What Are Bed Bugs and How to Get Rid of Them

Unfortunately, bed bugs are a fact of human life. The little buggers populate the globe and can be difficult to detect and exterminate.

In this article, the pest control experts at Cal-Rid Exterminators give you the facts about bed bugs and provide some strategies for dealing with these pests.

What is a bed bug?
Bed bugs are insects ranging from one to seven millimetres in length that feed on human blood. They generally bite at night when a person is sleeping and feed every five to seven days. The rest of the time, they hide out in dark, concealed locations near their host.

Where do they hide?
Bed bugs usually hide in mattresses, box springs, bed frames and headboards. However, over time they spread to other areas of the bedroom like walls, furniture, picture frames and electronics.

How do they migrate?
While bed bugs can migrate between rooms and units through wiring, they primarily hitchhike their way into people’s homes on luggage, clothing and other personal items. However, you can rest assured that they neither live nor travel on their hosts.

What are the effects of bed beg bites?
Bites can cause rashes and itchiness lasting several days. Other symptoms include tiredness and fever. Infestations can also cause anxiety, stress and insomnia.

How are bed bugs detected?
Visible bites are often the first sign of an infestation. Although some people don’t react to them, bites typically appear as a row of three small red dots (bed bugs generally bite three times), and in some cases can manifest as larger rashes.

People tend to dismiss these as caused by mosquitoes, skin problems or allergic reactions, which is why you should periodically check for bed bugs. While they’re tiny, close inspection can reveal their presence. Inspect the seams in your pillow cases and bed sheets and look for blood stains or signs of bed bug excrements. These will appear as dark brown or rusty spots on your bedding.

How are they exterminated?

If you have a bed bug infestation, you’ll need to call in pest control experts. They’ll use a variety of extermination strategies. These include non-chemical methods like heat treatment and mattress encasement as well as home-safe pesticide dusts and crack and crevice injections.

Exterminators in Calgary

If you’re having an issue with bed bugs, call the pest control experts at Cal-Rid Exterminators without delay. Insect and bed bug extermination is what we do best. We’ve been providing pest control services to Calgary residents for nearly 60 years. Contact us today for more information