Bedbugs: what to do to get rid of them?

Bed bug bites go away on their own. To eliminate parasites and limit their spread, thorough cleaning of the infested place is essential. The use of a specialized pest control service is often necessary.

Where do bed bugs live?

It is especially the bugs in the bedroom (especially in mattresses, box springs and bed frames).

They also live in other dark and quiet places (living room sofas, cracks in walls and floors, behind pictures, curtains), where they hide during the day. They can live in the washing machine if they have been brought in by contaminated laundry and if the washing is always carried out in lukewarm water.

Bedbugs are attracted to vibrations, heat, odors and carbon dioxide (CO2) released by the individual. Often, at the onset of an infestation, bed bugs bite only one person in the home. To obtain food, these parasites bite sleepers during the night. But, bed bugs never live on humans.

These insects are mostly active at night and shy away from light. They can't fly. They only move by walking a distance of a few meters and are therefore most often transported from one place to another when moving an object in which they are staying (bedding, suitcase, bag, clothing, etc.)

The presence of bedbugs is not linked to a lack of cleanliness. Anyone can see their home infested.

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF A BEDBUG INFESTATION?

You have skin lesions suggestive of bedbug bites.

If you think you have been bitten by bedbugs (you have skin lesions in the form of raised red spots of 5 mm to 2 cm, with, in their center, a hemorrhagic red spot or a vesicle of clear fluid), know that no special care is necessary and that the skin lesions disappear on their own in ten days. These parasites do not transmit disease.

Wash normally and try not to scratch. Scratching prolongs the itching and leads to lesions that can be superinfected.

If the itching is very severe, you can use an antihistamine cream or gel; Consult your pharmacist.

Take care to prevent the spread of bed bugs.

To prevent the spread of the infestation, it is very important to control the bedbugs by mechanical means and not to disperse the pests so as not to make the situation worse.

Here are a few tips:

• If you are returning from a trip, leave your luggage on a hard surface away from places where bedbugs could nest;

• Wash your clothes at at least 60 ° C immediately after taking them out of the suitcase. Also wash the latter in water, at the same temperature;

• Put non-washable items in the dryer and cycle for at least 30 minutes at the highest temperature possible;

• When possible, put items in the freezer at - 20 ° C minimum for 48 hours;

• Do not throw away your furniture infested by bedbugs (mattresses, armchairs, etc.) without having been treated, as they could contaminate other people;

• Run the fine nozzle of your vacuum cleaner over your mattress, your bed and surrounding objects (bedside table, curtains, books, etc.) As bedbugs do not die in the bag of the appliance, it is essential to 'remove this one. Wrap it in an airtight plastic bag and throw it in an outdoor garbage can. Then clean your vacuum cleaner;

• To treat corners and upholstery, use steam cleaning at 120 ° C, which destroys bedbugs;

• Patch cracks and cracks on walls, behind baseboards and on wooden bed frames;

• Remove or reattach the peeling wallpaper;

• Reattach the switch plates if necessary.

In the event of significant contamination by bedbugs, it is very difficult to solve the problem. Do not use insecticides on your own. They are generally insufficiently effective because their application, even repeated, does not reach all the hiding places of the bedbugs. In addition to being toxic, the insecticides used repeatedly promote the development of resistance in bedbugs to the treatment.

Do not hesitate to contact a specialist in pest control, or the hygiene services of the town hall. They can effectively treat your home with very powerful insecticides.

If your residence is in San Diego, you can contact various Pest Management Services San Diego in order to get rid of bed bugs and keep-yourself and your home neat and clean.

WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR FOR BED BUG BITES?

Schedule a medical consultation in the following cases:

• You suffer from persistent itching;
• The bites of bedbugs cause an allergic reaction with type lesions hives (bright red blisters quite painful).

In both cases, to relieve you, your doctor may prescribe a cream, or even an antihistamine.