8 Facts You Didn’t Know About Bedbugs



Of course, most people know the old saying; “sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!” but there are plenty of other things you might not have known about the pesky little bed bug;
 

  • They don’t just live in the bed
    The Latin name for bedbugs is Cimex lectularius, which means “bug of the bed”. Although their cute name suggests they might just reside in your mattress, bed bugs can take up residence on picture frames, walls, suitcases, plug sockets, headboards, window sills, or even the ceiling.

  • They don’t care if you are rich or clean
    Bedbugs are most definitely not associated with low income or poor housecleaning – quite literally anyone can get them. The main prerogative of the bedbug is to inhabit an area with easy access to a food source – human blood. Cleanliness doesn’t deter them at all.

  • They do not transmit disease
    Although they like to bite and create itchy sores on their victims, possibly the one good thing about bedbugs is that they don’t transmit diseases. They will keep you awake all night and cause a lot of stress, but you can at least rest assured that thy won’t pass on any horrible infections.

  • They can’t fly
    This is a huge bonus. Otherwise, the whole world would be infested with the little mites by now.

  • Bedbug bites all look different
    If you think you have a bite, rushing to look up your symptoms on the internet is probably not the best move, as everyone reacts differently to them. Sometimes they appear in a group of three (breakfast, lunch, dinner pattern), some swell into large blisters and other people have no reaction at all.

  • They aren’t like vampires
    Vampires usually only come out at night, whereas bedbugs don’t care what time of day it is. If they are hungry, they want to eat. They have a peak feeding time of between 2am and 5am, but will adapt this schedule according to the habits of the bed user.

  • Even if you can’t see them, you might have them
    This is the scary part – as bedbugs are so hard to spot and some people don’t react to bedbug bites, you might have a low-level infestation right now. It’s worth spending some time looking for the signs, or calling an expert to check for you.

  •  They HATE heat
    The number one way to get rid of bed bugs is to blast them with heat. You don’t need to throw everything away, just make sure that it is properly heat treated. Throwing your clothes in the dryer on a full heat for half an hour will kill any bugs.

 

If you would like to find out more about how mattress protectors can help you to prevent bedbugs in your home, get in touch with our experienced, knowledgeable staff by calling 020 8731 0020 or email us via the Contact Us page.
 

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