Clocks, TVs, radios, and laptop batteries are just a few of the more common electronic items roaches love for their warmth. This is especially true in the case of German cockroaches.
Yes, bed bugs can hide in some of the most unlikely places you can imagine! Any item with small crannies and nooks is game for bed bugs. In this regard, your computer keyboards, computer itself, CD cases and books form a good hiding place for the bugs.
Note: Bed bugs will not go near the refrigerator so all food inside the refrigerator can remain after bed bugs are detected. All food out on the counter such as fruits and vegetables (and any other item) should remain uninfected.
No, bed bugs can't live in your phone. They might be thin and small, but there's no way for them to get inside.
Extreme temperatures are the best way to kill bed bugs. Washing your clothing and bedding in a high heat wash should effectively kill off any bugs, as well as any eggs they've possibly laid. It's important to exercise caution in moving infested linens during the process to avoid spreading the bed bugs to other rooms!
Adult bed bugs have flat bodies and grow to be just one-sixth of an inch in length. Their flat physique makes it easy for them to hide within tiny gaps and openings found on laptops, computer monitors, TV screens, and gaming consoles.
A bed bug treatment using heat kills bed bugs immediately, but there is no residual. A chemical bed bug treatment can take a few weeks, but it leaves a residual which provides continued protection from bed bug re-infestation.
Temperature That Kills Bed Bugs
Adult bed bugs die at 119 degrees Fahrenheit, and their heat-resistant eggs require temperatures upwards of 125 degrees. Some infested objects can be safely baked in the oven at these temperatures for three to five hours to get rid of the pests.
Although they're very small, you can see bed bug eggs with just your naked eye. It might be difficult to make out any of the distinguishing features we mentioned above, but you should be able to determine their general size and shape.
How long do bed bugs live? The typical life span of a bed bug is between 10 months and a year. In general, bed bugs seek a meal of blood every 4 or 5 days.
Around the bed, they can be found near the piping, seams and tags of the mattress and box spring, and in cracks on the bed frame and headboard. If the room is heavily infested, you may find bed bugs: In the seams of chairs and couches, between cushions, in the folds of curtains.
Vacuum your mattress and floors often.
Wash all sheets, clothing, and textiles at least once a week in hot water. Use caulk to seal cracks around baseboards, electrical outlets, light sockets, and furniture, so bed bugs can't hide in them. Check for bed bugs in hotels, hostels, and guest rooms you sleep in.
Bed Bugs Are Attracted to Warmth: FACT
Bed bugs know that a heat source is likely to mean a host is nearby. Your body temperature will give you away regardless of your clothing or the temperature of the room.
Bed bugs are easy to kill using heat. Their thermal death point is reported to be 114-115° F. Putting infested clothing in a hot dryer is an excellent way of killing bed bugs and their eggs. Heat can also be used to kill bed bugs and their eggs in furniture and carpeting.
Bed bugs hate scents such as lemon scents, cinnamon oil, neem oil, spearmint, and silicone. They will hide from you when you use these smells.
Diatomaceous earth is a great chemical-free option for getting rid of a number of pests, including bed bugs. This natural powder contains properties that can dehydrate bed bugs, absorbing their fat and oil, and killing them dead as a doornail. Spray or sprinkle in infected areas and allow it to sit for at least a week.
Myth: Bed bugs won't come out if the room is brightly lit. Reality: While bed bugs prefer darkness, keeping the light on at night won't deter these pests from biting you.
Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt, decay, or decomposing materials. They are only attracted to blood, and will search it out, regardless of the cleanliness of the environment. Bed bugs detect carbon dioxide emitted from humans and respond to warmth and moisture as they approach the potential host.
The good news is that laundry detergent can kill bed bugs. The even better news is that the detergent you use doesn't need to be expensive or in any way unique. IN fact, good old fashioned washing up liquid can kill bed bugs. All you need is a generic laundry detergent and you are good to go.
You may be thinking, can you get bed bugs from not washing your sheets? No—bed bugs have absolutely nothing to do with cleanliness levels. However, washing your sheets regularly gives you the opportunity to look for and remove any possible bed bug infestations.