Archive for November, 2009

Tracing Bed Bugs

November 25, 2009 in The Bed Bugs Are Biting | Comments (0)

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The number of reported cases of bed bugs in schools, hotels, motels, cruise ships, dormitories, shelters, homes, movie houses and apartments are rising. And the authorities are somehow already alarmed and concerned over the issue.

In the United States alone, it is reported that six out of ten apartments have bed bugs. Because bed bugs are not known to transfer or spread out any form of disease, the alarm is somehow flamed down.

Origins

Bed bugs are tiny, wingless creatures that are scientifically labeled Cimex lectularius. They are very small that you can hardly look at them with your bare eye.

Bed bugs are organisms that come from the world of insects. There are millions of species of insects, both small and large, and it is a wonder how each has its own noteworthy attribute or characteristics.

In the United States, statistics and pest control authorities claim that bed bugs ceased to exist after the World War II in the 1940s. Before the World War, cases of bed bugs were so rampant, but people’s cooperation and breakthroughs in controlling pests helped curtail bed bug infestation post war.

So people might be asking, if the bed bugs did not exist in the country during that time, where do our modern bed bugs come from?

Good and logical question. Theories have it that modern-day bed bugs might have come from Asia, Africa or Europe. If bed bugs can only crawl, they are tiny and with only one-year lifespan, how did they cross borders?

Because bed bugs can thrive in furniture, clothes and baggages, it is believed that American travelers during the time have contributed to the current spread of the pests.

Several travelers might have traveled to one country and stayed in a hotel that was unknowingly infested with bed bugs. The bed bugs might have figured out ways to get inside the luggages and voila! They have traveled across borders!

When the unsuspecting traveler unpacked his or her baggage, that is the time the bed bugs might have come out and spread out.

Races

Bed bugs can come from different countries. It is somehow amusing that like humans, bed bugs also seem to have races.

American bugs are usually pale compared to counterparts in Africa, where bed bugs are usually colored deep brown.

Don’t apply racial discrimination though in tracing where bed bugs come from.

Vampires

There is a myth that bed bugs are undeveloped grandchildren of vampires. What a funny and amusing myth!

The notion might have come from the fact that bed bugs, like Dracula and all other vampire characters we know, suck blood for nourishment.

When they do that, their appearances are also somehow changed. Hence, newly fed bed bugs will appear dark-red or reddish in color. Some bed bugs appear like have black mass inside their stomach.

So, if the idea is just a stupid myth, where do bed bugs come from?

Where do bed bugs come from?

The question where do bed bugs come from is just like the question where do people come from. Questions on origins do solicit and prompt strong arguments between religion and science.

Science always have ways in determining and finding out where organisms come from. But in the bed bugs’ case, you know that the subject does not evoke a particular need for an answer.

There are much more better and more relevant subjects that deserve more attention than tracing down or determining where bed bugs come from.

One of those concerns, though still related to bed bugs, is how to get rid or control them. Bed bugs might come from Alaska, Antarctica or Samoa. Who will care where bed bugs are coming from, by the way?

The more important issue to consider is how to effectively curtail their spread. You know that use of pesticides and insecticides is one sure option, but you may wonder and think back how safe they are to you, your family and even your neighbors.

The next time you see another bed bug crawling in your bed, isn’t it more appropriate if you ask yourself, “How can I kill this one”, instead of “Where do bed bugs come from?”

article by http://www.thebedbugsarebiting.com

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Effective Tips on Killing Bed Bugs

November 20, 2009 in The Bed Bugs Are Biting | Comments (0)

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Bed bugs have become one of the most annoying insects that thrive in modern households.

In the United States, health experts and authorities that infestation of the insect ceased after the World War in the 1940s. But somehow, in the 1990s, bed bugs reappeared in local households.

There are a few factors that are believed to have led to the reoccurrence. For one, travelers from across the globe are blamed.

As bed bugs disappeared in the country during those decades, they have, on the contrary, proliferated in Europe, Africa and Asia.

The discomfort caused by bed bugs

Bed bugs are primarily blamed for a number of skin irritations. If you happen to wake up one morning with red and swollen parts all over your body, chances are, bed bugs have bitten you. They might have feasted on you while you were sleeping.

Bed bugs are tiny, wingless creatures that crawl into furniture surfaces, floor, walls and beds. They are so small, that one you can hardly look at them with your bare eye.

Bed bugs live in crevices and very small holes and cracks in floors, furniture, walls and ceiling. What’s more, they can even make your bed a big paradise and habitat and eventually consider you the unlikely guest in your own bed.

It is in this reason that most of you, for sure, want to kill every bed bug that will cross your sight.

But one thing, killing bed bugs is just as hard as actually capturing or looking out for them. Bed bugs go out of their hiding places at night time. They tend to hide and keep under their sanctuaries during daytime.

That is why, finding them is really a hard task. You know how harder it is to look after tiny crawling creatures at night.

Killing bed bugs

To effectively kill bed bugs, there are handful of guidelines and checklists that you should adhere to or follow.

As a start, you have to make sure that bed bugs really exist in the suspected areas. How could you kill bed bugs if there are no bed bugs in the first place to kill?

Second, inspect your room. Check the floor, the wall and the ceilings for tiny openings, cracks or holes that can store up or serve as a hiding place for these annoying insects.

Make sure to clean your room or the household regularly, taking particular attention to the suspected areas. It is this particular measure that will ensure that bed bugs will not thrive longer or will not choose to live with you.

There are handful of insecticides and pesticides that are deemed effective at killing bed bugs. These insecticides and pesticides are openly easily accessible and purchasable in the market. You do not need any prescription or permit to buy them.

But be sure you know how harmful and poisonous they are. They can really be effective in killing bed bugs, but they can also, unintentionally, kill you or other people that may come in contact with them. 

Most insecticides that kill bed bugs come in the form of sprays. It is because sprays are the most effective form to carry out harmful chemicals to bed bugs’ system.

No, bed bugs are not killed by inhalation. They are too resilient in that department. Sprays work in killing bed bugs by destroying bed bugs’ protective covers or skin.

To be able to kill bed bugs by that means, manufacturers put powderized silicon and glass granules into the spray. When you spray such insecticides, some of the white molecules that are sprayed out are actually these powderized materials.

That fact makes sprays more dangerous to humans. Imagine what harm it may cause you if you inhaled such powderized materials. That may lead to internal wounds and minor hemorrhages inside your system.

To effectively kill bed bugs, it is advisable that you seek the help of professional pest control experts. They know better than you do for sure when it comes to killing bed bugs and other pests.

Pest control companies invest in personnel trainings, innovations and equipment to ensure the success of every pest control operation. Some of the equipments may even be non-affordable for you.

Pest control experts kill bed bugs the more effective and safer way. They know better how to handle certain chemicals and pesticides. That would reduce health risks to you, your family and your neighbors.

article by http://www.thebedbugsarebiting.com

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Bed Bugs, Notoriously Tiny Predators

November 14, 2009 in The Bed Bugs Are Biting | Comments (0)

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Bed bugs are insects with the scientific name Cimex lectularius. Through the decades, these insects are considered pests in different countries, be it in the US, in Asian countries, in Europe and even in Africa.

Bed bugs are small and tiny miniscule creatures that creep slowly. They look like tiny crawling dots when seen by the naked eye during broad daylight.

People have their perception and opinion as to how bed bugs look like. But in general, as can be seen in pictures printed all over text books, magazines or even online through the Internet, bed bugs closely resemble their closest relatives—mites.

Physical attributes

Since bed bugs are so tiny, it would be hard if you attempt to just capture one and closely look at it. If you are really curious, you may try. But it is advisable that you make use of a magnifying glass or lens.

Also be sure that the insect is already dead or paralyzed before touching it for inspection. Otherwise, you may find out for yourself how bed bugs generally look like, but may be a catalyst in spreading the pest.

Remember, small insects like bed bugs are very resilient, contrary to how they look like. Touching it for inspection, the bed bug might run away or crawl out of your palm.

Look at pictures of bed bugs in different easily accessible sources if you really want to know how it looks like.

To describe bed bugs, they generally are so small. Usually, they are colored deep brown. Bt some bed bugs might appear white to creamy white.

When bed bugs are full of blood (by the way, they suck blood for a living), they usually appear or look differently.

Bed bugs which just enjoyed a sumptuous meal of blood from unwilling and unaware hosts, look bloated. Normally, bed bugs look flat when viewed from to bottom.

But having blood in their stomach, bed bugs may look like tiny balloons. The difference, apparently, is that what is inside them is not air but blood.

Presence of host?s blood inside their systems can also make bed bugs appear like tiny creatures with little black or deep red masses inside their bodies.

Wingless creatures

Unfortunately, for the bed bugs, they are wingless. That means the only way they travel from one place to another to find hosts or ideal habitats, is through crawling.

That can be tough. But imagine how rampant and wide spread they could have been if they have wings to allow them to easily fly around and wander.

Bed bugs look like tiny creatures, they are tinier than ants and mites, that creep into, through and from crevices, small cracks and tiny holes in floors, walls, furniture, bed and even clothes and bed sheets.

Bed bugs do not look like vampires or bats, but they are also nocturnal. It means they are out of sight during daytime, but go out to feed themselves during the night, when the unsuspecting victim or host is sleeping tightly.

By the way, so miniscule they may seem, but did you know that bed bugs, when reaching their full adult stage, can grow and lengthen by as long as a quarter of an inch? If you happen to closely look at one, or if you have seen one, for sure you have wished that they could have stayed tiny.

Bed bugs? life span

Bed bugs really look so tiny, but did you know that on the average, adult bed bugs (with the assumption they feed regularly are not starved) can last more than a year without consuming food?

It is true. Younger bed bugs, which, if not able to suck blood from hosts, would only last a few weeks to about a month. That is much shorter compared to their adult counterparts, but is apparently proves their resilience.

Bed bugs look like they are not active in the reproductive department, but is another wrong assumption. During their life span, female bed bugs can carry and survive three pregnancies. Whenever they lay eggs, they lay about 300 tiny eggs.

That is still pretty much considering their body size.

To wrap things up, size really do matter. In bed bugs? case they prove that they are small but terrible. You may not exactly picture out how they may exactly look like, but knowing their functions and notoriety would be an effective measure and equipment against them.

article by http://www.thebedbugsarebiting.com

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A Guide to Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs

November 9, 2009 in The Bed Bugs Are Biting | Comments (0)

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Bed bugs are a nuisance. Though medical authorities dismiss the bites and bed bug infestation to embarrassment, causing anxiety and loss of sleep, most people would be relieved to know that these parasites do not live in their homes.

Getting rid of bed bugs is not an easy task. The bed bug is described to look like a tick so the process of identifying one from the other is a hard task. Though a tick feeds primarily on animals like dogs or cats, some bed bugs feed on humans.

To get rid of bed bugs, the owner must hire a pest control. The pest control is an expert in identifying whether the bed bugs are the ones that feed on human or those that animals know about. A softer bed that may have infestations on it can be just as dangerous as a plan to rid of bed bugs show up from out of nowhere.

In getting rid of bed bugs, one has to remember why they are loathsome. Bed bugs are often seen as vampiric creature. They lie in wait for their prey and patiently take the time to come out and feed. No wonder many want to get rid of bed bugs.

But it is not so easy to find and get rid of bed bugs. They are tiny creatures and can only be correctly identified by closer examination. However, when bed bugs start to infest a house, even the small animals can be at risk. To get rid of bed bugs in some furniture may require a change or buying new ones to replace the old.

Bed bugs are tricky and resilient. Like the cockroach, getting rid of bed bugs will require a commitment from the owner. These parasites can live in sofas and carpeting without our knowledge. What makes this task of finding and getting rid of bed bugs is that the little buggers can thrive in seemingly neat and orderly rooms.

A definition of a bed bug?s habitat is warm areas with plenty of hiding places. It must be close to human contact. The most obvious places to look and get rid of bed bugs are in mattresses, carpeting, throw pillows and sofa beds. Irregardless of how clean or maintained these furniture are only if they are pre-treated to get rid of bed bugs can one be absolutely sure that they are safe.

Bed bugs aren?t called bed bugs for nothing. They have such a name because bed bugs often hide in tufts, seams, and crevices of the mattress, bed frame, box spring, and headboard. Things to look for in getting rid of bed bugs are the bugs themselves and light brown spots of molted skin. The dark spots of bed bug excrement are also present along mattress seams of where the pests stayed. Thorough inspection of the bed will save time and money.

These bed bugs can be found in tiny cracks near where humans take a break, sleep or relax. Making sure to get rid of the bed bugs in upholstery may require a good dose of vacuuming. This way they can get the dust mites as well.

