How to know if you have bed bugs
Bed bugs are everywhere, although they have been nearly exterminated during the 1950's and 1960's because of the widespread use of DDT. Bed bugs are coming back and it seems nothing can stop them now, yet, since the banning of DDT.
You may say that you regularly clean your household and there is no way that bed bugs could possibly invade your home. Wrong. Having bed bugs at home does not mean that your home is filthy. Both clean and unclean house can be infested with bed bugs. So, how would you know if you have bed bugs?
Many people do not know if they have bed bugs. They don't even know what bed bugs look like. Unlike cockroaches that flies and walks shamelessly, bed bugs are 'shy' insects. They crawl out from their hiding only when you are asleep at night. Bed bugs will crawl back from its home once you move from your position.
Before you stress yourself in knowing how to kill bed bugs by yourself, try to answer first the basic question of how to know if you have bed bugs. After that, it's killing time.
-- How to know if you have bed bugs - Fact 1:
Know thy bug.
Would you know if it is a bed bug if you see one? Of course, the answer is no. Few people these days have seen a crawling bed bug unless he is living in a bed bug infested house. Even in hotels and motels, the bed bugs haven, you won't see one crawling at your bed towards your shoulders. As mentioned earlier, bed bugs are shy. And it won't go after you to withdraw blood from your skin even if it is hungry if you are moving.
** Description of bed bugs
Bed bugs can be seen by the naked eye. Forget what your grandfather had told you that they are so small that no person can actually see them. The only reason why only a few people can see bed bugs is that bed bugs are nocturnal insects and can rarely be seen walking in daylight. They are as small as appleseeds (which means they can be seen), reddish brown in color, oval shaped, flat and wingless. The distinctive characteristic of bed bugs is its oval-flat shape. Most bugs are rounded at the top.
-- How to know if you have bed bugs - Fact 2:
Know how they behave.
Bed bugs are nocturnals. They feed during the night, and are most active when dawn breaks.
Bed bugs have this offensive, sweet-like, musty scent. You can smell this odor in a room or area that has bed bugs infestation. This is one of the best answers to question how to know if you have bed bugs.
Bed bugs want to be near to their hosts. So, to know if you have bed bugs, check out the area where people usually stays. The bedroom, living room, and sometimes the dining room are the usual hiding places of bed bugs.
-- How to know if you have bed bugs - Fact 3:
Catch them if you can.
** So the first thing to do if you suspected that the place have bed bugs, check the undercover of your mattress and edge lining under your bed. You would know that you have bed bugs if you will see reddish brown stains on these area and some shed insect skins. The reddish brown stain is bed bugs dried excrement.
If a female bed bug had lain eggs, you will see some white nymphs there. There is no need to ask how to know if you have bed bugs if you see excrement stains and shed skins.
** To know if you have bed bugs and you want to catch them, try to wake up in the middle of the night. Try to be still, though it is okay to breathe.
If you have bed bugs infestation you will see one or two bed bugs crawling towards you. Try to move a bit, and you will see that a bed bug will back away. After that, keep still. It will move back to you. Then try to move again without killing it. It will go back to its hiding place. There, you got your bed bug.
