of site. Vacuum often, especially around baseboards and cracks in the wall or around windows. Look for small hiding places, and vacuum often. Keep your bed away from walls. Particularly if you are in an apartment or college dormitory, the bugs will spread from one room to the next. Wash your clothes in very hot water, if you suspect they might be in your clothing. You will need about 100 degrees or more, in order to kill bed bugs. Prevent bed bugs from getting in to your mattress by buying a mattress encasement.

You must realize that bed bugs can be anywhere in your home, not just in mattresses. They can live in clothes, furniture, upholstered chairs, in dressers, around windows, etc. All they need is a hiding place, and human blood. That’s why you must make it difficult for them to stay in your home, by following the advice above.

There are several ways bed bugs may enter your home. Since bed bugs are often found in hotels, motels, cruise ships, hostels, buses, etc, they are easily brought home by mistake. Once they enter a home and set up, they are very hard to remove.

If you have been traveling, make sure to clean out your luggage and clothing outside, ideally. Vacuum, inspect, clean and make sure you don’t bring them in!

Sometimes, bed bugs enter your home via cracks and holes – they do not fly in, because they are unable to fly. That’s why it is important to seal off such spaces with caulking or some similarly approved substance.

Can you kill bed bugs with a regular heat gun? Yes, apparently so. One of our readers sent in this the other day. May be worth a try!

The heat gun she is referring to is a Wagner Heat Gun.

I MUST share my experience with your readers. I was infested with bedbugs in a horrible way. I had them for a LONG period of time before I figured out what they was. I tried many many sprays. I also called a professional…the cost was $2000…..NOT even close to anything I could afford.

I decided to take matters in my own hands. I got IMMEDIATE results! I went to Lowes and bought a steamer…..NOT a steam cleaner but a steamer that removed wallpaper. It has a temperature that reaches over 225 degrees. This I KNOW kills the critters. I was diligent in my method. I steamed from ceiling to floor. I was careful to make sure I hit the baseboards. Every inch of my home was steamed. I had results that was amazing. GONE! What a difference it made. I have steamed every 2 days and will continue this for 4 weeks.

I also vacuum 2 times a days….remember to clean your vacuum each time. I have NO BUGS!! NONE!! I can sleep in my bed….as well as my child has returned to her room. I also encased all pillows and beds. This has been an answer for me and it worked beautifully. I hope you share this with your readers and it solves the hell they also are going thru. OH, by the way the steamer cost me $80…..the best money I spent. Good luck to all.
Thank you.

Wagner Heat Gun

Bed Bug Bites on back

Here you have some pictures of real bed bug bites. Bed bug bites most often look like a reddish rash of raised bumps on the skin. The exact reaction from the person bitten can depend on the severity of allergic reaction, skin sensitivity, your skin color, etc.

If you have bed bug bites, you will likely also have redness, swelling, and itching to accompany the red bumps. Keep mind that physicians are often not able to if it is a bed bug bit or note, because in all honesty, it is not easy to pinpoint exactly what bit you. The reason, as mentioned, is because the reaction varies from people to people. It is possible other insect bites could cause a similarly looking rash.

However, as you can see from the pictures, common places people get these bites are on the:

• neck
• arms
• hands
• back
• face

It is also common that bed bug bites show up in a row, or concentrated around one area of your body. Since bed bugs bite you when you are sleeping, if you wake up one day with a rash looking anything like these pictures, chances are you have bed bugs.

In case you have severe itching, aloe vera skin cream can relieve the discomfort to some degree.

If you have any questions about bed bug bites, post a comment below.

We have prepared a free guide to removing bed bugs. Simply sign up to our newsletter, and you will get instant access to this guide.

The Bed Bug Guide is a PDF document, and it contains tips and advice for how to deal with bed bugs, and how to get rid of them.

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The best way to deal with a bed bug infestation is to hire an experienced Bed Bug Exterminator. Why?

• Because they are experts at what they do
• They have experience dealing with bed bug infestations – they are professionals
• They have access to tools and chemicals you may not be able to get

Bed Bug Pest Control Experts May Also Provide:

• Regular pest control service visits to all specified areas of premises by professional exterminators.
• Installation of monitors/detectors
• Reporting systems,  with details of pest infestation findings and recommendations, treatment carried out and pesticides used by Professional exterminators.
• Emergency Call Availability, or follow-up visits to deal with infestations.
• Service Agreement, so you clearly know what you are paying for and what you can expect.
• A good relationship between Pest Control Experts and yourself, so you can feel certain you are getting your money’s worth.

