After writing how to get rid of roaches?, how to get rid of fruit flies?, how to get rid of ants?, how to get rid of fleas?, and home remedies to get rid of bed bugs naturally, we are now writing the best ways to check for bed bugs. How you identify the bed bugs? or how to tell if you have bed bugs or not? Number of very important steps needs to follow in order to check for bed bugs. First, you need to start with the proper identification. You also need to find out that what works well in your case depending on the grade of infestation.
Before going ahead with any of the treatment, there are number of home remedies available to get rid of bed bugs at minimal cost. Bed bugs can travel easily and are readily transported via clothing, bedding, luggage and furniture. In this article, we will tell you the best way to check for bed bugs and also the remedies to get rid of bed bugs?. So keep on reading the article to tell if you have bed bugs or not. Before you starting checking, you first need to know that what are bed bugs?, where they hide?, and when bed bug bites?
What are Bed Bugs?
Bedbugs are brownish, oval and small insects that live on the blood of humans or animals. Adult bedbugs are approx. size of an apple seed and have flat bodies. After feeding, their bodies may swell and come to a reddish color. You also need to know that bedbugs do not fly, but they can move quickly on walls, ceilings and floors. Over a lifetime, an female bedbugs may lay hundreds of eggs. Each egg is size about of a speck of dust. Before reaching to maturity, Immature bedbugs (nymphs) shed their skins five times. After reaching maturity and before shedding they need a meal of blood. If the conditions are favorable, bedbugs can produce three or more generations per year. Bedbugs are a nuisance and they do not transmit any diseases.
Where Bed Bugs Hide?
There are so many ways by which bedbugs can enter your house, for example, with clothing, luggage, used couches, used beds and some other items. Because of their flattened bodies, they can easily fit into tiny spaces. Bedbugs tend to live in groups but they do not have nests like bees or ants. First choice of bedbugs hiding places are bed frames, mattresses, headboards, and box springs. These places are preferable because they get easy access to people to bite in the night. They may scatter and left your bedroom, and can move to any other protected location. They can also go to nearby apartments or rooms. Bedbugs only survive on blood, but this is not a sign of dirtiness. You can easily find them in hotel rooms and immaculate homes.
When Bed Bug Bites?
Bedbugs usually bites at night while people are sleeping. They feed themselves by piercing the human skin and then suck the blood through an elongated beak. Usually the bed bugs feed themselves for somewhere 3 to 10 minutes. After that they crawl away and you cannot noticed them. In starting, most of the bedbug bites are painless but later you can feel itchy welts. Bedbugs bites can be on any area of skin exposed and usually different from flea bites. Flea bite usually around the ankles. Bedbugs bite also do not have a red spot in the center but flea bite do have. Most of the people, you won’t able to realize bedbug infestation think that the welts and itching may be caused by something else, like mosquitoes bite. In order to confirm that the bites from bedbug, you have to find the bed bugs.
Ways to Check for Bed Bugs – How to Tell if You Have Bed Bugs?
To check for the bed bugs, look at the area where they often visit. Places such as drawer joints, electrical appliances, seams of chairs, couches and in the cushions, curtains and junction, where ceiling and wall meet are some of the places frequented by the bed bugs. Moreover, there are few symptoms through, which you can get a fair idea to tell if you have bed bugs in your home or not. The symptoms to identify bed bugs are reddish or rusty stains on the mattresses or the bed sheet. Dark spots like marker, that could be of bed bugs excreta. Tiny eggshells and yellow skin nymphs shed that grow with time or bed bugs itself. These are the some of the ways to check for bed bugs and when you have them in your home it is time to get rid of them. Below we have listed the ways to check for bed bugs and then ways to get rid of bed bugs.
1.) Places To Check In Rooms
First you need to dismantle the bed and its components and stand then on one end. Now, you have to look for the bedbugs. They are light-brown, molted skins of the nymphs. You can also see some dark spots and are usually present on mattress seams or on the other places. Inspect the underneath bed items carefully. Also, while placing the items back check each item one by one.
To gain the access and possible treatment, fabric underlying the box spring must be removed. You need to carefully examine the crevices and cracks of bed frames, especially wood frames. Bed bugs have an affinity for fabric and wooden items than the plastic or metal items.
Some times it is difficult to treat the mattress and spring box and in that case you may require to discard the items. If discarding is not the option then treat with with very hot steam and sprinkle some silica gel or baking soda. You can buy bed bug proof mattress and cover you infested mattress to starve bedbugs to death by trapping them. Buying a mattress cover will eliminate the cost of buying new box spring and make further inspection and treatment easier.
2.) Inspect Nightstands and Dressers
Carefully examine you dresses and night stands inside and out. Only after satisfactory inspection, place them inside your wardrobe. Also, check for the cracks, recesses, and corners for bed bugs infestation.
3.) Inspect The Sofas
Check the sofas and upholstered chairs in your house. This is the another best place, where bed bugs can hide easily. You have to pay the close attention to the skirts, tufts and seams, and crevices beneath cushions. If you are using your sofa for sleeping then it can be major hotspots for bed bugs.
4.) Inspect Other Common Places
Check the other common places in your house to find bed bugs. These places include but not limited to under the edge of wall carpeting (especially behind furniture and beds), ceiling wall junctures and wood molding cracks. Usually the bed bugs congregate in some specific areas, but you can find bed bugs eggs scattered in other areas.
5.) Use a Flashlight
Professional sometimes uses a pyrethrum-based “flushing agent” into the crevices. This will help them to reveal the hiding bed bugs.
6.) Adopt IPM Approach
You can use the integrated pest management (IPM) approach to check for bed bugs. This approach involves multiple tactics, such as checking and deciding the best treatment for each area, adopting preventive measures, then sanitation, and at last chemical uses to specific location, if necessary.
7.) Preventing Bed Bugs From Entering
- Don’t buy second hand furniture, beddings and bed to avoid entering bed bugs in your home with these items. If you are not in a condition to buy new one, then you must inspect such items closely before bringing them at home.
- Examine headboards and bed for any sign of bed bugs while traveling or staying in any hotel. Don’t keep your luggage on floor, always try to keep it off the floor.
- Storage facilities and warehouses keeping stoke for new furniture, rail-road cars and trucks may be infested. Chances are also there that if your new furniture are stored or shipped from these places, they are carrying bed bugs with them.
Best Remedies to Get Rid of Bed Bugs:
Bed Bugs are tiny creatures that can enter your home without knocking the door and in no time they can spread. Maintaining a good hygiene and cleaning your house, all the nooks and corners, upholstery and furniture is the primary way to prevent the bed bugs infestation.
1.) Use The Diatomaceous Earth
Once you have checked for bed bugs it’s time to take some serious steps to get rid of them. The first remedy that can help you to remove bed bugs is diatomaceous earth. It does not have chemicals and thus it is safe and sound to use. All you have to do is sprinkle the powder around the places which are frequented by these tiny creatures. Do not forget to spread this powder around their nest also. You do not have to sprinkle huge amount of this powder; a small amount would be enough to treat bed bugs infestation. DTE works as a poison for them. However, it takes 8-10 days to work.
2.) Baking Soda Will Help
Baking soda is one of the kitchen staple that you can use to get rid of bed bugs. The best part is it is safe for your pet and children as well. Baking soda has drying properties that helps to absorb the moisture from their body. In addition to this, it has antimicrobial properties that kills the bed bugs. Once you check for bed bugs, spread baking soda in the crevices, cracks and wherever you identify their symptoms of presence. Leave it for a night and clean the place next day. Spread this remedy again next day. Repeat the same until you get satisfactory results.
3.) Take Help From Cayenne Powder
Another home remedy that will help you to get rid of bed bugs is cayenne paper. It has antimicrobial properties that kills the bed bugs. So, once you have checked for bed bugs and found them in the vicinity take a tablespoon of the cayenne powder, grated ginger and oregano in a bowl. Add some boiling water into this mixture. Pour this mixture into the spray bottle and shake bottle to mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Spray this solution at all the places that are often visited by the bed bugs. The smell of this mixture will drive the tiny creatures and they won’t be able to breath.
4.) Vacuum The Whole Area
This is probably one of the easiest way to get rid of the bed bugs. The suction wand of the vacuum that is used to clean the sofa and mattresses can suck the bed bugs. Run the vacuum cleaner on the mattresses, carpets, under baseboards, crevices and at all the other places where you suspect the presence of the bed bugs. After using the vacuum cleaner to get rid of bed bugs change the vacuum bag and through the garbage far away. Moreover, thoroughly wash all the attachment of the vacuum cleaner in hot water and detergent.
5.) Use The Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is known for its health and skin benefits but do you know the same essential oil can helps to cure the bed bugs infestation. This essential oil has antibacterial properties that helps to get rid of the fungi, viruses and bacteria’s. Once you have check for bed bugs clean your house with tea tree oil. Alternatively, add a few drops of tea tree oil in the washing machine while washing the mattresses and clothes. To kill the bed bugs, pour some tea tree essential oil and water in a spray bottle and sprit it around all the areas frequented by the bed bugs. Do not forget to spray the solution on the mattresses, furniture, linens and carpets since these places are most visited by the bed bugs.
6.) Indica Leaves Will Help
Indica leaves have been used to treat the infestation of bed bugs and roaches since ages. It has antimicrobial properties that helps to eradicate these small creatures. In addition, the leaves have strong smell that is not liked by the bed bugs. Crush some Indica leaves and spread it around the suspected places. Alternatively, a boiling water add some Indica leaves. Leave it for a few minutes. Later strain the solution and take a bath with this. This will help to treat bed bug bites. In addition to this, you can use Indica oil to get rid of bed bugs.
7.) Make Use of Cloves
Cloves have pungent smell and acidic pH that rip off the moisture from the bed bugs body. Since bed bugs cannot stand the acidic condition created by cloves therefore, they dye. Simply spread clove oil into all the crevices and infested areas. You can also place some cloves in all the nooks and corners to get rid of the bed bugs. However, clean the area later so that it does not come in the contact with pets and children.
8.) Use The Mint Leaves
Once you have check for bed bugs, you can use mint leaves to get rid of bed bugs. Meant leaves are considered to be repellents thus it is wonderful remedy to get rid of bed bugs. In addition to this, you should always keep mint leaves handy to prevent the infestation of bed bugs. Crush some dried mint leaves and spread them at the areas where you suspect bed bugs or where you have identified their symptoms. The best way is put dry mint leaves in the sashes and place them on the mattresses and closets. This is the safest way to use mint. Or simply spray mint oil on every nook and corner.
9.) Use Pyrethrum to Cure
Pyrethrum is combination of dried flower. For this you need heads of C, Coccineous and chrysanthemum. Both the flowers are natural insecticides. It will breakdown their nervous system. Thus, this is one of the wonderful remedies to get rid of bed bugs. However, if you find difficult to get this concoction then simply use an insecticide that has pyrethrum as a main ingredient or canola oil to cure bed bugs infestation.
10.) Use The Black Walnut Tea
This is one of the safe herb and remedies to get rid of bed bugs. Black walnut tea is believed to be natural insecticide and repellent. Moreover, it has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that destroys bed bugs. Sprinkle some dried black walnut tea on the infested areas or you can also place tea bags at the suspected areas such as creases of the bed, corners of the room, closet area etc. Alternatively, in a bowl mix lavender, mint leaves, sweet flag, thyme and black walnut. Pour this mixture into the sachet and hide this sachet at the conspicuous areas they are visited by bed bugs. The strong aroma of this mixture will definitely work in your favor.