Murdering or Exterminating Bed Bugs

Your day is not that good. You had a horrible nightmare the night before. You peed in your bed. You are already late on your appointment.

What a terrible morning this could be, you though. Then, your right arm starts tom get itchy. You search for the spot and relieved yourself by scratching.

The next minute, your left knee itches, then there’s another spot in your navel, your right elbow, your back, your butt. Oh my God! Your whole body is itching!

What a horrible situation that could be! If you have experienced that, you probably have bed bugs in your bed or in your room.

Because bed bugs cause you too much inconvenience and discomfort, you will certainly be eager to find out how to kill bed bugs.

Killing bed bugs: knowing the target

First, you may not want to act impulsively and kill bed bugs right away. You have to know a few little facts about them.

For a start, it will do that you know that bed bugs are insects (what else could they be, anyway?). Bed bugs are tiny little insects but when they fully mature, healthy and aging bed bugs can get as large as one fourth of an inch. Makes you want to kill them more, huh?

Bed bugs are so tiny, they do not have wings. Thus, you will see them, if you get the lucky chance, crawling on places where they may thrive. Thankfully, they do not have wings. Otherwise, imagine how rapidly they could invade the whole city. You will also find it harder to kill them, if ever they had wings.

Here are some of other trivial facts about bed bugs that will further invoke your emotions and want more to kill them:

o Bed bugs are one of the most persistent insects in the world. Even if you have successfully killed or eliminated them in your home, chances are, another batch of bed bugs will reappear.

o Bed bugs not just hide in small and extremely tiny crevices or cracks in floors, walls, beds or furniture. They live in them. If you are too possessive, kill them, will you?

o Bed bugs are nocturnal. It means that they are rarely seen during daytime, but they can be found crawling and wandering around at night. This is the time they hunt for food and suck blood from unsuspecting hosts or victims, like you. Kill them!

o Bed bugs even without blood from nourishment can endure and survive for at most a year. They can hide within that long period to ensure their survival.

o Bed bugs are good travelers because they usually thrive in baggage, suitcases or luggage. Thus, it is not impossible that a bed bug check will find the existence of bed bugs in cruise ships, vehicles, aircrafts, hotels and even motels.

o Throughout their entire life span, female bed bugs can lay eggs three times. A female bed bug can lay around 300 eggs per batch. So they populate rapidly, huh? Try to reduce that population by killing some.

o Bed bugs’ eggs can be hatched within 10 days. Amazing! That is too fast. No wonder, they spread like bunnies! They multiply that rapidly, but the number reduced from their population is no match. Thus, you should strive and make sure you kill a significant number of them.

Killing bed bugs: doing the action

After knowing the little know-whats, it will be time for you to finally embark on the mission---killing bed bugs.

Nobody will say the task of killing bed bugs will be easy. Killing bed bugs will always be challenging, because finding them and determining their habitat and hiding places will already be a tough act.

The best way to kill bed bugs is to prevent your hands from doing the crime. Hire a pest control professional, which can be considered bed bugs assassins or triggermen in the lingo of killing bed bugs.

Pest control professionals know what they are doing and they know which weapon to use to ensure accomplishment of the task.

Thou shall not kill, according to the Bible, but you should. If killing means, killing bed bugs. Right?

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Pesticides to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

An integrated pest management strategy is required when exterminating or getting rid of bed bugs.

Available in the market are several pesticides to control bed bugs. The list of pesticides for the purpose can be a long one, and you may easily access them or buy them in the market.

But professional help from pest control operators are necessary because small failures and mistakes in applying pesticides to control bedbugs may cause more serious problems.

Pesticides’ formulations

The most common pesticides and insecticides, from the long list of available ones in the market, for controlling bedbugs usually are classified as:
· Contact insecticides. These substances have their own long list. Most bed bugs pesticides contain a number of contact insecticides that have the ability to kill bed bugs instantly when they come or get into direct contact with surfaces with the pesticide or its residues.
Contact insecticides are normally made up of pyrethoids, which are formulated synthetically or from natural extracts from chrysanthemum flowers. These substances tend to emit smell that instantly knocks out bed bugs.

