Do you have bed bugs mattress? It’s not uncommon to learn that under everyone’s mattress hides parasites and bed bugs. Bed bugs are one of the most common insects in America. However it is only in the recent years that bed bugs are categorized as pests.

With increase of immigrant and travelers from different places, bed bugs thrive in hotels, restaurants, shelters, homes, apartments and motels.  No one is immune to bed bugs!

Bed Bugs Mattress – What is it?

Bed bugs mattress are tiny, brown, flattened insects that feed on an animal’s blood. There are certain types of bed bugs that have a preference for humans. The common one, classified as Cimex Lectularius, found in our beds is the insect adapted to living with humans.

Bed bugs can be mistaken for ticks in their adult stage. They do not fly like cockroaches but they are agile and can move really fast over walls, floors and other types of surfaces. What makes them a pest is that bed bugs are very resilient. They can live without food (blood) from their host for up to a year. This means these parasites can lie dormant in mattress tears or crevices, just waiting for an unsuspecting victim to arrive.

The bed bugs nocturnal behavior makes it hard for people to identify if they have one on their furniture. Eliminating them is also a problem. If people cannot see where the bed bugs are, it can be hard to determine if they were all killed when pesticide is applied.

Bed bugs are great hiders and usually come out to feed on a blood meal in the middle of the night. It is not confirmed if bed bugs are aware that their hosts are asleep when they feed. But their habits suggest that they can more or less sense if the host is in a relaxed state.

Bites From Bed Bugs Mattress

Symptoms of being bitten after sleeping in a bed bugs mattress are different from one person to another. There are people who have no reaction to bites from these bed bugs. Some experience after waking up an itchy, swelling bump on the skin where the bed bugs had their fill. Others leave inflamed welt marks on their victims.

Bed bugs feed on their hosts by piercing the human skin with long beak, which they use to suck the blood. Much like fleas and mosquitoes, their bodies become engorged in three to ten minutes without the victim noticing. Perhaps it is their patience in getting the blood meal that makes it hard for human to realize what is happening to them.

There has been no documented case of a disease passed on by bed bugs so it is dismissed by science. The extent of their damage to their hosts is limited to itchiness and swelling from their bites.

Infestation in Bed Bugs Mattress

The real problem lying on a bed bugs mattress is infestation. They can produce three generations in a year. Female bed bugs place their eggs in very secluded areas like the folds in the mattress, and deposits eggs of up to five a day. Because of this their numbers continue to grow without the human’s knowledge. Soon they spread around the house and an infestation occurs. These infestations can cause anxiety and loss of sleep.

How do you know if your bed is infested with bed bugs? Answer three simple questions to find out:

• Do you wake up to find an itchy and swelling welt on your neck, face, arms, shoulders, etc when you had none before   sleeping?

• Does your mattress have dark stains and spotting?

• Do you wake up to see small reddish brown spots on the sheets, pillowcases or walls?

If you answered, “yes” to two out of three questions above, then it is likely that you are lying in a mattress that has bed bugs.

The best way to get rid of bed bugs is to throw away your mattress.   If you opt for throwing your mattress away because it is infested with bed bugs, please be sure not to throw the mattress in your front yard or by the curb.  Bed bugs travel and your neighbors could become infested!  The best way is to put the mattress in an encasement before getting rid of it or burn it.

What makes this so challenging is that bed bugs can live in wait for a long period of time so even if you try to wash your mattress, they may resurface. Using pesticides on the bed can be dangerous for you and your pets.   So only a new mattress is the solution.

Eliminating and entire home for bed bugs can be tedious. So if you can afford it, make sure you get your home pre-treated against these parasites. Bed bugs mattress are not the only places to find bed bugs, you can find them in carpets and sofas, your best defense is prevention.

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