Bed bugs are small parasites that infest hotels, hostels and houses and are commonly found in beds and mattresses.
Bed bugs live exclusively on blood. They prefer human blood, but will feed on other mammals if necessary. They are attracted to body heat and the carbon dioxide in expired air, which is how they find their host.
They can come into your home through suitcases, luggage, and clothing, used mattresses or items such a used furniture.
The specific areas favoured by bed bugs include:
Bed bugs have highly developed mouthparts and they bite by piercing the skin to source blood. They remove blood through their long proboscis. They can bite on any exposed part of the body.
Although some people do not react to their bites, for most of us the bites can become itchy and swell into reddened weals.
Bed bugs are generally the most active at night and usually bite people while they are sleeping. They can bite during the day if they have not fed for some time.
Suggestions to treat bed bug bites include:
See your doctor if the bite if symptoms persist or you develop an infection.
If you suspect a bed bug infestation, remove all bedding, mattresses, pillows and bed linen and check it carefully for signs of the bugs. Check also the area around the bed, including inside books, telephones, radios, the edge of the carpet, and even in electrical outlets.
The bed bugs themselves however, they are often hard to see due to their size.
Clean bedding, bed linens, curtains, and clothing in hot water and dry them on the highest dryer setting. Place stuffed animals, shoes, and other items that can't be washed in the dryer and run on high for 30 minutes
Use a stiff brush to scrub mattress seams to remove bed bugs and their eggs before vacuuming.
Vacuum your bed and surrounding area frequently. After vacuuming, immediately place the vacuum cleaner bag in a plastic bag and place in garbage can outdoors
Get rid of clutter around the bed.
A qualified pest control professional can determine the extent of the infestation, and then use registered treatments to kill the bed bugs. Repeat visits may be necessary to ensure all bed bugs at various stages of the lifecycle have been eradicated.
Professional pest controllers are trained in bed bug biology and breeding habits. They know what type of treatment works on bed bugs.
Professional treatments will: