An outbreak of bed bugs in a care home in Northwest Arkansas is making residents nervous about bed bugs in Northwest Arkansas. You might have grown up with the childhood rhyme, “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bit” but you don’t want these foul critters in your home.

Bed bugs grasp their victims with tiny claws, sink their stylets — feeding organs — into the skin, and suck out the blood they live on. At the same time, they inject an anti-coagulant into the body of their victim so the blood will continue flowing for the five minutes they typically spend feeding.

They don’t inject poison or spread disease, but they can take so much blood that their victims end up with anemia.  Even if the infestation is not that bad,  they can keep people from sleeping  and leave them with itchy bites.

Bed bugs also create an unpleasant smell.

Where do bed bugs live?

Bed bugs like dry, warm places near a food source. That food source is the human being sleeping in the bed, and spaces under a bed, in a light socket, or behind a picture hanging above the bed will all do for living spaces.

Since a bed bug can go for a full year between feedings, you can’t expect to starve bed bugs out even if you are very vigilant about avoiding their bites. You can discourage them by avoiding clutter, especially in your bedroom, and vacuuming regularly.

How can you get rid of bed bugs?

Bed bugs were very common a century ago. Insecticides developed after World War II made them much less common, and calling a pest control company is still your best bet for getting rid of bed bugs.

Avoid using second hand mattresses and examine second-hand furniture carefully to avoid bringing them into your home in the first place. If you use a laundromat, you should also be cautious about picking them up from other people’s laundry. The heat of the dryer will kill bed bugs, so you can wash and dry your clothes and linens on high heat after you have your home treated for these insects. Then get your laundry into sealed plastic bags right away to avoid picking up any new pests.

Bed bugs are not a sign of a dirty home, but regular cleaning can keep them from settling in. Contact us to arrange for regular, through cleaning.