Is There a Vampire Lurking in Your Bed?
Ok, vampire might be a slight exaggeration, but there could very well be a blood-sucking parasite that goes by another name – bed bugs!
Bed bugs are tiny creatures, visible to the naked eye, but quite tiny, that feed off the blood of warm-blooded animals (with humans serving as ideal hosts). They earned their name due to their preference for living, feeding and breeding in areas such as couches, soft furnishings, and of course, bed mattresses. While tiny in stature, they pack quite the bite – literally.
What Is a Bed Bug?
Cimex lectularius, better known as the common bed bug, is a small insect about the size of a grain of rice. They abhor sunlight and feed mainly in the hours right before sunrise, but will take an opportunity to feed at anytime if it presents itself. They feed on blood and look for warm-blooded animals (humans are particularly desirable) to provide said blood. While the average lifespan of a bed bug is roughly nine months, they reproduce at a rapid rate, with each female laying up to five eggs a day and 500 in her lifetime.
Identifying a Bed Bug Bite
The good news is, if you are bitten by a bed bug, you most likely won’t feel it. The bad news is, a particularly bad infestation can cause you to be bitten up to 500 times. While painless when occurring, the bite can become quite itchy within several days and be quite a discomfort. Due to the delay between the initial bite and a person realizing they have been bitten, most people won’t even be aware they have a bed bug problem until the bed bug population in their home has grown out of control. The bite itself will be small, resembling other insect bites such as mosquitos or fleas. Fortunately, unlike other insects, bed bugs are not known to transmit disease and are more of an inconvenience than anything else.
Getting Rid of Bed Bugs
Much like an annoying ex, bed bugs are almost impossible to get rid of. If your home has been infested by bed bugs, your best move is to call in a professional. Bed bugs can be killed at high temperatures and will also be eliminated through dry cleaning. Send your clothes to a professional dry cleaning and laundry service, such as Simply Laundry, to ensure your clothes are properly rid of the parasites.
If you think you have a bed bug problem, call a professional. If you know you do, visit Simply Laundry at www.simply-laundry.com to have your clothes picked up right from your door, professionally and thoroughly cleaned, and returned right back to your door in Toronto. With Simply Laundry’s expert and professional dry cleaning and laundry service, you can ensure you don’t let the bed bugs bite!
For more information on bed bugs, check out this informative (and highly terrifying!) video from National Geographic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfKCcSPCOQo