Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are tiny blood sucking insects that feed on humans, pets, chickens, and other animals. They feed at night or in the dark. Although not painful at first, bed bug bites usually become red, swollen and itchy. Reactions to bites range from mild to severe. Bed bugs are not known to spread any diseases.

Bed bugs are 4 to 5 mm long (less than ¼ of an inch) and have a flat head and a flat, oval body. Young bed bugs are yellow-white in colour and change to a light reddish brown as they mature. Bed bugs can live in furniture, cushions, mattresses and walls in your home.

Indications of a bed bug infestation include: small blood stains on walls and sheets (stains are from bed bug excretions, not bites), skins shed from the early life stages of the bed bug and an odour similar to the smell of fresh raspberries. Bed bugs multiply rapidly and can quickly infest your home.

Bed bugs can enter your home when you bring in infested furniture, bedding, old books, laundry and suitcases. They may also enter your home through water pipes, gutters, windows bed bugs in one area, it is likely they are hiding in other places too. Bed bugs can be hard to get rid of because they hide in small places like the cording around mattresses, under buttons and in the seams of cushions. Check for bed bugs hiding in your bedding, curtains, furniture, cracks in the walls and behind loose wallpaper.

To get rid of bed bugs you can:

• When it is colder than 25 degrees F, place mattresses and furniture outside for several hours to kill bed bugs. Temperatures below 25 degrees F will freeze and kill bed bugs.
• Wash all bedding, curtains and clothing in hot water on a regular basis.
• Vacuum and steam clean carpets.
• Use insecticides to get rid of bed bugs that are hiding in walls and other large objects.

(Choose insecticides with "pyrethrins" as an active ingredient on the label. Only use insecticides labelled for household use because some insecticides can damage or stain your furniture, wallpaper, etc. Use care when applying insecticides, especially around children, the elderly, immuno-compromised people, and anyone else who may be sensitive to insecticides. Always follow label directions carefully.)

Bed bugs can be difficult to get rid of because they hide so well. If two weeks have passed since you first tried to rid your home of bed bugs and you still notice signs of bed bugs, repeat the above steps. For heavy infestations contact a pest control service.