Lifestyle

Critters: Dealing With Bed Bugs and Other Unwanted Guests

Imagine you book a hotel room. You arrive, and the toilet is broken. The room stinks of urine, and other human waste and rubbish are spilling out of the bins. The wallpaper is peeling off the walls. Even if the place didn’t smell so bad, you still wouldn’t be able to get a decent night’s sleep because the springs of your mattress are poking through it and digging into your body. Not only that, but the bedding is also filthy and crawling with bed bugs.

That’s what happened to a group of ladies who booked a room at a hotel in Blackpool. The group had traveled to the popular seaside town for the BTID Pier on the Pier weekender, but when they arrived at the hotel, they found the conditions there awful. No one wants to sleep in a room in that kind of state, whether you’re at home or away. Bed bugs are particularly unwelcome. This article looks at dealing with bed bugs and any other unwanted guest that might want to share your bedding and your home with you.

poison Critters: Dealing With Bed Bugs and Other Unwanted Guests - 2

Just how on Earth do bed bugs get into there in the first place?

These sneaky little insects hide in luggage, bags, and any other items you might place on soft or upholstered surfaces. They can creep from other bug-infested areas into your property and also take a ride in on used furniture. If you have to live in a block of flats or be staying in a hotel, they can transfer throughout the building. Yuk!

They’ll also hide in mattresses, bed frames, furniture, clothes and under loose wallpaper. Their bodies are barely the thickness of a credit card, and they’re only 5 mm long, roughly, which makes them hard to spot (but easier if you keep your furniture clean). They’re yellow or brownish in colour, unless they’ve been feeding on blood (yep, that’s right, blood), in which case their bodies will turn to a reddish colour.

If you notice specks of blood on your bed linen, you may have either crushed a bed bug or, more unpleasantly, been bitten by one. Expect to feel itchy if one does bite you. Brown spots on your bed linen could be bed bug pooh.

beds bed bugs Critters: Dealing With Bed Bugs and Other Unwanted Guests - 3

How can you prevent them from striking?

Obviously, you don’t want these or any other uninvited guests in your home. There are a number of strategies you can employ to prevent these intruders and other pests from getting into your home or dealing with them if they do.

1 Avoid clutter

Quite apart from the fact that a cluttered home is bad for your mental health, the more clutter you have in your bedroom and other rooms, the easier you make it for pests to make a cosy little home for themselves. Clear out the clutter so that bugs and other nuisances have fewer places to hide, if any. If you have lots of gear and you just can’t bear the thought of parting with it, a bed with storage capacity will help you to keep your room tidy and much more clutter-free.

bedroom Critters: Dealing With Bed Bugs and Other Unwanted Guests - 4

2 Check second-hand furniture

A second-hand piece of furniture might seem like a terrific deal, but you won’t feel that way if you get it home and find it’s crawling with bed bugs. Before you hand over the cash, give the furniture a quick once-over for signs of any bugs living in them. Bed bugs, dust mites, and carpet beetles could all be inhabiting bedding, mattresses or sofas, as could fleas in the case of the sofa, whereas wooden furniture could be home to woodworm.

Look at the underside of tables and drawers and the back of headboards. Flash a light in the seams and crevices of couches and other items of furniture, where bugs and other nuisance insects like to hide. If you see any, get the vacuum cleaner out and go over the furniture outside or, better still, just don’t buy the furniture item at all.

living room Critters: Dealing With Bed Bugs and Other Unwanted Guests - 5

3 Buy bedding protection

Protectors for mattresses and pillows won’t always stop them from finding their home in your bedding, but it does deprive them of a hiding spot. Not only that, they’ll trap any bugs that are already living on the bedding. These bugs will die of starvation, eventually.

beding protection Critters: Dealing With Bed Bugs and Other Unwanted Guests - 6

What if it’s too late?

If you’ve discovered bugs or other pests in your home, they might have already set up their home, but you can still do something about it.

1 Call a pest control service

You can cut straight to the chase and call a pest control company like Saela or the local council if they offer a pest control service. They’ll deal with a variety of pests and bugs, such as bed bugs, mice, rats and wasps, and will have the know-how and the equipment to address the problem the best way possible.

Bed Bugs pest control service Critters: Dealing With Bed Bugs and Other Unwanted Guests - 7

2 Vacuum

If you suspect you have bed bugs, and even if you haven’t, vacuum all your bedding and your furniture. Don’t forget about all those nooks and crannies in the furniture. A good hoover up will remove any bugs that have successfully set up camp in your bedding or other parts of your furniture.

vaccum Critters: Dealing With Bed Bugs and Other Unwanted Guests - 8

3 Wash your bedding

This is a no-brainer. Despite hiding in the nice, warm confines of your bedding and other parts of your furniture, bed bugs can’t withstand too much heat. Pop your bedding, linen, curtains, etc. into the washing machine and turn the temperature up to 60ºC. Then dry them on the hottest setting, too. The bugs won’t be able to handle it.

washing bedding Critters: Dealing With Bed Bugs and Other Unwanted Guests - 9

4 Seal up cracks and crevices

It’s especially important to seal up any cracks or crevices that allow pests access to your property and rooms. If you’ve managed to rid your home of bugs and other unwanted residents, seal cracks and crevices as much as possible and where it is safe to do so, to stop them getting back in. This could be loose wallpaper, gaps around light sockets, piping, below doors, etc. Don’t make it easy for them to return.

home furniture Critters: Dealing With Bed Bugs and Other Unwanted Guests - 10

No one wants to sleep in a bed full of bed bugs, sit on a couch infested with them or live in a home where they’re present. It’s an inconvenience, to say the least, to have to get rid of them, so take pre-emptive measures and, if the critters do strike, attack them with the follow-up courses of action above and get back to having a clean, critter-free home.

Hala Kotb

Discover the vibrant world of lifestyle through the eyes of Hala Kotb, an experienced and inspiring lifestyle blogger and journalist with a passion for enhancing everyday experiences. With +8 years of expertise, Hala has captivated readers with their engaging content, covering a diverse range of topics that encompass travel, fashion, wellness, home décor, and more. Embark on a virtual journey with Hala as they share captivating travel tales, uncovering hidden gems, and offering insider tips for memorable adventures. From exotic destinations to off-the-beaten-path discoveries, their articles transport readers to fascinating places, inspiring wanderlust and igniting a sense of exploration. Step into the world of fashion and style with Hala Kotb as your guide. They curate inspiring looks, share fashion trends, and offer practical advice on building a versatile wardrobe. Whether it's decoding the latest runway trends or providing budget-friendly fashion tips, Hala empowers readers to express their unique style and embrace confidence in their personal fashion choices. Nurture your well-being with insights from Hala Kotb on wellness, mindfulness, and self-care. Their articles delve into topics such as fitness routines, healthy living, and mental well-being, providing practical strategies and expert advice to help readers create balanced and fulfilling lives. Transform your… More »
Back to top button

Pin It on Pinterest