While most parents would playfully tell their kids not to let the bedbugs bite whenever they tuck the children in for bedtime, these little pests are no laughing matter. These creatures feed on human and animal blood and are in no way cute little vampires. They suck your blood which explains why their colour changes from brownish to reddish and why they grow from as small as an apple seed as it swells after feeding. To get rid if these bugs, professional pest control is required.
Some people may make the mistake of underestimating and overlooking bedbugs since they do not fly. However, it is a big mistake as these things move really fast and can quickly get to the floor, to the ceiling, to the walls, and to the tiny nooks and crannies in the house. Unlike wasps which actually fly and are easily seen, these bugs are hard to spot yet are very harmful to humans and animals alike. The scary part is that they quickly multiply as their females can lay hundreds of eggs that are virtually invisible to the human eye. Just imagine these eggs growing up to suck even more blood from you, your family members, and your pets. This is why you should find a professional exterminator as soon as you see the first sign of having these bugs in your home.
While most people would imagine a pretty fairy when they hear or read the word “nymph”, it is also how young bedbugs are called. These nymphs have to shed their skins for about four to five times before they actually become fully-grown. Each time they shed, they need a significantly large blood meal. Their development takes about a month.
Where to find them?
Bedbugs are rather tiny pests so you may not easily see them. The problem is that they can get inside the house with just about anything. They can get inside through attaching themselves to bags, luggage, clothing, shoes, scarves, furniture, rugs, and just about everything. They can also get into the smallest space even ones as small as the thickness of an identification card. All they need is space with special preference for your thick, soft mattresses, your bed frames, and your headboard, just lurking and waiting for you to fall asleep. This happens in different parts of the world including Calgary and Edmonton.
Aside from moving on walls, floors, and ceilings, they can also spread from one room to another and even to nearby apartments just like mice only they are not as easily seen as rodents. As these bugs feed on blood, they are after their food and the cleanliness or dirtiness of your room or house does not matter. You can have the cleanest house in the world but still have bedbugs living inside it with you and your family.
Their time to shine
Just like people, they wait for the evening so they can party. These bugs attack like traitors waiting until your asleep—helpless and unaware. Similar to mosquitoes, they have what looks like a really long beak and they use it to pierce through your skin. Through it, they suck the blood. No one is safe, both humans and animals are at risk of losing blood to these bugs. They have to feed for up to ten minutes before they get full.
At first, you would not even know that you have been bitten. However, after a while, you’ll realize that when your parents told you to not let the bed bugs bite—they weren’t kidding. It’s not just an expression. You should really listen to them. Their bites become swollen and very itchy, hundreds of times itchier than the bite of ants. The problem is that their bites are sometimes confused with mosquitoes. There is no easy way of telling and it is always best to seek the assistance of professional pest control specialist.
Tell-tale Signs
These are the things that can help you identify if bedbugs are the ones responsible for all those bites. Once you see any of these signs in your home, you should hire professionals to take care of the problem and do the dirty work. They specialize in such circumstances anyway.
If you get bug bites that you are certain did not exist before you went to bed
If you slept on a used mattress at the time you got the bites
If you woke up and saw blood stains on your pillow, your blanket, or the bed sheets
If you see dark coloured bedbugs waste excretion anywhere in the house
Other signs require an expert such as identifying the scent that comes from these bugs’ scent glands.
While people always like solving household problems themselves, it will save time, money, effort, and will restore your peace of mind even when you are asleep if you will let the professional exterminator handle it themselves. You are in good hands when you choose the best experts in this field.
What can you do?
You can at least try these recommendations too:
Keep everything clean – change your bed sheets, pillow cases, and blankets regularly. Wash everything where these bugs may attach themselves to thoroughly. Use hot water.
Scrub mattresses with a stiff brush to make sure that no bedbugs and eggs are attached to it before using the vacuum. It will be easier for the vacuum to capture these little pests.
Increase frequency of vacuuming your bedroom as well as other places of the house.
Once you are done vacuuming, make sure that you dispose the bag’s contents properly and immediately. Make sure that you take it out of the house directly from the vacuum.
To think that these bugs will not live long once it is not able to find blood to feed on will be a big mistake. They can actually stay alive for many months so save yourself from waiting and worrying. Avoid stress over bedbugs with the help of ZAP Pest Control today!