How to Treat Bed Bug Bites

How to Treat Bed Bug Bites

How do you treat bed bug bites?

  1. Wash with soap and water
  2. Apply a cold towel or ice pack
  3. Use an anti-itch cream or calamine lotion
  4. Take an oral antihistamine
  5. Take over-the-counter painkillers
  6. Go to the doctor

 

Bed bugs are small pests that like to bite people when they sleep. If you have itchy marks on your skin, there’s a chance that these bugs are responsible. They like to hide around the area of your bed: the mattress, your sheets, the headboard, and others. As you sleep, they crawl out, bite your skin, and drink your blood. Unpleasant as it sounds, you wouldn’t feel anything right away because it takes some time before the bites show. When they do, you have to know how to treat bed bug bites.

The bites usually present as red, itchy marks on your skin. They are generally low-risk, but there are rare times when an allergic reaction or infection may happen. What should you do when you find bed bug bites on your skin? Keep reading to find out!

 

Wash with soap and water

Wash with soap and water

Since bed bugs drink blood, it’s easy to figure out that their bites make a break in the skin. That’s why the first thing you need to do is to wash it with soap and water. Just like any other wound, a bed bug bite can become infected. Washing the affected areas would not only prevent infections but also soothe the symptoms slightly.

If you have a persistent bed bug problem, make sure you wash the affected areas regularly until you get rid of the bed bugs for good. You wouldn’t know if you’re getting bitten because of the bug’s anesthetic, so it’s best to be safe.

 

Apply a cold towel or ice pack

Bed bug bites are rarely serious injuries and are even less likely to be life-threatening. But they are incredibly itchy! The bites will heal in around 1-2 weeks, but the itchiness will make it really uncomfortable. Thankfully, there are ways to alleviate this.

Applying a cold towel or cloth, or an ice pack to the affected area will help with the itchiness.

 

Use an anti-itch cream or calamine lotion

Use an anti-itch cream or calamine lotion

If you can, using an anti-itch cream or calamine lotion would reduce the itching better than ice. Make sure you use only over-the-counter anti-itch cream to avoid any other complications. Otherwise, follow the advice of your dermatologist for a stronger dose. It’s also important to remember that they won’t cure the bites themselves but only reduce the itching. To avoid any further damage, it’s better to take care of the infestation itself.

 

Take an oral antihistamine

Another way to stop the itching is by taking an oral antihistamine. For this, it’s best to get a prescription from your doctor first. Antihistamines can control allergic reactions and itching. But they can’t control the severity of the bed bug infestation you have.

 

Take over-the-counter painkillers

Take over-the-counter painkillers

Sometimes, bed bug bites can swell and become painful. The combination of being itchy and painful at the same time is really annoying. Scratching the bites will hurt and make the problem worse. If your bed bug bites have become painful, then you should take over-the-counter pain relievers to ease the pain. Just take the usual ones like paracetamol to keep safe.

 

Go to the doctor

Keep observing yourself to catch any signs of worsening in the bites. There are rare cases when bed bugs cause an allergic reaction. If it’s a severe one, you’ll need an emergency dose of antihistamines or an EpiPen. It’s better to go to the doctor right away.

Infections don’t happen often too, but unlike allergic reactions, they can happen to anyone. You know the infection has gotten bad when you start getting chills and a fever. For these instances, you should go to the doctor as soon as possible.

 

Key Takeaway

Bed bugs can turn really bad quickly if not taken care of. It’s good to know how to treat bed bug bites, but you wouldn’t need that information if you didn’t have bed bugs in the first place. There are several natural bed bug repellents that you can use, but they won’t be enough to get rid of the infestation.

Do you want to clear your home of any bed bug infestations? Then it’s time to call a professional pest control service! Topbest is the leading pest control solutions provider in the Philippines. Just click here to get a free consultation from us, and start the process of beating that infestation!

5 Natural Bed Bug Repellents

5 Natural Bed Bug Repellents

What are some natural bed bug repellents?

