What Are Bedbugs And How Can You Get Rid Of Them?

It doesn’t get more disgusting than this – an apartment building crawling with disgusting bedbugs. The infestation is so bad, some residents of the building have actually taken to living in tents outside because they simply can’t stay there anymore. In the endless war between man and predatory insect, the insects are winning.

They date back to Biblical times, and literally were found in the beds of many people before the advent of insecticide and modern laundry facilities. And although they’re not really dangerous because they don’t carry major diseases, they’re still enough to give you nightmares and perhaps an allergic reaction.

There are about eight different types of the pests, which measure about eight millimetres long and are generally brown in colour – until they’ve feasted on some human blood. Then they turn a telltale red. And red is a key colour with these vermin – it’s the shade of welt they leave on human skin when they bite, usually around the waist, arms and legs while the victim sleeps.

Because of their small size, they can hide not only in beds, but laundry, linen, and even furniture. And you can’t starve them into submission by getting a new mattress – they can live for more than a year without a major feeding. It’s also hard to spot them – they’re as small as a ladybug and equally as secretive, hiding in crevices and hard-to-find spots in your room. Often the only sign they’re there is the blood stains they leave behind on you or your family.

The insects were believed to have been virtually eradicated in the 1950s. So what brought them back? No one’s quite sure. Theories include the expansion of world travel – with unsuspecting passengers bringing them back in their luggage. A change in pesticides used in the home may also be to blame.

And throwing out your bed may not solve the problem. Only a proper insecticide is able to rid your home of them permanently, and even then it’s no easy task. The invisible invaders can hide in the floorboards of your home, and like all good ghouls, emerge only when the lights go out. But according to the Toronto Department of Public Health, spraying with an insecticide simply isn’t enough. The easiest method is to call an exterminator, get them to confirm you have the problem, then let them solve it.

But there is another way.

1. Inspect your mattress and bed frame, particularly the folds, crevices and the underside, and other locations where bedbugs like to hide.

2. Use a nozzle attachment on the vacuum to capture the bedbugs and their eggs. Vacuum all crevices on your mattress, bed frame, baseboards and any objects close to the bed. It’s essential to vacuum daily and empty the vacuum immediately.

3. Wash all your linens and place them in a hot dryer for 20 minutes. Consider covering your pillows and mattress with a plastic cover.

4. Remove all unnecessary clutter.

5. Seal cracks and crevices between baseboards, on wood bed frames, floors and walls with caulking. Repair or remove peeling wallpaper, tighten loose light switch covers, and seal any openings where pipes, wires or other utilities come into your home (pay special attention to walls that are shared between apartments).

6. Monitor daily by setting out glue boards or sticky tape (carpet tape works well) to catch the bedbugs. Closely examine any items that you’re bringing into your home.

7. Consult professional pest control services and discuss options that pose the least risk to humans and the environment.

The Health Department warns you could still see a few of the pests up to ten days after you take all the steps, but they call this normal. If you’re still seeing the insects after two weeks, your best bet is to call in a professional to ensure they’ve been completely eliminated.

Where bedbugs can be found

  • Seams, creases, tufts and folds of mattresses and box springs
  • Cracks in the bed frame and head board
  • Under chairs, couches, beds, dust covers
  • Between the cushions of couches and chairs
  • Under area rugs and the edges of carpets
  • Between the folds of curtains
  • In drawers
  • Behind baseboards, and around window and door casings
  • Behind electrical plates and under loose wallpaper, paintings and posters
  • In cracks in plaster
  • In telephones, radios, and clocks

Bedbugs can also travel along pipes, electrical wiring and other openings and come in from other apartments or dwellings.

Source: Toronto Dept. Public Health

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