BBE – Your Go-To For Reliable Bed Bug Extermination

Bed bugs are tiny parasites known as Cimex lectularius and are known to exist by living on the blood of other creatures. Yes, including humans. Most forms of bed bugs that we will discover in the USA come from the above group; other forms of bed bugs, though, do exist. Most other relatives of the bed bug, though, are not found in the USA, and they tend to feed on the blood of mammals and avians as opposed to humans.

Generally, the bed bug is an invasive species that will work its way into your home through various means. They are usually brought into homes via our clothing and upholstery; from there, they can spread like wildfire.

As micro predators, according to the CDC, the bed bug is known to be a creature that feeds on blood during the evening. After all, it is easiest to get to our bodies and blood when sleeping. If you were awake, you would feel the bed bug biting you!

Yes, bed bugs are extremely common in the USA, in particular. For example, figures from PestWorld suggest that bed bugs are one of the most commonly treated pests by pest control professionals. It was estimated that around 97% of US pest control professionals must deal with bed bugs at one point in the year.

Bed bugs are believed to infest as many as 1 in 5 US homes. They are commonly found everywhere that you can imagine: homes, hotels, workplaces, hospitals, schools, offices, dormitories, and even on public transport. So, if you worry that you might be infested through bad luck, fear not. Bed bugs are a pest and a problem to be dealt with, but they are not rare.

It is often assumed that, like lice, having bed bugs means you are unclean. If only that were the case – even the most thorough cleaning and preparation can not be enough to stop these pests from becoming prominent in your day-to-day life. For that reason, you should not think you are ‘dirty’ or ‘unclean’ because you have bed bugs – you are just suffering from a problem that so many Americans do!

As mentioned, the bed bug is part of the Cimicidae family of bugs. This includes other common pests worldwide, including creatures as varied as the bat and poultry bugs. Around 100 different species are part of this ‘family’ of bugs. Unfortunately, more or less every member of this species, if encountered, can make your life miserable!

The bed bug is part of a group of bugs generally fed exclusively by feeding on the blood of other warm-blooded species. The most common relative to the bed bug, then, is the bat bug. Bat bugs were once the dominant species of this particular group before the rise of the traditional bed bug saw their numbers dwindle in comparison.

Bat Bug

Bat bugs, as the name suggests, used to appear within large groups of bats. These were often found in houses due to bats infesting the walls of buildings or in our attics. Bat bugs would survive after the bats migrated and then turn their ire on the humans living within the property. Over time, though, the bat bug would die out as without bats, they cannot thrive to the same level.

Swallow Bug

Another common relative to the bed bug is the swallow bug. Swallow bugs are parasites that have commonly annoyed cliff and barn swallows. When these swallows would build a nest on human property, the swallow bug would stick around and feed on humans. This is/was most common in the winter and the spring, after swallows have fled their nests.

Poultry Bug

The poultry bug is also a member of the same family. As the name suggests, poultry bugs are often found in chicken and other forms of poultry. They hide during the day and then come out at night, feeding on the poultry. It is extremely common for poultry bugs to get in and annoy humans, though it has been known to happen occasionally. You will never encounter a poultry bug unless you sleep beside a poultry roost.

Pirate Bug

However, the pirate bug is one of the closest relatives to the bed bug. The pirate eats mites and other small creatures and insects. They are usually slightly larger than your typical bed bug and are more commonly found in fields and crops than in our house. They tend to feed on plants and pollen as opposed to people. Some people buy pirate bugs as they can be used to help deal with infestations of other creatures, including ants. A small pirate bug, though, can easily be mistaken for a bed bug.

The thing to note about bed bug bites is that they tend to be quite irritating. Though they are not threatening your life, as mentioned above, bed bug bites can be very uncomfortable. You might at first assume it is something like a spot or an ingrown hair. If they appear regularly, though, it is likely a sign that you are dealing with the irritation and annoyance of a bed bug bite!

Luckily, the majority of bed bug bites are not going to turn into anything too discomforting. You might notice some small, slightly raised red bumps on your skin. It might feel slightly itchy or irritated, but for the most part, bed bug bites can pass without impacting your quality of life. However, some more severe bed bug bites can cause problems that are a little more problematic to you.

