Rafiki Pest Control LTD
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
These parasitic pests are tiny, oval-shaped, brown, and live solely on human blood. They hide all day, and once a victim is deep asleep at night, that's when they appear and attack. They pierce the skin and suck blood for about 5-10 minutes until they get enough. These bites, later on, develop an itching sensation, sores, and skin irritation.
Bed bugs bite anywhere on the body as long as there is exposed skin. Different victims respond differently to these bites, and medical attention will be required in the worst cases. These bites should always be treated immediately because bed bug bites can transmit harmful diseases.
Why Do Bed Bugs Appear?
Most people must learn that maintaining top cleanliness in your office/home will not prevent bed bugs from appearing. Filth and dirt do not attract bugs, either. Because of their blood-sucking behaviour, you will mostly find them dwelling among humans. Where there is an adequate source of food, which in this case would be any human, you can expect a bed bug infestation.
These hitchhiking pests will ride for miles by attaching themselves to clothes, shoes, luggage, and second-hand items in your home. Travelling, therefore, is the primary cause of bed bug infestations. They also crawl rapidly from one room to another in multi-unit residential, public, and business buildings.
When Do Bed Bugs Come?
Bed bugs immediately begin when there is dirt, garbage, or filth to infest; these are good hiding spots. A conducive, warm environment with humans and carbon dioxide is necessary for bed bugs to attack. B bugs are an all-season indoor pest, and no weather conditions can prevent an infestation.
Bed bugs dwell almost everywhere. Once they infest your home, you will barely notice them, thanks to their small size and extraordinary hiding skills. These blood-sucking insects mainly appear at night for a blood meal from a sleeping victim. However, they don't appear at night only. If they get hungry during the daytime, they will crawl out and suck your blood.
Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?
Do you need clarification about where bed bugs come from and how they get into your home? Bed bugs will have travelled from an infested place like a friend's home or hotel or re-used upholstery to infest your office or home.
If you travel frequently, bed bugs can hitchhike home with you by attaching themselves to your bags, purses, shoes, clothes, or luggage. They can get into your home from:
- Infested motels and restaurants
- Public transport and offices
- Children's care and homes for the aged
- Hospitals and colleges
Are Bed Bugs Dangerous?
Different bodies respond differently to bed bug bites. Some people experience itchy, irritating, and ugly marks on their skin, while others may develop severe allergic reactions that need urgent medical care. Bed bugs are also responsible for spreading diseases from one person to another through bites.
Do not hesitate to call a professional pest controller to exterminate bugs as soon as you see them because, believe it or not, bed bug bites can result in severe life-threatening conditions. DIY treatment is inefficient as these insects quickly become resistant to over-the-counter and typical insecticides.
Can Bed Bugs Fly or Jump?
Bed bugs mostly lay dormant during the daytime, hiding near the bed, in bedding, and on upholstery furniture, waiting to appear at night in search of blood. They have no wings and cannot fly or jump to their victims. They instead crawl from one person or building to another. Bed bugs depend on humans to transport them for long distances back to their homes by hitchhiking on bags, luggage, clothes, or bodies.
If you have travelled recently or have welcomed visitors at your home, and you suspect bed bugs, do not waste time; call an expert exterminator immediately. This expert will inspect your home thoroughly to ascertain the case upon which the most efficient treatment will be recommended.
Where Do Bed Bugs Hide?
Whenever bed bugs are not out sucking blood, they are out hiding in their spots. While they opt to hide in tiny cracks and crevices where homeowners can hardly see them, their small size and unique ability to flatten their bodies enable them to hide in different places and go unnoticed.
- Cracks and tiny crevices in walls and wood
- Bedding folding and mattress tags.
- Between upholstery cushions.
- Behind baseboards, wall hangings, and blinds folds.
- Bags, stuffed animals, purses, and luggage
- In electronics and near the wall-ceiling joint.
What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?
Some victims do not notice bug bites when they occur. These bites can take about two weeks before showing up or being seen. A very red and itchy bump that appears to have a darkened centre and is surrounded by slightly swollen skin.
You will notice the bites on skin areas that remain exposed when someone is asleep, such as the neck, legs, shoulders, and arms. Do not confuse bed bug bites with those of fleas and mosquitoes. One exclusive characteristic of bed bug bites is that they mostly appear in straight lines or zigzags.
Are Bed Bug Bites Dangerous?
Bed bug bites are itchy and irritating. They also trigger allergies, cause asthma, and worsen the case of patients with respiratory problems. Fatal illnesses resulting from bed bug bites are uncommon, but they do occur. These bites also spread illnesses like the Chagas disease, which hinders the body's digestive system, cardiovascular function, and central nervous system activities.
Homeowners should not take bed bug infestations lightly. Controlling a small infestation is more efficient and much cheaper than waiting until it has become unmanageable. A pest control expert should be called to help with a detailed inspection to ascertain the pest infestation being treated and advise on the best ways to avoid re-infestations.
What Do Bed Bug Eggs Look Like?
A single bed bug egg is tiny, like a dust particle. Some are whitish, while others are semi-transparent. They can barely be seen without the help of a magnifying glass, and if they are stuck on a lightly coloured material, they will quickly go unnoticed.
Newly laid eggs tend to be sticky when touched and remain swarmed together. In a conducive environment for breeding, a female bug can lay thousands of eggs in a few months. These eggs remain adhered to any surface where the female lays them. Commonly, a female bed bug will place its eggs in the following areas:
- Near the bed.
- Mattress folds and bedding seams.
- Behind wall hangings and in the seams and folds of curtains and blinds.
- Upholstery furniture and near the baseboard.
- Cracks on walls and floorboards.
Which Bed Bug Spray is Most Effective?
A licensed pest control store will have the best overall and most authentic bed bug sprays and treatments that will kill them fast in all their stages, from egg to nymph and adult. We are the best pest control store in Nairobi, and we have stalked the most efficient, Eco-friendly insecticides; when applied as instructed in their labelling, they will kill even the most treatment-resistant bugs.
These sprays are odourless and will exterminate bed bugs by contact action and kill all their eggs. They have a residual action that remains for up to two weeks.
- Bedlam 200SL
- Kungunil 200SL
- Navigator 100SC
- Neocidol 600EW
- Pali 50WP
- Promax 20EC
Which Bed Bug Treatment is The Best?
There is only one sure way to control a bed bug infestation efficiently. Our experienced exterminators offer the best pest control services in Nairobi. They will service your home/office and treat it for the risky pest. They will conduct a thorough inspection to help you determine the exact type and degree of infestation, and they will walk you through the best course of treatment to ensure your home remains pest-free. These exterminators will only leave after advising you on how to keep the pest off.
