How to get rid of bed bugs
How to get rid of bed bugs is a timely topic. As an increasing number of people travel the globe, it is inevitable that some will bring bed bugs back home. Here we outline our recommendations on how to detect bed bugs and most importantly, how to get rid of bed bugs.
How to identify bed bugs
- Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that need blood meals to survive and most often bite while their hosts are sleeping comfortably in their beds.
- Adult bed bugs are as long as 10 mm.
- They have an oval, broad, flat body and a short, broad head.
- Adult bed bugs are brown but darken to a blood red color after feeding.
- Young bed bugs are shaped like adults but are smaller (1.5 mm long) and lighter in color. They also darken after feeding.
- Bed bug eggs are white, about one millimeter long and almost invisible to see on most surfaces.
- A female adult bed bug will lay at least 200 eggs in her lifetime, at a rate of 2-5 per day.
Bed bugs behavior
- Bed bugs need blood meals to survive.
- Bed bugs can hide behind wallpaper, in picture frames, in electrical outlets, inside box springs, in mattress pads and in night tables.
- Bed bugs prefer locations where they can hide easily and feed regularly – like sleeping areas.
- Adults usually live for about 10 months – but can live longer in a home where the environment is good for reproduction (temperatures ranging from with temperatures ranging between 21°C and 28°C).
- A bed bug bite can take as long as 14 days to appear, depending on the person. While bites can happen anywhere on the skin, they are often found on the face, neck, arms, legs and chest.
- 1 in 3 people will not have any reaction to bites.
How to get rid of bed bugs
- Confirm that you have bed bugs by contacting an entomologist or bed bug professional.
- Avoid the use of aerosol “foggers”. Most over the counter pesticides will kill bed bugs only when directly applied to the bugs and do not provide long-lasting control.
- Bed bug infestations are not DIY (do-it-yourself) projects. You will require a pest management professional that thoroughly understands the basics of bed bugs, their behavior and that can provide the best solution based on your needs.
- The eradication of bed bugs is not a one-size fits all scenario. You really need to contact a bed bug extermination expert who can implement an effective bed bug treatment for your unique situation.
- Spraying bed bugs does not make the problem go away. Bug bugs will simply leave the sprayed area and migrate to the next room.
- To effectively exterminate bed bugs, you need to eradicate them with heat in order to prevent them to moving to the next room or near by furniture.
If you have, or if you think you might have, a bed bug infestation in your home or in your commercial space, we invite you to contact us today. Thermapro solutions is the authority on bed bug extermination in Montreal and the surrounding areas. It will be our pleasure to answer your questions about our proven protocol, K9 detection and heat treatments. Thermapro Solutions, we know how to get rid of bed bugs.