However, bed bugs may develop repelling properties or characteristics against the substance. Hence, using contact insecticides may not mean killing bed bugs, but preventing them from getting into surfaces applied with the pesticide.

· Insect growth regulators or IGR. These insecticide is also common among the long list of pesticides for controlling bed bugs. The pesticide does not directly target adult or crawling bed bugs. The pesticide’s attack on bedbugs is based on the principle that the youngsters are more vulnerable.

IGRs affect and directly exterminate eggs or bed bugs that have just hatched. The eggs’ and the young bed bugs’s development are hindered and stalled, thus, no new generation of bed bugs will follow the current one.

IGR application is not a quick way to control bed bugs. From among the other pesticides in the currently existing list, IGR is the slowest, or the insecticide that will have results in the longest time.

But IGRs are truly effective. No doubt about that that. All you have to do is wait. Slowly, but surely, that is.

· Insecticidal dusts. Insecticidal dusts are those in the list that are directly applied or spayed to bed bugs. The insecticide is made up or conveyed into dusts, which are directly aimed at crawling bed bugs.

Insecticidal dusts, on the other hand, is the most potent compared to other pesticides in the list. The substance works by ruining bed bugs’ outer waxy coats, causing the bed bugs to dry out easily.

These pesticides usually are made up of fine granules of silica powder or ground glass to ensure efficiency. The fact makes it very harmful to humans, too.

Insecticidal dusts are often applied to crevices or cracks in the floor or wall that are suspiciously infested with bed bugs.

List of pesticides that control bed bugs

The list of pesticides to control bed bugs is ever growing. Every year a handful of additional insecticides make the list longer. This acknowledges how people are concerned with the increasing annoyance and discomfort from having bed bugs at home.

The most common pesticides available in the market are: Pyrethrins, Tempo, Allethrin, Delta Dust Flee/ Dragnet, Malathion, Drione Dust and Suspend SC. The list is very incomplete, but the above mentioned are the most common and easily purchasable in the market today.

The short listed pesticides are commonly sprayed into areas suspected of being habitat for bed bugs.

As mentioned in the pesticides categories, these sprays are aimed at knocking out bed bugs directly by attacking their physical vulnerabilities.

Professional help from seasoned pest control operators, however, is needed in applying or using the pesticides. The insecticides may also cause a long list of harmful effects to humans that may inhale the spray or may have skin contacts with the pesticide residues.

In case, any allergic reaction or physical counter-reaction is experienced due to the pesticides, consult or immediately seek advise of your physician or family doctor.

Prevention is still on top of the list

Yes, of course. An ounce of prevention is way better than pounds of cure. The statement applies to the control of bed bugs infestation. Hygiene and regular room checks by pest control personnel can do wonders in your fight against bed bugs.

Education and knowledge about what to do and how to deal with bedbugs will definitely get into the top of our list inn fighting bed bug infestation.

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Native Indian Remedies to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

The new generation households of today are usually oblivious of another neighbor living within their midst. Usually, they have never seen a bed bug before. Pest control professionals does not even include the remedies for controlling bed bugs.

They are not even aware that there are native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs, though those remedies are already incorporated to the latest remedies to get rid of bed bugs.

History Of Bed Bug Infestations

Before the World War II, bed bug infestations were very common in the Americas. Native indians even have native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs. With the improvement in hygiene, the native indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs were no longer that needed.

In fact, the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs have been incorporated later on to existing remedies to get rid of the bed bugs. The native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs were basically useful and helpful to households with infestation of the bed bugs.

Eventually, during the 1940s and 1950s, the use of DDT was already widespread. The bed bugs have seem to vanish and the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs were no longer needed.