  1. Rubbing Alcohol
  2. Essential Oils
  3. Diatomaceous Earth
  4. Powdered Pepper
  5. Lemon

 

If you’ve ever woken up to itchy marks on your skin for seemingly no reason, you may have been bitten by bed bugs. Bed bugs are insects that bite humans and feed on our blood. Infestations will cause uncomfortable itches on the human’s skin. They can be present anywhere, and it is very easy to get an infestation. A solution could be by using natural bed bug repellents.

Getting rid of these pests is likely to be a pain. Pests often have the quality of being annoying, so make sure to try as many of these methods as possible to see which works best for you. Keep reading to learn more!

 

Rubbing Alcohol

The smell of rubbing alcohol is one that bed bugs can’t stand. This substance can also dry out bed bug bodies, making it potentially deadly to them. Some even claim that direct contact with alcohol will kill the bed bugs right away. If you have rubbing alcohol, try applying it in places where you suspect bed bugs to be. Hopefully, it will repel them and make them look for a different place to creed.

Be careful though, alcohol is very flammable. Just make sure to keep any sparks or open flames away from it!

 

Essential Oils

Essential Oils

Some essential oils have been known to have some pest repellent (and even insecticidal) properties. For example, the scent of tea tree oil can repel bed bugs from an area. If you have tea tree oil for your skin, you can also spray it around your bed. It will then have a pleasant smell and it will be free of bed bugs. Lavender oil is another scent that we love but bed bugs can’t stand. If you’re looking for something more natural, then maybe orange oil will help. Peppermint oil has shown repellent properties against mosquitoes, and some people claim that they work against bed bugs as well. It would hurt to give it a try.

In any case, spraying these essential oils to affected areas should keep bed bugs away for a time.

 

Diatomaceous Earth

If you don’t know it yet, diatomaceous earth is one of the most effective alternative pesticides. It is an abrasive powder that will dry out an insect’s exoskeleton. It absorbs the protective oils that cover the insects’ bodies. If they come into contact with it, they can easily dehydrate. It’s best to spread the powder into cracks and crevices on the floor or anywhere else you think bed bugs might be hiding. But you should avoid putting it on your mattress because it can hurt your lungs.

This powder can easily be spotted and avoided by bed bugs. At first, they might fall victim to it and some might get killed, but once they learn about it, they will stay away. It then becomes a good repellent as well.

 

Powdered Pepper

Powdered Pepper

Powdered pepper is something that can be found in any household’s kitchen. Aside from adding flavor to your food, it can also be used to keep away bed bugs. Pepper is another addition to the lift of scents that bed bugs don’t like and would actively avoid. Its availability and convenience make powdered pepper a good natural bed bug repellent.

 

Lemon

Citrus scents like that of lemon will help drive bed bugs away. By using fresh lemon juice, your room and mattress will smell fruity fresh and become bed bug-free. Some even claim that the acidity of the lemon juice is enough to kill bed bugs.

A study has shown that citronellic acid has some potential to repel bed bugs, but they don’t hate the scent enough to stop from feeding on a blood meal. If you want to use lemon, you might want to use it when you’re not in the room.

 

Key Takeaway

Bed bug infestations can be nasty, uncomfortable, painful, and unhealthy at the same time. Once you notice itches, or once you confirm that you have bed bugs, it is important to get rid of them as fast as you can. For temporary, at-home measures, try the bed bug repellents that we mentioned in the article above.

Natural and temporary repellents are still not enough to completely eradicate an infestation. For that, professional intervention is needed. Topbest handles pest control for termites, cockroaches, mosquitoes, other pests, and of course, bed bugs. To end all your pest problems, just contact us here for a free consultation!

Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?

Where Do Bed Bugs Come From

Where do bed bugs come from?

