Bed bugs
The adult bed bug is a reddish color. It has a flattened oval-shaped body that looks like an apple seed when unfed. After it bites its victim, its body swells considerably. The bed bug is not very agile; it does not fly nor jump, and moves slowly. Its length varies between 5 and 8 mm; consequently, it is visible to the naked eye. The nymph is identical to the adult, but of a much smaller size.
A bed bug feeds on human blood at night whereas, during the day, it hides in box springs, on mattresses’ seams, behind night tables and headboards, inside frames, in the drawers of dressers, in curtains, in electrical outlets, in baseboards (crevices), etc. Anything that is near the bed may be a potential hiding place. A bed bug must feed every 3 to 7 days and it detects humans through warmth, vibrations and the carbon dioxide we emit. The female bed bug, which is rounder than its male counterpart that is more elongated, lays about 2 to 5 eggs each day for a total of 250 to 500 eggs over a lifetime. The eggs are tiny and of an almost translucent whitish color; they are one millimeter long and will hatch in 10 to 14 days. An interesting fact: the lifetime of a bed bug is 4 to 6 months if it feeds without problem, but it may live up to a year, if it’s unable to feed itself, because it then goes into a state of hibernation.
- Bedbug excrement on mattresses, box springs, headboards.
- Blood stains on the sheets, blankets and pillowcases.
- Bites on the body of people when they wake up.
- Presence of molting skin (bed bugs shed skins, like a snake) near the bed.
- Presence of unidentified insects . (bedbugs)
- Furniture picked up in the street.
- Neighborhood.
- Misfortune in public places: taxi, cinema, subway, bus, hotel rooms, etc.
- Purchase of second-hand furniture and clothing.
- Empty closets, dressers, nightstands and any furniture in every bed rooms.
- Wash all linen and all clothes in hot water and heat dry for 30 minutes minimum.
- Place clothes in sealed plastic bags. (after washing them)
- Clean the bedrooms and the living room to make them clean and tidy.
- Clear a space along the walls and give easy access to bedrooms and living room to the technician. Do not put anything on couches and mattresses.
- Vacuum or pass a steam machine every 7 days on the floor, the carpet, the mattress’ seams, the box spring, couch’ seams and between cushions. Carefully seal the vacuum after use or throw out the used vacuum bag.
- Healthy people must leave the premises for 4 hours.
- Children aged 5 years or less must be kept away from the premises for 8 hours.
- People with breathing problems must leave the premises for 8 hours.
- Animals must be kept away from the premises for 8 hours.
- Pregnant women must leave the premises for 12 hours.
- Clothes must absolutely stay in the plastic bags.
- Emptied furniture must remain so until the complete extermination of the bed bugs.
- Do not wash baseboards with a mop.
- It is possible to wash the floor, but leave an unwashed 6-inch space from the baseboard.
- Your collaboration is critical for the success of the treatment.