Once identified, getting rid of bed bugs takes two steps. One is spraying. There are pesticides available to users and are quite effective in getting rid of bed bugs. A general-purpose insecticide spray should be used to get rid of bed bugs on carpets and furnitures. But the most important pest control tool in use is an insecticide dust. The dusting is what gets rid of the bed bugs by killing tem in the places where they hide.

A lethal combination of odorless spray and insecticide dust is needed to get rid of bed bugs populations, paying very special attention to dusting all their hiding places. Once mattresses have been cleaned and treated with the odorless dust, plastic covers placed over the mattresses will keep bugs in and keep others out.

It is still good advice to have your furniture replaced, if possible, to avoid the spread of these bed bugs to other areas in your home. Not only do you permanently get rid of bed bugs, you also considerably reduce their population. Some experts recommend burning these affected furniture to get rid of bed bugs and stop them from spreading but the environment effects can be worse.

article by http://www.thebedbugsarebiting.com

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Bed Bugs: Your Unlikely Room Mate

November 3, 2009 in The Bed Bugs Are Biting | Comments (0)

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Have you ever feel like you were not alone in your room, although there is no one else there beside you?

Have you ever experienced being alone in your room in the middle of the night, hence, you feel, and you are certain that there are other beings there with you?

You are not about to read another scary story. Or if you think you will be reading perverted things here, no, you are wrong.

You should check on your room, especially your bed. You may have unwanted room mates, or worse bed mates. Do not be scared. The unlikely being referred here is the insect commonly called bed bugs.

What are bed bugs?

Bed bug is one among the millions of species of the insect world. Scientifically, common bed bugs are known as Cimex lectularius.

Experts and professionals claim that the existence of bed bugs had been controlled in the United States in the 70s and 80s. However, due to persistence and survival of bed bugs in Asia, Europe and in Africa, travelers may have carried along the parasites during travel and migration to the country.

Bed bugs are wingless insects. They are parasites that feed primarily on the blood of warm-blooded victims such as animals and human. The belief that bed bugs only bite humans is wrong. Your pets can also be host to the parasite.

Birds, dogs, cats, in short, every mammal that can come into contact with the infested bed or surroundings can be affected by bed bugs.

Bed bugs are so tiny, that one can hardly see it. The biggest bed bugs, however, during their final stage of maturity can reach about 25% of an inch long. Usually, bed bugs are oval-shaped and they appear flattened when viewed from top to bottom.

Bed bugs are usually colored deep brown or cream to white. There are also bed bugs that appear burnt orange in color.

Life span

After feeding blood, bed bugs may look like black insects or dark red. That indicates that the bed bug has already stored food inside its body. Once it has fed from its prey, or host, bed bugs usually last until about more than a year before it needs further feeding.

Adult bed bugs can last more than a year without sucking blood. It is different for younger or baby bed bugs. They can last only a few months, or even a few months without food, that is, blood.

Hence, even if a bed infested with bed bugs remains vacant or unoccupied for how many months, chances are the bed bugs still exist there.

Bed bugs on the average life span, needs about three to four replenishments or feeding sessions before it lay eggs and completes its life span.

Habitat

Bed bugs normally thrive in dark spots or areas in the house. Part of their protective instinct is that they live inside crevices and dark and miniscule holes where they can not easily be detected or killed.

Bed bugs can also live in beds, beneath them, underneath them or inside them. They can remain undetected during daytime. But surely, they go out and hunt for food during night time.

Bed bugs may appear smart because they know when to attack prospective hosts— when they are asleep.

When bed bugs bite, they normally do not produce stinging sensation. Hence, the victim will only know that he or she has been bitten after a day or two, when the skin reacts to the saliva left by the bed bugs into the affected area.

The bitten skin may itch and appear reddish. Sometimes, it is also hard to distinguish bed bug bites from the usual mosquito bites.

Control of bed bugs

Bed bugs are hard to control. There are a lot of pesticides that can kill the parasite, but it is advisable that you consult a pest control expert to control and exterminate bed bugs.

There a lot of harmful pesticides that can surely kill bed bugs. But the catch is, these pesticides can be really dangerous and harmful, not just to you and your other housemates, but also to your neighbors.

You may not want to exterminate yourself and your loved ones along with bed bugs, right?

Contact the local pest control operators in your locality. If you are renting an apartment, it is the duty of the land lord to arrange for the necessary pest control to get rid of bed bugs.

article by http://www.thebedbugsarebiting.com

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