  1. Hotel Rooms
  2. Mass Transportation
  3. Shared Public Places
  4. A Friend’s House
  5. Used Furniture
  6. Personal Belongings

 

Bed bugs are pesky pests that can spread easily in your home. They are red in color, and are small and flat when unfed and become darker in color and swollen when given access to a food source. What do they eat? You. Specifically, human blood. They are attracted to warm-blooded creatures so your pets could also be a target. Bed bugs can reproduce quickly, laying up to 3 eggs per day that can hatch in 21 days. But where do bed bugs come from? We listed down below popular places where they can be found. Be observant when on these locations!

 

Hotel Rooms

This place frequently accommodates a nonstop amount of tourists. The continuous coming and going of people can increase the possibilities of someone carrying a bed bug. These pests are known to latch on to people’s clothes and belongings and travel far places. A traveler will visit many other places before returning to his hotel room, so who knows where these people sat? Even 5-star hotels can be infested with bed bugs.

These bugs can hide not just on the bed but also on the walls and mattresses. If you are using a hotel room be careful when placing your bags near beds, walls, or even on the floor. Bed bugs can live anywhere, but they seek warm hiding places more. With this in mind, there may be less chance of bugs on metal surfaces.

 

Mass Transportation

People inside metro train.

Just like hotels, buses, taxis, and even airplanes can become homes for bedbugs. Be careful especially when you have to sit on cushioned and upholstered seats which are attractive hiding places for these pests. If you can opt to stand in the bus or seat on plastic or metal seats. Always check your clothes and belongings after coming home. If possible, put your clothes in a hot wash immediately.

 

Shared Public Places

Public places are hot spots for bed bugs too. Be observant with the seating in cinemas, waiting rooms, restaurants, and even offices. These places are frequently populated with many people all the time, which leads to more food sources for these pests. These indoor settings are usually air-conditioned, which means that bed bugs are not exposed to high temperatures which can kill them. Be careful around these places as these bugs could also be latching onto your clothes.

 

A Friend’s House

Young girl sleeping in living room on sofa

A friend may be someone you trust, which makes you more inattentive when coming back from their place. They may not tell you even if they know that an infestation is going in their home, so treat their place like a hotel room. Check your clothes and belongings after coming home.

 

Used Furniture

Avoid taking home used furniture with you. You may be taking an infested object unknowingly. Signs of a bed bug infestation include dried blood spots, molten skin, white eggs, and fecal stains that look like marker stains.

If you like to collect vintage items, make sure to thoroughly inspect every crack and crevice before putting these inside your home. Prevention is better than suffering from a surprise infestation later on. Contact a professional pest control company to get rid of bed bugs in your home.

 

Personal Belongings

bags and accessories on wooden

Aside from your clothes, these pests can also hide in the personal items that you bring with you everywhere. This includes bags and hats that you place on random surfaces when outside. Your child’s stuffed toy can also be a hiding place for these bugs! Even the cleanest belongings can attract bed bugs. They do not seek dirty places in particular.

 

Key Takeaway

Before you even experience an infestation in your home, it is important to know where do bed bugs come from. Through this, you can be more careful in bringing them home with you. It is a common mistake to think that these pests choose to hide in dirty places. This only happens by chance as some second-hand furniture where they stay are old and dirty. They like warm places and will seek homes in cracks, holes, ad crevices in furniture, walls, floors, and even personal belongings.

If you have a bed bug infestation in your home consult a professional pest control service to solve your problem once and for all. Home remedies may be effective for some time but bed bugs can hide in hard to reach places and can reproduce quickly. If you’re interested in a free inspection, click here!

How to Detect Bed Bug Infestation

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How can you detect bed bug infestation?

  1. Have the right tools
  2. Check for blood stains on your bedding
  3. Inspect for bed bug droppings
  4. Ask the previous owners
  5. Consider calling pest control services

 

Bed bugs can make their way into your household from just about anywhere. These annoying pests can come from that used furniture you bought. As hitchhiking pests, bed bugs can latch on from when you are sitting in public spaces as well. With that, you may want to know how to detect bed bug infestation.

