Bed Bug Control

What do I need to know about bed bugs?

Bed Bugs are exactly that, they are insects found in close proximity to beds. These insects feed and survive on the warm blood of humans and animals. The bed bugs can sense our body heat and the carbon dioxide we exhale in our sleep to locate a feeding ground. Once they have satisfied their blood appetite they retreat for a couple of days, even weeks, often making it difficult to determine whether you have bed bugs.

Bed bugs do not live in your bed this is just their feeding ground. They feed for approximately 10 minutes and then retreat, normally to the springs of your bed, the tufts in the mattress, in the headboard, or on furniture in close proximity to your bed. Therefore, looking for these small insects in your sheets or pillows will rarely pull up any results.

Bed bugs are notorious hitchhikers, and transport themselves on our clothes, suitcases, and bedding.

Symptoms of a bed bug bite:

• Itchy burning sensation
• Rash located in one area
• Straight lines of multiple bites
• Raised red bumps

Fortunately for us their bites are painless, however the irritation we experience resulting from the bite varies from person to person. Some people are allergic to bed bugs' saliva. This means they may get painful swelling or enlarged bite marks.

Bites from a bed bug are often mistaken for flea or mosquito bites. Bites in a small area or in a straight line on one part of the body can often be a sign the culprit is bed bugs.

Bed Bug Control Tips

Some bed bug tips that may help to reduce your bed bug population:

• Strip all bedding and wash at a high temperature on a long wash cycle
• Vacuum all cracks and hiding places for tiny bugs within a small radius of your bed
• Vacuum individual tufts and stitching on your mattress, both sides and walls
• Bed bugs can be easily seen by the naked eye, they just hide very well.  Early detection and treatment will stop population levels becoming infestation levels

These steps can sometimes help, but the process can be lengthy and often not achieve the results you were hoping for. 

Does DIY bed bug control work?

The process can be lengthy and costly with no guarantees the problem will be solved.

The best way to ensure bed bugs don’t keep causing you a problem is to call SWAT Pest Control, we have the experience and the expertise to get the job done.