In other regions of the world where the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs are not known, bed bugs remained and proliferated. These other regions of the world includes Asia, Central and South America, Africa and Europe. They have no idea of the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs. They also have no habit of using DDT pesticides.

In the following years, however, the bed bugs suddenly made a comeback in the U.S. The bed bugs are increasingly being experienced in several homes, hotels, apartments, motels, shelters, dormitories, and several modes of transport. They wished they knew the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs that were so effective before the war.

The international immigration and travel have undoubtedly been cited as having been contributed to the sudden resurgence of bed bugs in the country. Though, there are several changes in the modern pest control practice, the bed bug pesticides seem to be not so effective. The native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs are more effective and helpful.

The recurrence of bed bugs infestation are suspected to be caused by poor hygiene and less effective DDT pesticides. The bed bugs are also seem to be growing immune to these pesticides as time went by. The native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs used before the war were far more efficient than the present pesticides.

Description and Habits of Bed Bugs

It seems that the native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs are far more helpful in finishing the bed bugs infestation. Maybe this is because Indians have observed carefully the habits of the bed bugs.

Bed bugs are very small, brownish, and flattened insects that feed singularly on the blood of any animal. Cimex lectularius is the scientific name for the common bed bug and is the species that is most adapted to be able to live with the humans. The bed bugs has done so since the ancient times.

Though there exist native indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs, the United States is not the only country that has been infested with them. These insects are mentioned in old texts during the age of medieval Europe and also in classical writings of the Greeks. The classical writings of the Greek were dated as far back to the era of Aristotle.

So it was unimaginable that there only exist native Indian remedies to get rid of bed bugs and not European Knight remedies to get rid of bed bugs or even Greek warrior remedies to get rid of bed bugs.

A reason could be that the bed bug infestation in other countries may be immune to the native Indian remedies or that simply because there are other bed bug species that prefers to draw blood from several wild hosts which include the bats and wild birds.

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Raising The Alarm On Bed Bugs And Public Health

Bed bugs have long been known to infest our homes. Bed bugs are mentioned in the medieval European texts and in the classical Greek writings as early as the period of Aristotle. There are like unwelcome guests to our private rooms.

With news of infestation, stories of bed bugs and public health concerns spread like wild fire. But what is the truth about bed bugs and public health? Should people be alarmed at the threat of bed bugs and public health?

To get a better understanding of bed bugs and public health issues, we must first know about bed bugs. Bed bugs are small, brown, flat insects that feed on the blood of humans. There are certain bed bugs that feed on wild animals.

Bed bugs and public health concerns about a blood-sucking creature found in their most sacred room is what raises panic among the people. Lack of information often gives the wrong impression on bed bugs and public health.

The bed bugs and public health risks concerning these parasites are often superficial. The usual result of bed bug bites is the itchy, swelling welts on the exposed skin areas during sleep. There are creams that can reduce the swelling and itchiness within minutes of application.

Another result is an allergic reaction to the parasite. But because of the way the bed bug injects some form of animal anesthesia before sucking the blood, some do not even notice it. No symptom appears on their skin.

While bed bugs and public health issues are real, they are not grave enough to solicit widespread panic. Bed bugs infestations can be treated with insecticide sprays and insecticide dusting. But the homeowner should get a professional in executing these bed bugs and public health remedy.

The bed bugs and public health concerns that have been raised start with bed bug bites being carriers of diseases. This is a valid question considering that another blood-sucking insect is the culprit of a number of diseases like malaria, dengue and AIDS. Studies have shown that although bed bugs and public health concerns about them as transmitters of diseases, there is no documented case of that possibility.

Another bed bugs and public health issue is the effects of prolonged exposure to bed bug bites. It is feared that bed bugs and public health concerns about the bites will damage people’s over-all health. The fact is the most extreme results for prolonged bed bug bites are embarrassment for the marks and loss of sleep.

Though the bed bugs and public health concerns about the bites are not a cause for panic, it is nonetheless something to consult with a doctor. The itchy, swelling welts left by these critters can be mistaken for mosquito bites and that may be the reason for the mix up. It is best to let bed bugs and public health issues be resolved first before making conclusions.