How To Find a Bed Bug Exterminator

We have partnered with Networx to help you find a a qualified bed bug exterminator in your area.

To locate a bed bug exterminator, simple click this banner below. Add your zip code, you will get a a FREE Bed Bug Extermination Quote.

Doing It Yourself?

You may be able to fight the bed bugs if you work really hard at it, but do you really want to have to deal with all this work? You may need to learn the proper application techniques for the tool you are using, repeat treatment, inspect, monitor, and keep on doing it. It can be very draining and frustrating. It can even be dangerous.

Using professional extermination services will provide you with peace of mind. A Bed Bug Exterminator is your best bet to rid of these blood-sucking insects from your home once and for all.

Do yourself a favor and hire an experienced Bed Bug Exterminator in your local area. You will be glad you did.

Before you go out and buy products to fight bed bugs, make sure you are certain that you have them in your house.

Bed bugs are small and may be hard to spot. They like to live in small cracks, where it is hard to see them. Here are some tips for you to identify and locate bed bugs.

Identifying a bed bug

Adult bed bugs are usually reddish brown in color and their bodies are fairly flat. The newly born babies are almost colorless, but they get their reddish brown color as they get older. It is common for an adult bed bug to lay 4 – 6 eggs per day. These eggs are very hard to see with the human eye.
See pictures of bed bugs here.

What To Look For

• A musty smell (comes from the glands of the bug)
• Small blood stains
• Dark spots of excrement on sheets and walls.
• Fecal spots and old shed skin is often found near their living quarters.

Where To Look For Bed Bugs

Bed bugs hide very well, so you must closely inspect the critical areas of a room. Look especially in these areas:

• Mattresses and box springs. Closely look underneath the mattress, along the seams
• Sheets and blankets
• Window and door frames
• Upholstered furniture, under chair seats and in seams
• Wooden furniture, in and around drawers of dressers
• Behind books and frames
• In eletrical appliances
• Along the edge of carpets
• In cracks and crevices
• Behind baseboards
• In thermostats
• Around window coverings
• Behind wallpaper
• Behind wall and ceiling moldings

What To Do Next

If you have located definitive signs of bed bugs, you should think about how to handle the situations. Either you hire a pest control expert (the most effective choice) or you can buy bed bugs products and treat the infestation on your own.

If you have further tips, please share them in a comment below!

Here is a picture we recently received, and in this case, it is NOT a bed bug.

This is NOT a bed bug.

Diatomaceous Earth is a soft sedimentary rock that easily crumbles into a fine white powder. This powder is very, very fine, and it has an abrasive property, and it’s very dry. That is why it works so well for getting rid of bed bugs.

First, start by spreading Diatomaceous Earth around your room. If you know where the bed bugs tend to hide, then place this powder around that area. That’s all you need to do! What happens next, is that the bed bugs cross this dust / power, and they get it on themselves and become dehydrated. The abrasive feature of Diatomaceous earth will further give them a major problem.

The end result is that that die. They can hydrate themselves when the dust gets on their little bodies. In conjuction with this – the abrasiveness of DE will cause permanent damage to the bed bugs, and they can not survive, since they are unable to get the powder off of themselves.

How To Use Diatomaceous Earth To Kill Bed Bugs

Leave the powder where it is until your bedbugs are gone. Add more if it blows away or seem to not cover the important areas of your room.

After treating the room for 48 hours, vacuum all the areas you treated to get all the dead bed bugs, eggs and feces you find. Next, you retreat the area again, however, this time you don’t vacuum it up (unless you see many dead bed bugs the next day). Leave it there until you clean the room on your regular schedule, and retreat the area with DE again. Keep DE handy so you can easily add some to strategic or problematic areas you may have missed.

Remember to treat couches and other soft furniture in the room with Diatomaceous Earth as well.

Keep this in mind – Diatomaceous Earth has No Synthetic Chemicals, No Odor or additives of any kind. It is a completely natural product, that is inexpensive and non-toxic for humans. It doesn’t evaporate, or get old and stale. It is a natural mineral, and a very effective bed bugs killer.

Where To Get Diatomaceous Earth

You can get the Organic Bedbug Killer Diatomaceous Earth DE from Amazon – it works very well.

You Will Need a Duster Tool Too

In order to make it easier to apply DE, you should get the Pest Pistol Mini Duster – a simple and effective way to spread this dust around where you need to.