The most common signs of bed bug bites that you should keep an eye out for are:

• Raised, itchy bumps that are clear in the middle – this is a sign it is a bite, not a spot
• Itchy bumps that have a darker central color and are swollen around the bite mark itself
• Small bumps that appear in a zig-zag line on your arm; this is the sign of many bed bug bites
• Small red bumps that appear to carry small blisters and hives surrounding the bite itself
• Any sensations that feel like they are burning, overly warm, or painful/irritated

You might find that the above symptoms are more common if you have a hypersensitive reaction to the bite. Some of us are more prone to reacting badly to bed bug bites; you can do nothing about them. As mentioned above, though, taking some antihistamines might be a good way to help reduce the discomfort and the irritation.

However, please note that you might be unlucky in some more extreme cases and suffer a major reaction to a bed bug bite. It is not common at all, but in some people, you can find that you start to suffer from a reaction that can include:

• Shortness of breath or finding it hard to take in a full, deep breath consistently
• Large, swollen, and irritated blisters that begin to formulate over the bite marks
• Sensations of fever taking hold, which can include temperature changes and delirium
• Nausea, which can come from the pain and the intensity of the discomfort you are feeling
• Swollen parts of the body, including your hands, arms, neck, and tongue
• Irregularities in your day-to-day life, including having an irregular or uncertain heartbeat

We highly recommend seeking medical care immediately if you notice any of the above problems. The sooner you receive treatment, the quicker you can overcome these more severe symptoms. For most people, though, the bed bug bite symptoms they receive will not be as intense or as damaging as the above.

Thankfully, dealing with bed bug bite marks is not as challenging as it might first appear. While it might seem normal to let the bite subside and hope it does not happen again, that will not work. If you have been bitten once by bed bugs, you will be bitten again; these parasites do not move on. Why would they leave behind a food source actively letting them feed? The only way to stop bed bug bites is to eradicate the source. More on that below. For now, though, let us look at treatments for bed bug bites.

Most bed bug bites are basic and can be treated simply by cleaning the bite with soap and water. However, minor bites that are becoming annoying can be treated by using anti-itch and anti-rash creams and hydrocortisone that you buy over the counter from a pharmacy. Antihistamines can also be used to help reduce the swelling and irritation in some people, though this does not always work.

However, the most effective treatment for bed bug bites will be time. Most bites will reduce in size and swelling on their own very quickly, especially if you give the wound a proper clean-out. However, what do you do if your bed bug bite swells up or is persistent in not going away?

More serious bed bug bites might require medical intervention, though. The most common treatment for more severe bed bug bites is to look for antibiotic treatments through your doctor. You might also have to take some corticosteroid, though this is only meant for the most severe bug bites on your skin.

Second, you should now look to find ways to treat your bed bug infestation. As mentioned above, bed bugs will not move on because you ask nicely. They must be dealt with professionally if you want the best chance of reducing or removing bed bug bites from your daily life.

For the most part, though, bed bug bites will clear up independently and should not need any treatment. The main thing that you should focus on at this point is how to prevent bed bug bites so that they do not return in the future.

The most common places you will likely find a bed bug hiding can be confusing. One of the most commonly associated places you will find a bed bug infestation, according to the EPA, is in the following locations:

• The seams of your upholstery. This can include chairs, couches, and cushions
• The folds of your curtains. Bed bugs can hide here quite easily without being seen
• The seams of your mattress. Even a tiny hole can be enough for bed bugs to fit in
• The tags on your mattress. This is one of the most common places to find bed bugs
• The framing of your bed. You might find that bed bugs loiter around the base of your bed
• Your baseboards. Bed bugs have a pretty nasty habit of getting behind our baseboards
• Your wallpaper. If you have any loose wallpaper, bed bugs can get up behind this
• Wall hangings, such as where you hang portraits from – bed bugs can get in here, too!
• The joints of your drawers and other storage appliances – particularly those made of wood
• In electrical appliances. That might sound off, but finding bed bugs in plugs is common!
• Junctions of your rooms. Bed bugs love dark spots – including where walls and ceilings meet
• Small areas where you might not think to look –this can even include a screwhead!

