We all need a good night's sleep. But if you can not enjoy your night, it may be because you wake up at night scratching. You wake up the next morning and you're covered with spots. You have a problem and this problem is called "bed bugs". But what are bed bugs? Are they mites? And how to get rid of it? This article gives you the answer.
What is a bed bug?
The bed bug is a parasite of humans. Its Latin name is Cimex lectularius. Its shape is oval and its dominant color is red-brown. It has a size of 4 to 8 millimeters and is wingless. It is smaller than a ladybug. It is quite flat (about 1 millimeter thick), which explains how it can sneak in some places and be almost invisible. Indeed, it loves hiding in floors, seams of mattresses, on wallpapers, skirting boards, and so on. It does not like light and bites mainly at night.
The female can lay two eggs per day and up to 200 in total. She sticks to a surface, so that when they hatch after three weeks, they are near a food source.
And, important point, a bed bug is not a mite. Mites are present in all mattresses. These are 'normal' insects, in such sense that they are always present, as their presence is natural, and they are not harmful. Unless you have a specific allergy to them, mites do not cause problems or diseases.
On the contrary, bed bugs can be a real plague. They are often nicknamed "vampires". They stay hidden all day long and come out only at night. They feed on human blood. They can also transmit diseases, and this is why they must be considered dangerous.
How to get rid of bed bugs?
Bed bugs are insects that are very difficult to eradicate. They proliferate normally in the slums or on badly maintained premises, but it is also possible to have them in your home by cross-contamination. Bed bugs spread from one house to another, either directly on individuals, either when moving furniture, or simply with some piece of luggage.
To eliminate bed bugs, it is not enough to just clean the mattress. It must be treated with insecticide and wrapped in a fully waterproof cover. What makes them more difficult to get rid of is that bedbugs can live for several months without eating, so even if you wrap your mattress well, they will still be there, waiting patiently for the next victim in the mattress.
This is why your best bet will be to get rid of your mattress and clean your house thoroughly. You should make sure to treat all places where bugs can hide and lay, with all the necessary precautions, using chemical insecticide sprays.
If you can afford it, it is far better to contract the services of a specialized company. Before their intervention, you must clean up all the clothes in boiling water and place them in tightly sealed plastic bags. Nothing should enable the insects to get through. Pillows and blankets will often be disposed of – you might want to check this with the company. All carpets and curtains must be cleaned, as well as walls and floors.
Other insects that are wingless and live off of our human blood are head lice. They are well-known of school aged children and their families. Unlike bed bugs, they lice exclusively on our scalp, but just like bed bugs, getting rid of head lice can sometimes be a real headache.
What is a bed bug?
The bed bug is a parasite of humans. Its Latin name is Cimex lectularius. Its shape is oval and its dominant color is red-brown. It has a size of 4 to 8 millimeters and is wingless. It is smaller than a ladybug. It is quite flat (about 1 millimeter thick), which explains how it can sneak in some places and be almost invisible. Indeed, it loves hiding in floors, seams of mattresses, on wallpapers, skirting boards, and so on. It does not like light and bites mainly at night.
The female can lay two eggs per day and up to 200 in total. She sticks to a surface, so that when they hatch after three weeks, they are near a food source.
And, important point, a bed bug is not a mite. Mites are present in all mattresses. These are 'normal' insects, in such sense that they are always present, as their presence is natural, and they are not harmful. Unless you have a specific allergy to them, mites do not cause problems or diseases.
On the contrary, bed bugs can be a real plague. They are often nicknamed "vampires". They stay hidden all day long and come out only at night. They feed on human blood. They can also transmit diseases, and this is why they must be considered dangerous.
How to get rid of bed bugs?
Bed bugs are insects that are very difficult to eradicate. They proliferate normally in the slums or on badly maintained premises, but it is also possible to have them in your home by cross-contamination. Bed bugs spread from one house to another, either directly on individuals, either when moving furniture, or simply with some piece of luggage.
To eliminate bed bugs, it is not enough to just clean the mattress. It must be treated with insecticide and wrapped in a fully waterproof cover. What makes them more difficult to get rid of is that bedbugs can live for several months without eating, so even if you wrap your mattress well, they will still be there, waiting patiently for the next victim in the mattress.
This is why your best bet will be to get rid of your mattress and clean your house thoroughly. You should make sure to treat all places where bugs can hide and lay, with all the necessary precautions, using chemical insecticide sprays.
If you can afford it, it is far better to contract the services of a specialized company. Before their intervention, you must clean up all the clothes in boiling water and place them in tightly sealed plastic bags. Nothing should enable the insects to get through. Pillows and blankets will often be disposed of – you might want to check this with the company. All carpets and curtains must be cleaned, as well as walls and floors.
Other insects that are wingless and live off of our human blood are head lice. They are well-known of school aged children and their families. Unlike bed bugs, they lice exclusively on our scalp, but just like bed bugs, getting rid of head lice can sometimes be a real headache.
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