Under everyone’s mattress hide parasites. Bed bugs are one of the most common insects in North America. However, it is only in the recent years that bed bugs are categorized as pests. With the increase of travelers from different places, bed bugs have begun to thrive in hotels, restaurants, shelters, homes, apartments and motels.
What are bed bugs? They are tiny, brown, flattened insects that feed on an animal’s blood. There are certain types of bed bugs that have a preference for humans. The common one found in our homes, classified as Cimex lectularius, is an insect adapted to living with humans.
Bed bugs can be mistaken for ticks in their adult stage. They do not fly like cockroaches but they are agile and can move very quickly over walls, floors and other types of surfaces. What makes them a pest is their resilience. They can live without food (blood) from their host for up to a year. This means these parasites can lie dormant, just waiting for an unsuspecting victim to arrive.
The bed bug’s nocturnal behavior makes it hard for people to identify if they have one on their furniture. Eliminating them is also a problem. If people cannot see where the bed bugs are, it can be hard to determine if they are all killed when pesticides are applied.
Bed bugs are great hiders and usually come out to feed on a blood meal in the middle of the night. Although it is not confirmed if bed bugs are aware that their hosts are asleep when they feed, their habits suggest that they can more or less sense if the host is in a relaxed state.
Symptoms of being bitten by bed bugs are different from one person to another. There are people who have no reaction to bites from these creatures. Some experience an itchy, swelling bump on the skin where the bed bugs had their fill. Others leave inflamed welt marks on their victims.
Bed bugs feed on their hosts by piercing the human skin with their long beak, which they use to suck the blood. Much like fleas and mosquitoes, their bodies become engorged in three to ten minutes without the victim noticing. Perhaps it is their patience in getting the blood meal that makes it hard for humans to realize what is happening to them
The real problem with bed bugs is infestation. They can produce three generations in a year. Female bed bugs place their eggs in very secluded areas like the folds in the mattress, and deposits eggs at a rate of up to five a day. Because of this, their numbers continue to grow without the human’s knowledge. Soon they spread around the house and an infestation occurs. These infestations can cause anxiety and loss of sleep.
How do you know if your bed is infested with bed bugs? Answer three simple questions to find out:
· Do you wake up to find an itchy and swelling welt on your neck, face, arms, shoulders, etc when you had none before sleeping?
· Does your mattress have dark stains and spotting?
· Do you wake up to see small reddish brown spots on the sheets, pillowcases or walls?
If you answered, “yes” to two out of three questions above, then it is likely that you are lying in a mattress full of bed bugs.
One way to get rid of them is to throw away your mattress and spray your home to kill any live bedbugs that do not live on your mattress and any others as they hatch. Using pesticides on the bed and around your house can be dangerous for the owner. That is why we recommend that you use Kleen-Free.
Eliminating an entire home of bed bugs can be tedious. It requires patience and determination. That is why we have Kleen-Free in concentrated formula.
How to Use Kleen Free?
KLEEN FREE can be used to control many forms of insects that may be causing you problems with infestation. The main advantage of this product over the other toxic pesticides that are sold is that you can safely repeat applications until you kill all the bugs without harm to yourself, your children, your pets or the environment since Kleen-Free products are all-natural, eco-friendly and they work on contact. Just be sure to get to all the bugs because they hide well!! Kleen Free is not an insecticide or pesticide.
Mixing from KLEEN-FREE CONCENTRATE: In all situations and applications it is best to mix the KLEEN-FREE CONCENTRATE at a ratio of 6 parts water to 1 part KLEEN-FREE CONCENTRATE. After a week of application you can dilute it to and 8 to 1 ratio. In all applications these products are 100% safe and non-toxic. The product will irritate your eyes, so wear eye protection and be careful not to get any in your eyes!