Bed bugs are small, 4-5mm reddish insects that feed on blood. In Spain they had ceased to be a problem but have reappeared due to climate change, so much so that it is one of the most widespread pests on the Peninsula. Shelters, hotels, hospitals or nursing homes are some of the places where the incidence of bed bugs has increased. In another article we talked about how to get rid of fleas, today about other insects, bed bugs.
Bed bugs can last more than a year without eating.
If the temperature conditions are not extreme, these bugs are very resistant to hunger and also to temperature. In other countries bed bugs have been found in camps or places that have been unoccupied for more than 1 year, the bed bugs had no food and many of them had survived.
These insects were practically eradicated in Spain, however, since 2014 they began to spread in our country. They arrived hidden in suitcases and merchandise from other countries.
How do you know if you have bed bugs?
Conventional insecticides are not worth it, since they will disperse some adults but not the eggs. Taking into account these insects lay between 200-500 eggs, eradicating them is not an easy task. There are some remedies that can be effective in eliminating them:
A powerful vacuum cleaner can be an ally to eliminate bed bugs. Use some colored electrical tape to divide the bed into three or four sections. Make a drawing or sketch and see marking the areas where you have passed the vacuum cleaner. In this way it will be easier for you not to leave areas without reviewing. Use the vacuum cleaner in all corners of the mattress, do not leave an inch without checking. This way you can even remove the eggs.
One of the most effective techniques that professional companies often use. These insects die when exposed to temperatures above 60 degrees. Water vapor is an effective method to eliminate bedbugs and eggs, it is also ecological. Steam can also penetrate small cracks where these insects hide. If you have a steam cleaner at home without hesitation, use it to finish them off! Wash the bedding in the washing machine on a very hot 90 degree program, this will help you eliminate them if any are still between the sheets.
From steam to cold. These insects can also be eliminated with the cold but it is more difficult, since they need to be at temperatures of -17 ° C for at least two hours. This can be used for small objects that once washed can be placed in a freezer, such as cushions or sheets. The mattress cannot be disinfected with this method, if you take it outside with -17 degrees it will freeze, in the end it is worth using other methods.
Have the steps to eliminate bed bugs been useful to you?
