Bed bugs are here and here to stay. The chance of coming into contact with one in the next five years is statistically 100%. How disgusting is it to think of small, blood-sucking parasites crawling all over your body as you sleep – unaware of the impending itchy welts, embarrassment and paranoia that you will face in the next few days, weeks, months…
This scenario is straight out of a horror movie! So, what is an innocent victim to do? If you don’t want to be starring in the above referenced personal abyss, you need a cure for bed bugs.
The Cure for Bed Bugs comes in three easy steps:
- Education
- Prevention
- Intelligent Reaction
First of all, Education. Let’s distinguish myth from fact and understand the who, what, when, where and how about bed bugs and their behaviour.
Bed bugs are wingless, nocturnal creatures that need a blood meal to reproduce. They have two mouthparts, one injects an anaesthetic, the other sucks blood. They have 5 life stages and can live for more than a year between feedings. These parasites can reproduce quickly and will then go in search of new food sources by hitchhiking onto luggage, furniture, clothing, etc. They are quite small (about ½ the size of an apple seed), are experts at hiding and therefore are transported very easily by unsuspecting humans.
They are NOT associated with socioeconomic levels, they are NOT an indication of hygiene or cleanliness, and they are NOT discriminatory. These are equal opportunity feeders from filth and squalor up to 5-star resorts. If you have these creatures in your home, they could have entered any number of ways and as time goes by their opportunities for infiltration will increase.
The reason for this unfortunate resurgence is Pesticide Resistance. Anytime a pest population is exposed to a pesticide, a number of them survive who then pass that ability to survive onto their offspring. There are currently strains of bed bugs in the United States virtually resistant to every synthetic toxin available.
Now a bit about Prevention. Keeping these monsters away is the most effective tool in the fight. When making purchases, THOROUGHLY INSPECT with a bright flashlight for signs. It can be actual bugs or smaller nymphs; with heavier infestations, you will see egg casings and moulted skins, and the most telltale sign is very small streaks or dots of dried blood which are the marks left behind as these crawlers make their way.
Carriers of bed bugs can be second-hand furniture, clothing and other items from thrift stores, high-end retail purchases, artwork, groceries, imported tile, appliances, visitors, school backpacks, etc. A great place to get them is in the luggage compartment of an aeroplane. They’ve been found in every form of public transportation, movie theatres, public libraries, schools and hospitals and the two fastest-growing segments of infestation are nursing homes and college dorms. Nothing and no place are sacred.
So, Prevention takes on a whole new meaning – carefully inspect everything you bring into your home – including yourself! If you find some of these nightmare-inducing creatures, it is not a reason to throw everything away. Individual bugs can be killed by squashing them. If you are not sure about what you’re bringing in, place it in a large garbage bag, spray or mist a bed bug killer into the bag and seal it tightly for 2-4 days. Hopefully, you will use a product that kills eggs also. Keeping them at bay and not entering your home is paramount to a good prevention strategy.
Intelligent Reaction is what you need for a bed bug cure if you actually find some in your abode. Do not panic, do not throw everything away, and DO NOT pay someone thousands of dollars to eradicate them. A careful, methodical approach can wipe them out in no time.
If it is just a very few bed bugs, an aggressive spraying program will take care of the problem. However, DO NOT use toxic chemicals! Bombs do not work, and the killer does not work, and in an effort to self-treat, stronger and more lethal pesticides are being used – to no avail. Because of Pesticide Resistance, more toxic pesticides are being used and the bed bugs are not affected – but humans are. Insecticides today are up to 1000 times stronger than those used just 10 years ago and the effects on humans are devastating. ADHD, Autism, Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Diabetes, Learning Disabilities, etc. are all indisputably linked to pesticides. If you choose to use any of these synthetic toxins, you are harming yourself and not the bugs.
Intelligent Reaction is finding the source and treating it aggressively. If the bed bugs are coming from your neighbour’s apartment, thoroughly treat the adjoining walls. If they came home with you from Toledo, treat your luggage and your bedroom. If the new couch is infested, treat that baby well and make sure it comes into contact with nothing until you are sure it is all clear.
You will need to get rid of the adults and any new nymphs as they hatch. Spraying with a contact killer will do the job but take some time so it depends on how bad the infestation is as to what to do. Infestation treatment for your home with a natural pest control solution using a fogger is like flipping a switch and will wipe all adults, nymphs and eggs in one treatment but that does require the fogger and at least four hours to overnight.
The Cure for Bed Bugs is primarily focused on pro-active steps and then has reactive steps in the event they penetrate your defences. But these parasitic monsters are easily dealt with and their effects minimized with proper knowledge and diligence.
Louise Hodges is the owner of Greenbug All-Natural Pest Control Products which are safe and effective pest control solutions for People, Pets, Indoors, and Outdoors.
Greenbug products kill and repel all the pests you don’t want such as Bed Bugs, Mosquitoes, Fleas, Ticks, Fire Ants, Roaches, Stink Bugs, Silverfish, Dust Mites, White Fly, Sugar Ants, etc. but cause no harm whatsoever to beneficial creatures such as butterflies, ladybugs and honey bees. If you need help from professionals goes to GC PEST CONTROL.