Contrary to the popular notion that bed bugs live in filthy homes and furniture, they don’t. These insects like a warm temperature and likes to live near their host regardless of how pristine white a person’s house is.

However, the bed bugs and public health infestation issue is a serious matter and requires the attention of buyers of mattresses and furnitures of the like. Bed bug infestations can quickly spread form one home to another because of the creature’s ability to travel.

Most often, bed bugs are found in motels. Once a bed bug clings to your belongings and go home with the same luggage, you have unconsciously contributed to the bed bugs and public health infestation issue.

Bed bugs and public health issues have sent out guidelines that hotels, motels, apartments and other lodging facilities should follow. This is a matter of sanitary procedures. The recommended solution for such bed bugs and public health infestation is to have the furniture pre-treated for bed bugs. It will be costly but just like termites, you will not regret setting up your defense for these creatures.

Should we really be alarmed about bed bugs infestation? Yes. The body may react so little to these parasites but when it comes to being invaded by these tiny creatures, people should fight back to have their dignity returned.

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Notoriously Tiny Predators

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.

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Of Bed Bugs and Of Pesticides

Movies may currently depict them as loveable and fun creatures which almost always embark on humorous and insightful adventures. Science may always regard them as awesome and wonderful creatures because of their structure and characteristics.

But in reality, for sure, you will always despise them. All the descriptions are referring to mites and bed bugs.

Bed bugs and mites are tiny little insects that normally thrive in our home. Something must be in them that they really do love to live with people or be unlikely and unwanted transients to people’s homes.

Unlike several organisms, which scientifically, live with you in your home under a relationship called ‘commesalism’ (where their presence will not be regarded as burden), mites and bed bugs are dislike because they affect and pester people.

Mites on their part eat wood and destroy several vulnerable furniture or fixtures in your home. There are only several on limited occasions that mites are reported to bite people or animals. Normally, that is not their intention because that is not their thing.

Bed bugs, on the other hand, have to bite people to survive. It is because bed bugs suck blood from unsuspicious and unwilling hosts or victims for nourishment.

Bed bugs have long and elongated but sharp beaks that help them pierce through hosts’ skin to enjoy the abundant reserve or resources of blood.

Usually, bed bugs go out and hunt or suck blood at night, when the unsuspecting victim is usually asleep. Bed bugs’ bites are normally negligible, you can hardly feel them. That is because bed bugs are so tiny and miniscule.

Don’t worry. Bed bugs can never suck too much blood from you. Normally, a single bed bug can suck only a sixteenth of a milliliter of blood from you.

That amount is so negligible.

Controlling mites and bed bugs

The discomfort caused by mites and bed bugs are so annoying that you will surely always want to eliminate them totally from your life and from your home.

That is why, since time immemorial, there are lots of pesticides and insecticides that abound in the market to exterminate mites and bed bugs.

Substances that aim to control and kill bed bugs and mites normally, and more often, come in the form of sprays. It is because through this form, the protective covering or wax-like substances in mites’ and bed bugs’ skin is destroyed.

Anti-mites and bed bugs sprays have common ingredients. All of these sprays have powderized glass or silica powder. When you say powderized, they are ground down to the tiniest and smallest size possible.

Why glass and silica? We know that the two substances can cut through any surface. Because mites’ and bed bugs’ skins are so hard and protected, it will take too harsh and potent materials to cut through their skin.

Powderized glass and silica will do the wonder.

Sprays that kill mites and bed bugs work in way that the chemicals are mixed with them. After spraying, or after the mites and bed bugs are sprayed on with pesticides and insecticides, the powderized glass and silica cuts through their skin.

After that, the mites’ and bed bugs’ skin will be ruined. That is the time the chemical will get in. The system of mites and bed bugs will then be vulnerable without their protective covering.