Most household owners want to put a stop to bed bug infestations early. Why? They leave red itchy bites while feeding on humans. Moreover, it’s difficult to detect them. Bed bugs are among the most persistent pests anyone can ever deal with. If left untreated, they can even spread to neighboring homes.

Stop suffering from your bed bug infestations. We’ve rounded up some tips on how you can detect these annoying pests.

 

Have The Right Tools

Have the Right Tools

Bed bugs are oval, brownish, and minuscule pests. The adult ones grow to about the size of an apple seed. For someone who has an untrained eye, they will be hard to look for. You might even confuse them with other biting pests.

To properly detect bed bugs, make sure you have the right tools with you. These may include a flashlight and a magnifying glass. Given that they’re tiny in size, 5 to 7 millimeters to be exact, you’ll be needing proper illumination tools.

 

Check for Blood Stains On Your Bedding

If you have a bed bug infestation, we are sure you’ve had your share of sleepless nights. After all, they are opportunist pests who are most active at night.

When bed bugs feed, it takes about 10 minutes for them to be fully engorged. They often feed on exposed skin such as your arms and shoulders. The worst part about it? They crawl away unnoticed because you’re sleeping.

With this being said, remove all your bedding and check for blood stains. While you were sleeping, you might have accidentally crushed them. If you crush them while feeding, the blood seeps out and creates stains.

 

Inspect for Bed Bug Droppings

Woman is putting the bedding cover or mattress pad on the bed or

In addition to blood stains, inspect for bed bug droppings. The droppings are made up of digested blood. Once dried, these turn into a dark brown or black color and are about the size of a dot from a pen marker.

Check for bed bug droppings around the corners of your bed. Don’t forget to examine the box springs and bed frame as well! These pests are known for hiding in the nooks and crannies of furniture.

Although bed bugs can’t fly, they can crawl everywhere. Try to check around your household because these droppings are not exclusively found on the bed. Start from the folds of curtains, carpets, corners of walls, under the seams of chairs, and between cushions.

 

Ask The Previous Owners

Just like other species of pests, bed bugs release airborne chemical messengers called pheromones. When you disturb a large group of bed bugs, you might get a whiff of an unpleasant, strong, and musty scent. That’s a common bed bug infestation sign.

As mentioned earlier, bed bugs are known to be hitchhiking pests. If you happen to live in a pre-owned home, it would be helpful to ask the previous property owners about bed bug infestations. If they do mention bed bug signs, go straight to learning about pest treatment options.

In addition, opt-out of buying pre-owned furniture, clothing, and other used items into your home. Even if you’re tempted to score big discounts, remember that these items are hotspots for bed bugs. They love to burrow on the old fabric and seams.

Invest in brand new items! Trust us, it will save you from uncomfortable nights and itchy bites.

 

Consider Calling Pest Control Services

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Once bed bugs find the right habitat, they reproduce quickly. The females lay about 200 to 250 eggs in their lifetime and they are no bigger than 1 millimeter. It’s incredibly small and it will be extremely hard to find!

Minor bed bug infestations are already challenging enough to treat. For heavy infestations, it would be best to contact pest control experts.

 

Key Takeaway

Bed bug infestations are a nuisance for any household owner. This is especially true because they are most active at night.

We’ve stated these tips on how to detect bed bug infestation. However, if you’re dealing with a heavy infestation, call the pest control experts. At Topbest Philippines, we know how to detect bed bugs and offer you the most effective solutions for getting rid of them.

Click here to inquire about how we can help with your bed bug infestation today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bed Bugs

What Attracts Bed Bugs?

What are some frequently asked questions about bed bugs?

  1. What are bed bugs?  What do they look like?
  2. Where can bed bugs be found?
  3. How do I get bed bugs?
  4. Can bed bugs spread disease?
  5. How can I identify a bed bug infestation?
  6. Can *insert household item* kill bed bugs?
  7. How do I prevent a bed bug infestation?

