“Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!”
What used to be an innocent nighttime farewell now serves as a disturbing warning as bed bug infestations continue to rise with alarming frequency. While bed bugs are not known to carry or spread disease, they can cause some really bad itches and quite frankly, are just plain gross. The worst part is that getting bed bugs is easy, while getting rid of them is a monumental task.
If you’re familiar with the Simply Laundry Blog, then you know we’ve tackled the subject of bed bugs before. We’ve even got an entire section of our website dedicated to bed bugs – what they are, how they spread, and how to get rid of them.
While bed bugs are bad news no matter when they show up, it’s especially disconcerting when you have children in your home. There are measures you can take to protect your family against bed bug infestations and to immediately treat the problem once the presence of bed bugs is confirmed. Parenting.com spoke to Missy Henriksen, the vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association, and here is what she had to say:
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How do you know if you have bedbugs in your home? "Most people initially identify them because of itchy bumps — red, welt-like shapes on their arms — but not everyone is susceptible to bites."
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How can you tell if your kid's spray of red bug bites are from bedbugs? "Bed bug bites are usually in a line pattern. And they'll bite in areas where we don't normally see mosquito bites, like the trunk of your body, your back, your face, and then similar to mosquitoes, on your arms and legs."
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What should you do if you or you kid have bites and suspect bed bugs? "Look around the bed for signs of an infestation. You can see adult bed bugs [babies are harder to see because they're colorless], which look like an apple seed or a lentil. They're flat, oval, and wingless, and reach about ¼-inch when full-grown. Check around the seams of your mattress, around the boxspring and headboard, and under the dust ruffle. You're not just looking for the bugs themselves, but also 'bed bug dirt' [their fecal matter], which looks like ground black pepper, and little spots of dried blood on the sheets from when they fed at night. That being said, they may not always live around your bed; they can also live in other furniture, clothing, and hard-to-reach places, like behind wall sockets and in picture frames."
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If all signs point to an infestation, what should parents do next? "If you suspect an infestation, contact a pest management professional; bed bugs are not a DIY project. They're very difficult not just to spot, but also to treat. They can go for up to a year without feeding, and females can lay up to 400 eggs over the course of their lifetime, so just because you're not getting bitten for a while or don't see them for a few months, that doesn't mean that they're truly gone. You must treat a small infestation in order to avoid a larger one."
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What can families do to prevent getting bed bugs in the first place? "Depending on their age, you can educate your children in terms of what bedbugs look like (remind them of the apple seed comparison), and tell them to let you know if they see similar bugs at home, at a friend's house, or at school. Parents can also check with their child's school or daycare facility to learn if they have protocols in place, should they suspect an infestation. (Bed bugs are hitchhikers, and they love to travel, so if another family has them and brings infested belongings outside their home, they can spread easily.)
"Also, encourage children not to share or borrow clothes. If your kid comes home with an unfamiliar-looking garment, throw it in the washing machine on the hot wash cycle and the dryer on high heat, as bed bugs can't withstand temperatures above 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
"And families can also check things that come into their home, like school backpacks and overnight bags from sleepovers. But ultimately, the message parents should take away is to be educated and vigilant, but not paranoid. Don't cancel daily activities or vacation plans because of fears of bed bugs, but just be aware of some of the little things you can do to help protect your family."
Simply Laundry Can Help Your Family
If you suspect that your child has brought home items that might be infested with bed bugs, the best thing to do is ensure those items are thoroughly cleaned. Send your items to Simply Laundry and we’ll make sure they’re cleaned at the proper temperature to kill off bed bugs. Additionally, your clothes and bedding will come back to you sparkling clean with no effort on your part! Preventing bed bug infestations and having fresh, clean clothes and bedding without any effort – what could be better?
If you’re already a Simply Laundry customer, sign in today and place your next order! If you haven’t discovered the ultimate convenience of door-to-door dry cleaning and laundry delivery yet, why not open an account today?