These are some of the most common places where bed bugs are likely littering. If you are having a particularly hard time finding bed bugs, then this is where we recommend you begin your search. By looking in these areas for either moving, live bed bugs themselves or signs of their presence like blood and feces, you are more likely to spot the signs of a bed bug problem before it worsens.

As we have already covered, you will not only find bed bugs in your home. These parasites can get around – they are commonly found in locations such as:

• Public transport, particularly buses and trains that come through high-traffic areas for people
• Hotels and motels –even clean, four to five-star establishments might have bed bugs!
• Though hospitals are good at catching bed bug infestations, some slip-through
• Nursing homes, given the high number of people coming in and out of these locations
• Schools and education facilities, again due to the high traffic of people moving around
• Though less common, bed bugs can easily make a nest in an office environment

So, do not assume that the only place you need to worry about finding bed bugs is in your home. You should always conduct a thorough and full search of your home, yes, but also anywhere you might be staying. Even if you stay in a superb hotel or a major, well-funded hospital, you should watch for bed bugs closely. Again, infestation is often spotted once it is serious.

How, then, can you avoid such bed bug problems? Can you do anything to prevent an infestation?

One of the most commonly asked questions regarding bed bugs is whether or not they can travel on a person. Despite not having wings, these annoying little pests have a habit of getting places you would never expect or assume. Given that they are so survivable and durable, it makes sense that the bed bug can survive during transit from one location to another. Do they travel on people, though?

The good news is that bed bugs DO NOT travel from person to person – at least not primarily. Yes, you might be unlikely and have bed bugs on your person that move from one location to the next. In extremely unlucky circumstances, you might find that bed bugs in a hotel or elsewhere stick to you and your luggage and come home with you.

However, unlike lice, they will not stick to your skin and travel with you from one location to the next. Instead, what a bed bug does is that it sticks to your clothing and your luggage. They are taken from one location to another by sticking to your clothing and luggage. Not only is this much harder for you to notice, but it means that you will not feel the bed bug on you physically. As such, it becomes much harder to spot bed bugs because you do not feel them on your body/skin.

The majority of bed bugs will get around by sticking to your furniture. They will spend most of their time getting into your home by being connected to furniture and upholstery. This does not have to be second-hand furniture; bed bugs have a horrible habit of populating even brand-new furniture and fittings. As such, the main way a bed bug will ‘break into’ your home is through furniture.

If you want to reduce the spread of bed bugs or bring bed bugs into your home entirely, thoroughly check your furniture. If you spot any tell-tale signs of bed bugs we have listed above, alert the seller. This might stop any of the usual headaches of having to return items, and it will stop the bed bugs from populating your home in the first place.

Another thing to focus on is making sure that, if you are selling any furniture, you clean it thoroughly beforehand. You know how annoying having a bed bug problem can be – don’t pass that problem on to someone else!

When you look to hire the pros, they will likely offer you a range of treatments to kill off these bug bugs once and for all. When left to thrive, bed bugs will quickly grow out of control. As we have already mentioned, if you can see the signs of bed bugs – or the bed bugs themselves – then the infestation is already out of your hands. You need professional treatment to help you get rid of the problem once and for all.

Think about this: a bed bug can lay around ten eggs per day, so everyone you kill is likely getting replaced by an ever-growing number of parasites. As such, people want to invest in treatment that can permanently kill the bed bugs.

For years, using a chemical treatment was the go-to option for killing off bed bugs completely. Chemical treatments were seen as lethal, so much so that you often need to leave your home for some time while the treatment is carried out. Or, at least, you need to be careful around the applied area.

In the USA, the EPA has provided a list of treatments that can be used to kill bed bugs. Bed bug products on the market today are in their hundreds; you can easily find as many as 300 different products to pick from. Most are the kind of ‘over the counter’ treatment you could try at home, but the most effective chemical treatments are for professional use only. However, is this worth the money?

