If you thought that there was no solution in sight to dealing with those nasty, creepy crawly biting critters that hide in your bed at night, you can feel good knowing that the
EPA released a complete guide to getting rid of bed bugs.
The EPA has done a good job in helping the public understand the scope and the necessary measures to take to eliminate a bed bug infestation, and we’ll cover the basics here today.
Recognizing the Signs and Hiding Places of Bedbugs
First things first, it’s time to find where the bed bugs are hiding. This is easier said than done. By reducing clutter and cleaning up your home, you will get rid of places for them to hide. Cleaning under the bed is a great initial step on the road to bed bug prevention.
Next, break down and disassemble your bed, looking for the shells of bed bugs, black spots (which are bedbug feces), and brown-reddish and black splotches and stains which are a dead giveaway. As for furniture, ask yourself if you’ve bought any used furniture or picked up any antiques lately. Bed bugs often stow away in 2nd hand dressers, sofas, and mattresses.
Bed Bug Bites are Easy to Spot
Bed bugs leaves little red bites, usually in patterns, lines, or groups. If you see a pattern of several bites when you wake up in the morning on the skin which was exposed throughout the night, chances are it’s bed bugs. Flea bites usually occur near the ankles, and spider bites are pretty rare, and usually only occur with one or two bites.
Current List of EPA Approved Bed Bug Killers
The list of EPA approved bed bug killers include pyrethrins, pyrethroids, desiccants, biochemicals, pyrroles, neonicotinoids, and insect growth regulators. Each type of insecticide has its own unique method of effectiveness.
For instance, one such biochemical is cold pressed neem oil keep infestations under control. Pyrethrins are merely natural chemicals found in the chrysanthemum flower, and just like neonicotinoids, they act on the central nervous system of the bedbug itself, causing it to malfunction internally and perish. Neonicotinoids are derived from nicotine, so who’d have thought that nicotine isn’t just harmful to your health?
Dessicants are also quite effective because they are dry, powdered fossilized algae that penetrate the exoskeleton and hard shell of bed bugs and cause them to lose all internal fluids. The issue with dessicants like diatomaceous earth is that there are numerous types of the product, from food grade to swimming pool to pesticide grade.
For an effective EPA approved dessicant, visit this website for a natural bed bug killer that is both affordable, safe, and lasts forever as long as it’s kept dry.
It should be noted that bed bug foggers are not recommended by the EPA as a sole bed bug treatment, and if used should be a part of a comprehensive regimen of other solutions.
One Last Word About Bed Bug Bites
Finally, another thing to keep in mind is to determine if it’s bed bugs or dust mites. Dust mites can be harder to stop because they are invisible to the naked eye, however many of the same methods that work to stop bed bugs also work on dust mites just the same. The dust mites are not actually biting you however, just eating your dead skin and then defecating, which causes an allergic reaction in your skin.
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