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Sleep Tight; Don’t Let the Cimex Lectularius Bite

August 17, 2010

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Can you imagine a parasite that’s only a little over a half a centimeter long that is capable of consuming its body weight in human blood in five minutes? Believe it or not, there is such a parasite, and it is running rampant across the United States from coast to coast. Known commonly as the bed bug, the Cimex lectularius is a blood sucker that only feeds during the night and has been causing problems for American homes and businesses since at least the 1700s. This bug is flat and oval, has no wings and will stowaway in mattresses, bed frames and the crevices of furniture during the day, only to come out at night looking for more blood to feed upon. As an infestation grows, bed bugs will look for even more hiding places, and have been known to congregate under floor boards, behind electrical switch plates, behind pictures hanging on the walls, within pleats of curtains, in the corners of desks and dressers, beneath loose areas of wallpaper near the bed, and even inside your bedside alarm clock. How would you know if you had bed bugs infesting your home or business? There are a few tell-tale signs that bed bugs are present, and they include:

• Dark brown or reddish brown spots on bed linens, mattresses or walls near the bed

• Small red bites in lines or clusters on your body that appear during the night

• In heavily infested residences, sometimes people report a sweet smell

• Seeing the shed skins of bed bugs, their eggs or even dead bed bugs is obvious proof that bed bugs are present

If you suspect that maybe you have bed bugs, but want to be sure, there are a couple of things you can do:

First, you can use carpet tape around your bed to see if any bed bugs are present. Carpet tape is double sided, and it is designed to keep rugs and carpets firmly attached to the floor. If you place a few strips of this tape around your bed and on the sides of the mattress (in areas where they won’t get in your way as you get in and out of bed), this can catch any bed bugs that are traveling around your bed. Leaving the tape out for a few days will give you a good idea whether or not you have bed bugs present. Another way to look for bed bugs is to sleep with a flashlight. Set your alarm for about an hour before dawn, and then turn on the flashlight and watch your sheets very closely for movement. Bed bugs don’t like the light, and will dart away as soon as the light comes on. If you see lots of little bugs go running as soon as the light comes on, you have bed bugs.

Now- knowing you have bed bugs is half the battle. What to do about them once you find them is the hard part. These little bugs can be extremely difficult to get rid of. The best way to exterminates bed bugs and resolve the entire infestation is to contact a pest control professional. At McCauley Services we have the tools and the knowledge needed to locate your bed bug infestations and get rid of them completely. Our pesticides are EPA labeled and safe for use in your home or business. Do-It-Yourself treatments aren’t always fully effective at getting rid of bed bugs, and they can be dangerous to your family and employees if mixed incorrectly.  Available in Benton, Little Rock and throughout Arkansas our bed bug services are the ideal solution and ensures your home or business is bed bug free. If you suspect bed bug activity or just want the peace of mind that you can sleep tight without having to worry about bedbugs, contact us today for your first inspection. 

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