Under optimal conditions, bed bug eggs develop into adult bed bugs within a period of four months, and an infested home can see as many as three generations of bed bugs within one year.
According to the University of Kentucky, bed bugs can survive 2 to 6 months without a meal. In extreme cases, when the temperature drops to 55°F or lower, they may survive a year or longer.
However, bed bugs can still hide in corners, cracks and crevices. Heat treatment can easily and effectively kill bugs in these hard to reach areas. If you're treating the furniture without heat your primary weapon will be a vacuum to remove any bed bugs that might be lurking in the furniture. 1.
The high temperature of steam 212°F (100°C) immediately kills bed bugs. Apply steam slowly to the folds and tufts of mattresses, along with sofa seams, bed frames, and corners or edges where bed bugs may be hiding. Be careful though, steam may damage some finishes and keep steam away from electricity.
Looking for Signs of Bed Bugs
Dark spots (about this size: ), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would. Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger. Live bed bugs.
The first clue suggesting that you may have a bed bug infestation is often the presence of itching bites. However, bites reactions are quite variable and may not be due to bed bugs at all. Be aware of the other signs that bed bugs leave behind: fecal spots, molted skins, and aggregations.
Metal, like finished wood, resists bed bugs due to its smooth finish but still has joints, bends and weld points that can offer bed bugs safe harbor. An advantage of metal is that it resists chemical damage and can be “washed” clean after bed bug treatments. MOLDED PLASTIC.
You may have them for a while, but may not notice them until weeks, or even months later. Bed bug eggs take anywhere from six to 12 days to hatch, and the adult life span can be anywhere from six months to a year. That's why it's important to know these early signs of an infestation.
Yes, you can get bed bugs from sitting on infested furniture, such as a bed or couch. Yet, you should know that a person can't actually “get” bed bugs because these insects do not live on people.
If you are going to take the furniture out of your home, you should wrap up the furniture in plastic wrap before you take it out to the street. While bed bugs can breathe without oxygen for about 18 months, they can't live long without blood.
Vacuum the area, but don't expect optimal results. Considering how quickly bed bugs reproduce, this is a real concern. Vacuuming the pests that you can see can seem simple, however, with bed bugs, there are a lot that you will not see. Vacuums cannot remove all of the hidden bed bugs as well as any eggs.
People can also bring bed bugs into their home on infested clothing, bedding, furniture, and luggage. Bed bugs can go without feeding for 20 to 400 days, depending on temperature and humidity.
To lure bed bugs out of their hiding spots, you can use a steamer or a hairdryer to heat areas such as mattresses. Neither of these is hot enough to kill the bed bugs, but it can trick them into thinking a human host is near. You can also keep an eye out at night to locate their nests when they are most active.
Sleep in long-sleeved clothing
Lower your risk of getting bedbug bites by wearing long-sleeved pajamas with pants while sleeping. But be mindful that bedbugs can find their way to your skin under loose clothing. So wear pajamas that are more fitted around your ankles and wrists to give you the best protection.
A cluttered home provides more places for bed bugs to hide and makes locating and treating them harder. If bed bugs are in your mattress, using special bed bug covers (encasements) on your mattress and box springs makes it harder for bed bugs to get to you while you sleep. Leave the encasements on for a year.
In most cases, a bed bug infestation will go unnoticed for a few months following a bed bug's initial introduction into a home.
You may not notice bites right away, as it can take up to 2 weeks for marks to develop. Unlike flea bites, which are mainly around your ankles, you'll find bedbug bites on areas of skin that are exposed while you're sleeping, often your face, neck, or hands.
Those individuals who are not sensitive to bed bug bites may not know they have an infestation. Because bed bugs are nocturnally active, it's hard to see other signs of their presence—unless you're accustomed to waking up at 3 A.M. and taking a census.
To be sure your furniture won't be hiding any bed bugs before bringing it indoors, consider heat treating it in a dark plastic bag. Make sure you keep the temperature at 110 degrees Fahrenheit for three hours or more. Next, vacuum the furniture, including all crevices, seams, folds, and hidden areas.
If you see white spots on the furniture, it could be bed bug eggs or shed skin cells. They are shaped like a grain of rice, but smaller, and have a translucent pear white color. Of course, the pest itself. Bed bugs are incredibly small pests that are wingless, flat oval-shaped, and brown.
Light Bed Bug Infestation
Few sightings and blood stains noted if any, 1-2 caught as specimens for identification, minimal irritation from bites.
How can bed bugs get into my home? They can come from other infested areas or from used furniture. They can hitch a ride in luggage, purses, backpacks, or other items placed on soft or upholstered surfaces. They can travel between rooms in multi-unit buildings, such as apartment complexes and hotels.
The Presence of Eggs
Eggs are one of the earliest signs of bed bugs that you can look for. Bed bugs lay their eggs in small clusters, and each egg is about the size of a dust mite. You're most likely to find them in the seams of your mattress or on your bed frame.