"Don't let the bed bugs bite!" is a popular night time phrase that some people joke about when wishing people a good night's sleep. However, it's no joking matter when it comes to some households that have real bed bug infestations. These bugs have been known to feed on people's blood during the night time, causing itchy and irritated skin problems by morning. They disrupt sleep and cause an overall major problem for the residents of the infested home.

Bed bugs can infest household bedrooms or other furniture and become a major problem. National Geographic reported that a person can be bit up to 500 times while asleep! People with bedbug problems in their homes, will wake up complaining of bites and rashes. So what can be done about these annoying pests that invade your home? Commonly people try to find a way to exterminate these pests on their own, but end up using hazardous, toxic chemicals to do so.

On this webpage you'll learn some other ways and methods for how to get rid of bed bugs in your home.

Bed bugs are very small making them hard to see when they've infested a mattress or nearby area. They are about 1/4 inch in length at their largest. They've got reddish-brown flat, oval-shaped bodies and are wingless. Since they have no wings, these bugs don't fly. Bed bugs crawl around and mostly are in action during the night, when they sneak out to suck on blood. They generally stay in mattresses, sofas, and other furniture.

In the picture displayed here you can see what an infestation of bed bugs on a boxspring mattress looks like.

Bedbug bites are the biggest health problem these pests bring with them.  The bites can cause itching and burning on people's skin, requiring treatment by corticosteroids like hydrocortisone.  A natural remedy also exists where people apply hot water (hot enough for minor discomfort) to the bite to sooth the itching and inflammation. 

There have been no notable cases of bed bugs transmitting disease, although they possess the prerequisites to do so.  Heaptitis B or Chagas disease are two diseases they may be able to transmit in the appropriate settings.  Bedbugs can also cause anemia or anaphylactic shock in some rare cases.  Therefore, it's important to treat any bacterial infections that may occur.

So where do bed bugs come from and what causes them?  Bedbugs weren't as much of a problem over 60 years ago when DDT was used to kill insects. That DDT pesticide used to control pests virtually wiped out all traces of bedbugs in the US. However, they've made their return, thanks to increasing world travel, where the bugs find their way to people's homes by traveling on luggage or clothing worn during travel. Bedbugs aren't limited to particular dwelling places either, as they've been found in apartments, condos, hotels and school dorms.

So if you're wondering how to get rid of bed bugs, there's several ways used. These involve the use of pesticides, isolation of their food source, domestic treatment (sanitization), and the use of a special neem oil.

Pesticides have once again become a popular way to deal with and eliminate bedbug problems. Residual sprays that are used to kill common pests also seemed to result in the killing of bedbugs as well. There's been increases in pest control business to eliminate bedbug problems. It's recommended that you contact a pest control center to have them come do the job, rather than trying it yourself. Spraying various chemicals around your sleeping areas can be hazardous to the health of you and your pets that may sleep in the area.

Isolating the source of bedbugs' food can help eliminate the problem. For example, if the bed is their suspected dwelling place, then removing the bed from the room will help stop the bedbugs as their food source (humans) has moved away. It's also recommended to put the bed legs in a tin can, with the bottom of the can coated with petroleum jelly. Or using a double-sided tape such as carpet tape applied around the bed legs will also help prevent the bugs from moving to their hiding places.

There are also bed bug dogs specifically trained to locate bedbugs, since their infestations can be difficult to find. The dogs will sniff out the suspected areas to find infestations so they can be pinpointed and dealt with properly.

Other recommended steps include washing all of the infested items in hot water, and then vacuuming the mattress as well as the specific areas in your home.  Consider washing and using dry cleaning on the suspected items related to the bedbugs' home including bedspreads, sheets, pillow covers, rugs and clothing.  Then call in the professionals to use safe chemicals to spray around and eliminate your bedbug problem.

So what is the best way to get rid of bed bugs? Getting rid of the infested items may be the smartest first plan of action. As mentioned, bed bugs hide in the mattress, sofas or other furniture, but may also be present in other things near the area such as clothing, towels, etc. If you can afford to, you may have to replace the infested item by buying a new one. If the problem continues from there, call the pest control specialists to come take a look and appropriately eliminate your bedbug infestations from your home. With these methods you'll be free of bedbugs and able to enjoy a peaceful night's sleep once again!