 

Bed bugs are one of the most common pests that can be found in a person’s home. However hard it is to actually ‘find’ them, bed bugs make their existence known by their creeping presence on people’s bodies and the subsequent bug bites that come with it.

That being said, a bed bug infestation is undoubtedly frustrating to deal with because information regarding the insect isn’t exactly common knowledge. Aside from that, observing their behavior and qualities is equally frustrating because they are tiny and are only active at night. To help expand your knowledge regarding bed bugs, keep on reading because here are some frequently asked questions (and answers) about them.

 

1. What are bed bugs? What do they look like?

1. What are bed bugs? What do they look like?

Source: Wikimedia Commons

A bed bug is a very small insect that feeds on blood, with a special preference for humans. An adult bed bug is almost similar in size to a red ant or an apple seed, which is about 5-7 mm long depending on their age and if they recently acquired blood. Their colors range from red to brown with bed bugs that recently fed becoming a brighter shade of red. Their eggs are much shorter in length (about 1 mm) and are pearly white.

 

2. Where can bed bugs be found?

2. Where can bed bugs be found?

Source: Wikimedia Commons

While their name has the word ‘bed’, they do not exclusively live in your bed or mattress. They can be found hiding in other furniture as well and can sometimes be seen on your clothing after you’ve spent some time interacting with infested furniture.

In terms of location, they are most common in rental houses and hotel rooms thanks to the frequency of people from other places entering and leaving.

 

3. How do I get bed bugs?

Bed bugs do not fly because they do not have wings. The only way they travel is by crawling on surfaces and hitchhiking their way towards other places. Their main vector for travel is humans because humans are very mobile and are their main sources of nutrient-rich warm blood. Bed bugs cling on to human clothing and then get dropped off in another location when a human decides to move.

Unfortunately for you, if a bed bug infestation is apparent in your house, then one of the most probable causes of that is you. You probably came from somewhere bed bugs were present and had clung on to you until you got home.

 

4. Can bed bugs spread disease?

The short answer is no. While bed bugs carry over 25+ human pathogens, they have not been recorded nor proven to transmit diseases. The only medical concerns when it comes to bed bugs are the effects of their bites on human skin — itching, hives, and skin inflammation.

 

5. How can I identify a bed bug infestation?

5. How can I identify a bed bug infestation?

The first thing to observe if you are worried about a bed bug infestation is your own body. Do you wake up in the morning with rashes, hives, and itchy skin? If you do then check your bedding or mattress. Do you see any marks that resemble dark spots or small blood droplets? These could be bed bug droppings caused by their digestion of blood.

Try looking for the insect itself if the first two signs are present. It’s not a simple task, but there are different methods as to how you can do it.

 

6. Can *insert household item* kill bed bugs?

Alcohol (and all its common forms) does not kill bed bugs. The only household item that kills bed bugs is insecticide. Mothballs can also work, but they do not penetrate hard surfaces, which makes them ineffective against deeply-burrowed bed bugs.

 

7. How do I prevent a bed bug infestation?

7. How do I prevent a bed bug infestation?

The only way to prevent an infestation is by deterring them from getting inside your house in the first place. As much as possible, avoid buying used furniture of doubtful origins. Make sure to change your clothes before lying down on your bed or sofa if you just came home from somewhere. If you’re staying in a hotel, inspect the bed before putting your luggage and other things on it.

 

Key Takeaway

Now that you know more about bed bugs, you are better equipped to handle them should the time arise. Make no mistake, bed bugs are pesky to deal with which means if you have no experience in getting rid of them, it is generally better to call in pest control professionals to do it for you.

How to Inspect Used Furniture for Bed Bugs

How to inspect used furniture for Bed Bugs

How do you inspect used furniture for bed bugs?

