Bed bugs are nighttime insects that are extremely active and they feed mostly at night when their hosts (you, your spouse or your children) are fast asleep.
During the day, while you and your family are up and on the move, they are hiding in cracks, walls and floorboards, bookshelves, and bed frames, and even luggage from your last holiday.
Basically they can hide in anyplace that gives them simple access to humans, and even though they might be fast moving insects which can be ready to travel, they tend to stay close to their blood meals; our warm bodies and rich blood make us their main course.
The bugs bite their hosts by utilizing their sharp beaks, one to numb the spot where they intend to pierce the skin and drain human blood.
These pests are just like mosquitoes, in the sense that their saliva contains an anticoagulant as well (to stop coagulation of the blood) to make it easier as they suck up the blood.
For this reason victims of bed bug bites rarely feel the bite, and the bed bug will leave a welt in its place in return for the fresh meal.
Try to prevent infestation By using mattress covers and it creates a barrier that can prevents the bugs from climbing in and out of your bed.
Use a waterproof zippered mattress cover that is hypoallergenic.
Make sure you use a zippered cover; I cannot stress this point enough.
It should also be allergen rated for dust mites as well, the other pests that feed on us.
By placing this mattress cover over the mattress this will prevent new bugs from nesting and prevent older existing bed bugs from escaping out to feed again.
The end result will be death from starvation.
Any egg's that have been laid will hatch but will not survive to reproduce, ending the cycle.
However, you need to keep this mattress pad on for at least a year to ensure all bed bugs are dead since they can go through extended periods without food.
Vacuum Cleaning Vacuuming is one of the main ways of removing these bugs safely.
Vacuuming will not kill them; it will only help you in managing the infestation of your home.
You need to thoroughly vacuum the whole home if you even suspect there might be bed bugs inside your home, your beds, and even your clothes.
Vacuum all the mattresses inside your home, paying special attention to the beds in your children's room.
Vacuum any and all upholstered furniture in your home including your sofa, and even vacuum the curtains in every room in your house.
Use the vacuum's crevice suction tool for deep vacuuming specially for the bed frames, head boards and any and all seams and cracks in your walls and floorboards that the regular vacuum power head can't clean.
Make sure you dispose of the vacuum bag in a plastic bag that you seal and throw it outside in your trash.
Heat - Bed bug's enemy Wash your bedding and clothes in hottest water possible for at least 20 minutes, and then drying them at the hottest temperature possible.
This will help remove bed bugs safely.
Make sure you check your garments care instructions to make sure you don't damage your bedding or clothing that might have been vulnerable to the bed bugs.
There are some item that cannot be cleaned using these methods including stuffed animals, shoes, and luggage, and even books.
These three tips when done properly will help you control and help you remove bed bugs safely.
There are many online resources that provide valuable information; unfortunately there is also an abundance of misinformation available to the public on how to remove the bugs safely.