House & Home Buzz

The mere thought of bed bugs usually sends shivers down the spine and brings forth visions of dirty, unkempt rooms. In reality,  bed bugs are as comfortable in clean, well-kept environments as they are in less well cared for spaces. What most people really want to know is where they come from, whether they are dangerous to your health and how to get rid of them.

Where They Come From

Bed bugs tend to hitchhike from surface to surface and place to place (from hotel rooms to your home on luggage, for example) in search of three things: blood, warmth and carbon dioxide. Beds offer all three of the bed bug criteria for comfortable living. Warm humans with blood coursing through their veins and producing carbon dioxide with each exhale. Besides obvious bite marks after sleeping, other signs you may have bed bugs are rust-colored spots on bedding or other nearby surfaces and a sweet musty odor. You might also see the actual bugs or their exoskeletons which remain after the bugs molt. If think you have, or think you have, a bed bug infestation, an exterminator Staten Island can tell you for sure and offer assistance.

Dangers to Health

While bed bugs are annoying, they are not known to carry or spread disease or serious illnesses. Their bites can produce small, itchy red marks. Some people may experience an allergic reaction to the bites, and excessive scratching can lead to secondary skin infections.

Getting Rid of Bedbugs

You can avoid bed bugs by removing clutter like piles of clothes from floors and furniture. Regular vacuuming of floors, furniture and mattresses is also helpful, as is regularly washing curtains, bed skirts and sheets. You should consider contacting a professional exterminator as they can provide a complete inspection and employ extermination services like heat treating surfaces and applying treatments to prevent future infestations.