  1. Have the necessary tools
  2. Use a white sheet
  3. Use a credit card
  4. Disassemble the furniture
  5. Ask the previous owners

 

Buying used furniture is a great way to obtain valuable pieces to add to your own home. But just because something looks nice on the outside doesn’t mean the inside is all the nicer, and most of the time it’s what’s on the inside is what matters. This is especially true for used furniture because if they are not well-maintained, then bed bugs can be present in and around them all the time.

Don’t undermine bed bugs just because they haven’t been observed to carry human pathogens. They are still troublesome for your skin and should be avoided at all costs. However, that doesn’t mean you have to stop buying used furniture altogether. You simply have to inspect them and eventually rid them of bed bugs if they appear to be infested. That might be hard to do at first, so to help you out, here’s how are some tips and procedures on how you can inspect used furniture.

 

Have the Necessary Tools

Have the Necessary Tools

The first crucial thing you need to remember when inspecting used furniture for bed bugs is to have the necessary tools. Things you will need include a torch or flashlight, a magnifying glass, and some white latex gloves. The flashlight is for getting the proper illumination to see the tiny pests. Given that they’re tiny (and we mean tiny, about 5 millimeters to a centimeter max), a magnifying glass is also crucial.

Meanwhile, the pair of white gloves serve two purposes. The first is for your protection because bed bugs can bite, and it might feel a bit loathsome to feel them crawling on your skin. The second reason is, again, for increased visibility. White contrasts pretty well with bed bugs that have a dark red, almost black, color. Sometimes they also appear to have an amber-like yellow tinge. It all depends on the species of bug you’re dealing with.

 

Use a White Sheet

Use a White Sheet

Now that you have the necessary tools, the next thing you need is a white sheet. This can be made out of paper, fabric or anything white that can be spread over the area underneath the furniture you are inspecting. Just like with the white latex gloves, the white sheet is there so that you don’t have a hard time visually inspecting the furniture. Just place it on top of the white sheet and conduct your investigation then.

One way of examining is by using your flashlight along with your magnifying glass to give the fabric or material of your furniture a close inspection. Bed bugs are known to live and hide in the nooks and crannies of your bed or chair, so if you’re having a hard time seeing them, try giving it a nice shake to see if some bugs fall out. They should then be almost impossible to see thanks to the white sheet.

 

Use a Credit Card

Don’t be too alarmed by this tip because you won’t be using your credit card for anything financial. The reason why you need a credit card is that you need to run it through the surface of the furniture you are inspecting. Cracks, grooves, small holes, and other tiny crevices have been known to be prime bed bug hiding spots. Using your hands for inspection might not be effective, and the good old’ shake method can be misleading because the bed bugs won’t fall out if they are inside these small spaces.

Run the credit card, or any type of card for this matter as long as it’s stiff, through the surface once or twice and then check the white sheet underneath if any have fallen. You should also be on the lookout for bed bug feces, which looks like very tiny black pellets. You can also find shed exoskeletons.

 

Disassemble the Furniture

Disassemble the Furniture

If the previously mentioned methods fail to yield anything substantial, then that could only mean two things. It’s either the furniture in question is clean (which is great news for you) or the bed bugs are proving to be difficult and are hiding in the deepest parts of the furniture (which is the worst-case scenario). Either way, it would be beneficial for you to be thorough, so the next best thing to do is to disassemble the furniture down to its basic parts, if possible.

After disassembly, apply the white sheet and credit card methods to each part to inspect it properly. The great thing about this is that you can also check the furniture’s actual physical integrity. Maybe one of the legs is damaged, or maybe there are signs of termite infestation too. All these things can potentially affect the quality of your life, so practice due diligence and be thorough.

 

Ask the Previous Owners

If you are not that motivated to do the physical labor required to inspect on your own or don’t have the time due to work or school, then a simple way to know if there are bed bugs in the furniture you bought is to ask the previous owners. Most people who sell furniture have no motivation to lie about something like that. In any case, if they do say that they noticed bed bugs, then you can go straight into applying pest control techniques.