Another form of chemical treatment often referenced is that of desiccants. These are supposed to strip away the outer layer of the bed bug, meaning that they will begin to dehydrate and then die over time. These are useful for controlling infestation, but complete eradication is unlikely if you rely upon desiccants. While bed bugs cannot become resistant to desiccants, they are unlikely to kill the whole population. Some professionals will use desiccants to help thin out the numbers and complete the job using other chemical treatments.

Other options include using growth regulators to stop these creatures from growing beyond a certain size and age. This can stop the insect colony from developing quickly, but again, you must find something to eliminate the bed bugs.

Throughout this guide, we have mentioned that bed bugs are the least resistant to heat treatment. Right at the beginning, we mentioned the temperatures at which you can expect bed bugs to survive. Therefore, the secret is to ensure that any bed bugs in your home cannot live by changing the heat they are being asked to deal with daily.

Turning to the conventional treatments commonly used in the past will simply not provide the quality of results that you are looking for. Using chemical sprays and spot treatments will only help delay the inevitable: a return by these infuriating parasites. By using heat treatment, you can likely avoid all or most of the problems we have discussed.

Let’s look at heat treatment for bed bugs and why it appears to be the #1 choice for anyone looking to help eliminate bed bugs.

Heat treatment is, without a doubt, the premier choice for killing off bed bugs. Not only is it the most effective of all bed bug treatments, but it could be argued that using heat treatment is also the most humane option. Known as thermal radiation treatment, this is the most effective way to eliminate a consistent bed bug infestation, especially if the bed bugs are in more than one room!

Some people will combine pesticide treatment and heat treatment for the utmost results. Most of the time, though, turning to bed bug heat treatments alone can be enough to help eliminate this annoying problem once and for all. Heat treatment is often carried out by using industrial-standard heating instruments within your home. This will heat the temperature of the infected area with bed bugs to around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Once we reach these heats, bed bugs – even the little ones – cannot survive and thrive. This will mean that the ENTIRE infestation dies.

Another thing to note is that bed bugs can escape chemical traps and pesticide treatments. They can also escape pesticide dust. They can even get through encasements put on mattresses and bedding. What they cannot do, though, is escape-focused heat treatment where they reside. This becomes unbearable, and the heat quickly creates conditions whereby bed bugs simply cannot survive.

Heat treatment is the secret because it can be carried out in one session, unlike other treatment types. For severe bed bug infestations and for those who simply want to eradicate the problem now without messing around, heat treatment for bed bugs is the perfect place to begin. This will kill off the entire infestation without you having to do anything else.

Heat treatment is at its most effective when used in places like apartments, properties, places of work, and hotels. However, with the right scaling, heat treatment for bed bugs can be used anywhere you wish.

Most of the time, yes, you should be able to get the most thorough form of bed bug eradication in heat treatment for this price. If you are looking for the most effective way to deal with bed bugs, it is worth paying the extra price for heat treatment. Even if it costs you more today, the price means that you are getting rid of the infestation in its entirety.

In fact, for some professionals, treatment costs for bed bugs can be LESS if you go for heat treatment. On average, the cost of using chemical pesticides for a single room can be around $2 per square foot. Heat treatment, though, can be as little as $1 per square foot for singular rooms.

Yes, paying for heat treatment for bed bugs will kill off the entire local population in your home. This means that you know that if any bed bugs appear again in the future, it will be bad luck. Sadly, there is no way to guarantee 100% that bed bugs will be removed from your home and never return. With heat treatment, though, you know that the current infestation has been removed completely.

Relying on cheaper treatments often means simply delaying their return. As we mentioned above, bed bugs have a nasty habit of getting into parts of your home and hiding until the chemical treatment dies down. With heat treatment, though, there is no escape possible.

Of course, if you want to make sure that what you are dealing with is 100% bed bugs, you might wish to first invest in sniffer dogs. Specially trained dogs can be brought into your home to sniff out and diagnose bed bugs. At a cost of around $300 to $600 on the national average, this might be a worthwhile investment to ensure that you are dealing with bed bugs as opposed to termites or other pests.