Chemicals normally get in to dry out or take away moisture from the insides or viscera of mites and bed bugs.

Through the process, mites and bed bugs will surely be killed.

Be careful

However potent they may be in killing or exterminating mites and bed bugs, be sure to handle pesticides and insecticides with utmost care.

Read all labels of such sprays before finally suing them so you will have an idea how extremely poisonous they can get.

Also take note of the precautionary measures and first aid recommendations advised by the manufacturers of such sprays in case you accidentally inhaled or take in such substances.

Even if its very important or even if it becomes your top priority to get rid of mites and bed bugs in your home, be sure you are safe all through out the process. Don’t be exterminated along with them.

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Saying Good Bye to Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are one of the most persistent parasites and pests in the planet. Because they are so tiny, and they have the uncanny ability to get through small cracks and crevices, it is impossible to get rid of them using physical means like scrubbing surfaces or applying insecticides.

Thus, to treat bed bugs infestation, you should not take risks. You should seek help from the professionals who know what they are doing more than you do when it comes to treating or controlling bed bugs.

Bed bug bites and diseases

Health organizations from around the globe will attest that bed bugs do not spread out any plague or disease. Although, when bed bugs bite, they leave saliva under the skin of their host, bed bugs do not cause or transfer any disease.

That separates bed bugs from other blood-sucking insects like mosquitoes, which transfer malaria, dengue and a host of other ailments.

However, bed bug bites do irritate skin and leave itchy and uncomfortable marks. Sometimes, bed bug bites may look like mosquito or bites of other insects.

Hence, bed bugs may not pose serious health hazards. But the itchiness and irritation bed bugs’ bites will cause your body is enough reason for you to seek to treat infestation of bed bugs in your home.

You may develop blemished skin or may have lot of itch-wounds if bedbugs keep on biting you. Allergic reactions also happen to other bitten people. These allergies can sometimes lead to serious skin situations.

Planning the attack

If you plan to treat bed bugs infestation at home, you will have to develop a strategy that has been thoroughly and carefully planned.

Before contacting the local pest control operator in your area, be prepared to be asked to discard or throw several things or equipment in the room that may be a living ground or habitat for bed bugs.

Most of the time, bed bugs living inside beds can never be treated. That is because they are so tiny, they may creep to the tiniest opening or hole in beds. Pesticides treatment may almost always be futile in assuring the 100% treatment of bed bugs.

However, discarding beds and other things is not that simple. Treating bed bugs infestation in your home does not require or mean you will have to neglect protection of your neighbors and other people from the parasite.

Thus, disposal of things infested with bed bugs need some more attention. Sometimes, the thing may have to be burned. At times, the thing will have to be enclosed into bags so that bed bugs will not be able to transfer to other things or areas.

Because adult bed bugs can last almost a year without feeding, if the infested thing is not burned, it is advised that the thing should not be exposed to or near contact to any potential host, like humans and pet animals.

The once-infested room will also have to be thoroughly cleaned to treat or get rid of eggs that may have been left by the exterminated adult bugs.

Prevention is better than cure

They say prevention is better than cure or treatment. Cleanliness and hygiene is the most basic way or measure to prevent bed bugs from accumulating.

If you are into traveling, make sure the hotel or rooms you have stayed in are bed bugs-free. Otherwise, your clothes and baggage will carry them and you will return home not alone, but with lots of unlikely transients or companies.

Regular room check up or professional visits from pest control personnel is also advisable. Because these professionals know more about pest infestation than you do, you should seek their advise and help if you want to determine if your room is infested, or much more, if you want to get rid of bed bugs in your home.

If your room is infested with bed bugs, transferring to another place is not a solution. For as long as you will be carrying the cabinets, bed or other furniture with you, chances are, you are also carrying in bed bugs along.

Overall, to warp things up, treating bed bugs infestation begins at your self. Hygiene and education about bed bugs will be of great help. So keep on knowing and researching about bed bugs and seek professional help when you suspect infestation.

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