 

Key Takeaway

Bed bugs can prove to be a nuisance to you, especially because they are most active at night. Most people get bitten while sleeping, so apart from physically inspecting used furniture you’ve bought, it might be too late when you start realizing that there are bed bugs present in your home. Always inspect used furniture, so that you’ll have a good night’s sleep all night, every night.

Pest Control 101: How to Make Sure That Your Hotel Room Is Free from Bed Bugs

Pest Control 101: How to Make Sure That Your Hotel Room Is Free from Bed Bugs

When planning for a vacation, it’s only normal for you to prepare every itinerary, such as renting a car.

As a traveler, you have made all of these extra efforts in order to ensure that your trip would be hassle-free and be as enjoyable as possible.

Unbeknownst to most travelers, even hotel rooms are not safe from pesky bugs. In fact, a few of them need the help of pest control companies and their team of pest control operators.

Among the thousands of pest there is, travelers who often book hotel rooms must be wary of possible bed bugs creeping around the areas of the hotel room.

Despite the horrifying fact that you might be attacked by sneaky little bloodsuckers at your hotel room, there’s no need to panic because you can take matters into your own hands. Here are a couple of things you should take note of to ensure you and your belongings are safe from bugs:

Position Your Belongings in a Safe Area

Where Should You Place Your Belongings?

The bathroom, specifically the bathtub, is the space that has the least possibility of bed bug infestations since it is one of the areas to be thoroughly and regularly cleaned.

After arriving at your hotel room, immediately place your luggage in the bathtub to prevent possible infestation while you still search the area.

In addition, doing so will ensure that those pesky bed bugs won’t be coming home with you and save you the trouble of having to do some pest control procedures in your own home.

 

What Signs Should You Look Out For?

If you’re lucky, you’d immediately be able to actually spot a bed bug out in the open. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, looking for bed bugs would require a rigid search.

Before anything else, it is essential that you know what you are looking for as well as the various indicators of their presence.

Here’s a tip: Bring a flashlight (the flashlight on your phone can be used too), and use it to shed some light to the dark crevices, where bed bugs might reside in. Other signs you need to be aware of are the following:

Blood Spots – These types of markings are inevitable if there are bedbugs present in the room since they puncture the skin to obtain precious human blood.

Often found in between the mattresses and sofa, these markings are significantly smaller in size.

Skin Shedding – Also called “Casts Skins;” these may be found in multiple amounts since bedbugs shed their skin 5 to 6 times.

This is an indicator that can be quite a giveaway since bedbugs shed their skin in various places.

Black Smudges – These tiny black smudges appear to be skid marks that are done by insects and could be the natural excretions of bed bugs.

Bed Bug Eggs – Aside for skin shedding and possible excretions, the last thing you should look out for are the eggs or eggshells, which have a distinct pale yellow hue and is commonly about 1mm in length.

Areas to Check

What Areas You Should Check?

Bed bugs are not limited to just the bed area and can also wreak havoc on other spaces in the hotel room.

Basically, these pests can survive in areas with temperatures as low as 7°C but die the instance the temperature heats up to 45°C.

To further elaborate, here are some specific areas around the hotel room that you should check:

Bed Area – Since the bed tends to contain the most quantity of bedbugs, it is highly possible that other nearby items are also infested with them.

Don’t just inspect the mattress, but also the other parts of the bed like the box spring, bed frame, and even the headboard. Pay attention to cracks in these areas since bed bugs could fit into a tiny crack and could begin breeding.

Sitting Area – Nowadays, most hotel rooms have a “mini living room” where you could lounge around.

Unbeknownst to most hotel guests, bed bugs can breed inside the seams of the couch and the cushions.   

Another element in a sitting area that should be checked for possible infestation is curtain folds that are often left unbothered by the previous hotel guests.

Make sure to also check the drawer joints as you inspect the storage bins since these provide the ideal temperature for breeding.

