Are There Any Ways In Which Residents Can Prevent Their Homes From Becoming Infested With Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are the most common home-infesting parasitic insects in the US, and they feed primarily on blood, mainly human blood. Falling victim to a bed bug infestation can be costly, embarrassing, and harmful to mental and physical health. Bed bug infestation rates skyrocketed shortly after the turn of the millenium, and although infestations can be effectively eradicated with modern integrated pest management tactics, infestation rates continue to climb with each passing year. Professional pest control intervention is a must after finding bed bugs within a home, but according to a telephone survey carried out by researchers at the University of Arizona, many residents attempt to remedy bed bug infestations on their own, with poor results.
According to the survey’s results, the two most common bed bug control products used by residents are total release foggers (bug bombs) and aerosol sprays, both of which are vastly inadequate for eliminating bed bug infestations. A surprising 9 percent of respondents claimed to have used gasoline as a chemical means of bed bug eradication. It has been said that gasoline kills bed bugs on contact, which has led many residents to pour the highly flammable fluid onto infested beds and furniture, sometimes with disastrous results. Although bed bugs are prevalent in public spaces, and are difficult to notice, there are plenty of ways in which residents can minimize their chances of falling victim to a bed bug infestation within their home.
Since bed bugs are now abundant in the US, residents should avoid bringing used furniture into their home, as furniture is the second most common bed bug harborage site after mattresses. When out and about in public, it may be wise to avoid sitting on upholstered seats where bed bugs are most often acquired before they are brought into homes. Laundering bedding regularly will kill all bed bugs present, and frequent laundering may kill bed bugs before they proliferate and spread throughout a home. If indoor fabric is already found to be infested, a 30 minute dryer cycle will kill all bed bugs, and if the infested fabric should not be dried with high heat, then placing the infested item in the freezer for one week will kill the pests.
Have you ever found bed bugs in your home that you had successfully eliminated on your own?
