Good Night, Sleep Tight

by Owen Jones⁽¹⁹²⁾ Red Star

http://the-real-way.com

Well-nigh every house had bed bugs before the Second World War, which meant that many people were bitten every night and hence the popularity of that rhyme. The Baby Boomers never saw bed bugs while they were children and so were the first generation for 400 years not to experienc bed bug problems.

Fifty years on, and the bed bugs are back and some big cities are in dismal straights because the insecticide that works best on bed bugs, DDT, is prohibited in most countries in the world. This means that the situation will get worse until scientists come up with something to replace DDT.

So, how would you know if your household has fallen victim to the spread of this superbug? It is not as easy as you would think, because bed bugs are quite shy for insects. Not only that, but they shun daylight and their dark skins blend into the darkness.

The first thing is to look for bites. The bites are normally a quarter of an inch in diameter, round and pink to red, if they show up, because they do not show up on every individuals. Similarly, some feel an itch but others do not; some will get a swelling, others will not. Not just that, but some people have an immediate reaction and others suffer a delayed reaction.

There is no mixing up a bed bug bite with a mosquito bite although it can look like a flea bite. There are often five or six of these bites in a line, but not always a straight line. If you see these marks at bath time, it is time to check the bed for conclusive proof.

Pull the bed clothes back and look at the sheets and the mattress. It will be easier there because they are usually light in colour. Look for red and brown smears. The red smears are blood, where the insect has consumed too much and vomitted up a bit and the brown is faeces of consumed blood.

If you see those marks, you have got them, so now you have to get rid of them and that is not a simple task. If you rent your place tell the landlord instantly, because he might be liable for eradicating them. If you have funds, call in the exterminators. Otherwise, you have a great deal of work to do.

If you may not move out when you are debugging the house at least you can decontaminate the bed so that you may get a decent night's sleep. Remove the bedding and mattress and steam clean the bed (you can hire a steam cleaner). Then sew up any tears in the mattress and steam clean that.

Stand the legs of the bed in small bowls of oil and place the mattress and pillows in bed bug proof mattress covers. Boil the sheets and blankets and replace, but do not let them drape on the floor at night. Hang a mosquito net around your bed for further protection.. Then you need advice on cleaning the house.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is at this time concerned with Bed Bugs Treatment. If you want to know more, visit our website now at Pest Management at Home.

Article submitted Monday, November 07, 2011 & read 119 times.

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» left by Christofer French (191 days 12 hours ago.)

Your articles are so much fun and informative and down to the basics and the real. They just work! I love them.
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» left by Owen Jones⁽¹⁹²⁾ (191 days 10 hours ago.)
Thanks again, Christofer, we seem to be of like mind.

Regards,

Owen
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