Behind Wallpapers and Wall Ornaments – To be specific, loose wallpapers are also good breeding spots for bed bugs because these are also often left undisturbed.

It is also a good idea to check the back of wall ornaments like picture frames or hanged paintings since bed bugs can easily grow in these areas.

Luggage Rack – Not many people check the luggage rack. But this should not be the case because these racks also have cracks and crevices, where bedbugs carried by previous travelers could reside in.

 

What to Do If Presence of Bed Bugs Is Confirmed?

In case you do find a bedbug—whether dead or alive—the best move to initially do is to trap it, then take a picture.

Immediately, call in for the manager or a representative of the hotel so that they can see it personally.

Also, the hotel staff can transfer you to a more suitable accommodation once you informed them.

 

Key Takeaway

Inspecting for possible bedbug infestation may be a bit difficult, but keep in mind that these extra steps will protect you from insect bites.

At the same time, your home will also be protected from bedbugs imported from your hotel room.

Finally, if you do find bedbugs in your hotel room, approach and explain the situation to the hotel management calmly.

With a calm approach, the hotel staff will for sure happily accommodate you.

Time to Wake Up: The Real Monsters under Your Bed

cat scared

We know that Halloween is a good 6 months away, but it doesn’t mean that there are no monsters under your bed. No, we’re not talking about dead people, ghosts, doppelgangers, hairy monsters with long and sharp teeth or even the Bogeyman. We’re talking about something more real and something scarier – bugs and pests.

Time to call a reliable pest control company to get rid of these pests!

 

Bed Bugs

Bedbugs are one of the worst “monsters” that may live under your bed. These are small, oval, brownish insects that feed off on its prey’s blood. Its preys include both animals and humans. Adult bedbugs have flat bodies that are as big as an apple seed, but after feeding, their bodies swell and turn reddish in color (basically because of the blood).

Although they cannot fly, bedbugs can move quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings. To make things worse for us, female bedbugs may lay hundreds of eggs over its lifetime. The bedbug eggs are as small as a speck of dust.

Bedbugs are so small that they couldn’t be easily seen. Their size can also allow them to fit anywhere undetected. Their initial hiding places are typically in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and headboards – places which are accessible for bedbugs to bite people at night when they are asleep.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are one of the scariest insects that one may imagine. It may be because of their color, or because of their hairy legs. Cockroaches do not directly inflict disease to humans upon contact. But because they are adaptable to different environments, they won’t really mind living in garbage and stools – which made them very dirty and dangerous for the health.

We in the Philippines often kill them by swatting cockroaches with slippers – but this is apparently improper because they (especially female cockroaches) may have laid their egg.

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Dust mites

The space under the bed is perhaps one of the most ignored places when cleaning. That’s why it is no surprise that dust builds up down there. But what is worse than dust are the insects residing in the dusts.

Dust mites are tiny microscopic creatures which are actually relatives of spiders and ticks. These small insects live on mattresses, beddings, upholstered furniture, carpets, and curtains (which is why you need to hire services like carpet cleaning and professional launderers from time to time). You might want to consider hiring a company like Carpet Cleaning Pros serving all of Richmond, to have a clean carpet, mattress, and even sofa. Dust mites feed on the flakes of skin that people and pets shed daily, not to mention that they can thrive in warm and humid environments.

Dust mites are not directly harmful – but because of their small size and the fact that the live in house dust, they can actually inflict dust mite allergy. Signs of dust mite allergy include sneezing and runny nose. Many people with the said allergy also experience signs of asthma, such as wheezing and difficulty in breathing. Allergies and asthma are common conditions that affect millions of people worldwide. Thanks to this oral immunotherapy (OIT) that has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for the management of allergies and asthma. Check out the potential benefits for oral immunotherapy for more info.

Sadly, no matter how clean a home is, dust mites cannot be totally eliminated. That is why it is important to call pest control for such cases.

 

Instead of calling for the nearest exorcist, why not consider calling for the nearest pest control to actually get rid of the real monsters?