Baby Bed Bugs are also nymphs; until you avoid them, they will make everyone’s life hell! And it is tough to get rid of bed bugs once your home is infested.
As they survive feeding, having bed bugs is terrible news for any household. Once spread out, you will find them inside the sofa, the mattress, behind the headboards, and in many places with regular human contact.
They are the worst bugs you would ever face for obvious reasons. So, in this piece, I’ll explain why you have them, what they mean, and how to persuade you to ignore them.
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Signs of Young Bed Bugs
How do you know if a Baby Bed, Bugs, or something else bites you? I’m not talking about other insects, but if you notice the following signs, I’m sure your house is already infested with bed bugs:
- Red and itchy spots on the body. The middle of the dots is where the bug bit you and will be slightly darker. Sometimes there may also be a group of spots on a small skin area.
- There will be minor bloodstains on your sheet that need to be shredded.
- Dark but tiny stains of stool may appear next to bedding, mattresses, carpets, and other upholstered surfaces.
Bedbugs’ Favorite Living Spots
Insects that crawl flat on the skin can hide in tight areas. Furthermore, they mainly look for blood at night! Therefore, it is challenging to locate and avoid them.
Favorite bed bug shelter sites for babies and adults are equivalent. In your home or bedroom, you will find them, including eggs and nymphs, in the following places:
- They prefer to measure inside the cracks in the mattress (their favorite place!), Under furniture, box springs, etc.
- Bed frame areas.
- Sheets, between sofa cushions and blankets.
- Inside the laundry room.
- You can find them under the wallpaper that is peeling off.
- Behind baseboards, headboards, and frames.
- They also live inside cracks in the floor or electrical devices.
- Suitcases or those kinds of luggage items.
- In the seam where the ceiling and, therefore, the wallpaper meet.
They prefer areas where humans usually sleep or sit. And that they identify the human by his body odor, head, and even by the emission of CO2.
The bad news is that they grow exponentially. An adult bed bug lays around 500 eggs (usually 1 or 2 eggs per day) during its life, and it only takes two weeks for the eggs to hatch.
They have to drink blood to measure as soon as they are born. So, bed bugs also bite.
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Identifying Bed Bugs
So what do baby bed bugs look like to the human eye? A ripe one looks like a dark brown or red apple seed. But nymphs look more a whitish-yellow. Unlike mosquitoes, they are larger and easier to spot.
The little ones look like adult insects and are easily identifiable to the human eye. Regardless of their size, you will quickly identify them even with the watch.
In addition to identifying them with the naked eye, you will locate their existence by observing the stains on the mattress.
There may be a checklist to detect them:
- The color is reddish-brown or brown. It is not dark or black. Nymphs especially have a reddish-brown color.
- It is usually ¼ inch long.
- They are generally flat and rounded in shape—Shortt or spherical, at the least.
- They do not fly or jump, ONLY crawl.
Both baby and adult bed bugs bite with their straw-like antennae. Every time the little insects molt (5 times total), they get bigger. But the baby also bites and lives on blood.
Some people find it challenging to identify insects because their nymphs also appear as the later insects:
- Ticks
- Booklice.
- Mites.
- Lice
- Spider beetles.
- Cockroach nymphs.
- Carpet beetles.
Before eradicating them and taking preventive measures, it is essential to detect them to take appropriate measures properly.
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For more details on bed bugs, read this:
Where Do Nymphs Or Adult Bed Bugs Come From?
You can assume they are available at hotels, motels, or a friend’s house. But the list is extremely long! And you must understand these sources to require better preventive measures.
Both adult and juvenile bed bugs can enter your home from the following sources:
- Taxis (yes, from Uber or Lyft, too!), Buses, planes, cruise ships, and trains.
- Office and federal buildings.
- School, college and universities, dormitories.
- Outdoor campsites.
- Residences and nurseries.
- Police stations, libraries, and theaters.
- Fire stations and town halls.
- And yes, from your friend’s house!
So how do they invade your home from those places? Well, these errors are also known as hitchhiking errors. They will hitch from anywhere to anywhere at any time.
If you spend a night in a motel or hotel without inspecting the beds and other linens for minor bed bugs, they will invade your home once you return.
The same applies to public transportation or visiting nursing homes and daycare centers.
Visitors can also bring those insects into your home without knowing it. They will get it from their homes or through transportation.
It would be best if you washed their bedding immediately once they are gone. Wash those bedding at the most suitable temperature to make sure they kill safely.
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Where Do Bed Bugs Lay Eggs?
They need safe places like mattresses and furniture to get eggs. Those places should also have quick access to your feed (YOU).
So security and direct access determine those locations. But exactly where do bed bugs lay their eggs?
It is essential to understand this before taking action to urge them to ignore them. I will be able to list some of those places to help you.
They are very demanding and careful to settle in those places. You won’t just find bed bug eggs everywhere!
Once the spot is finished, the female bed bug can lay 1 to 12 eggs daily. Those eggs will hatch in 1 to 2 weeks and turn into baby bed bugs!
First, I’ll be able to list the common points they like. So, I will be able to explain whether or not they can live eggs in humans, in hair, and in other sports.
- Bed base
Many of us will check our mattresses first, but you must look inside the box first.
The inner box spring is safer than the mattress,s and they use it because it is the perfect hiding place between meals.
As you go through those errors inside the box spring, you would like to be thorough about it. Look for them everywhere on the box spring’s interior, sides, top, and bottom.
- Under The Mattress
They hide under the mattress, but you check your bed thoroughly. That’s because they will use crevices or hiding places in the mattress for shelter.
Of course, you would like to lift your mattress to search for beggar bed bug eggs. Your bed is his favorite place. So, they consider the bottom of the mattress as a sweet spot to get their eggs.
You will find her eggs around the bed frame along with the mattress. So, take a look at those places too.
- Inside the cracks or crevices
The interior point of the cracks within the walls provides a perfect condition for obtaining bed bug eggs – safe and quick access to you.
You’re mistaken if you think they have soft fabrics or other soft materials to get their eggs; that is why they only like to be inside your clothes or bed frame.
Even the most minor cracks behind the furniture or a small gap inside the wall provide them with everything they have. Those spots ensure that your eggs are not disturbed.
In addition to guaranteeing secluded places, these areas also ensure close and direct contact with humans for their blood-feeding.
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Bedroom Furniture
Just because they are called bed bugs does not mean that it is the only place where they lay their eggs. It will be wrong to assume that they lay their eggs in and around your bed.
They can also lay eggs in and around other furniture where they won’t be easily disturbed. I mean your nightstand, dresser, and another table.
They have tight spaces for laying eggs, and people’s furniture provides dark spots for bed bugs, and they find those spots relatively quiet.
Behind window/door curtains
Since curtains can provide dark spots, beggars can also lay their eggs behind curtains. Being secluded, these places are beautiful to bed bugs.
Yes, the food source becomes remote if they live behind the curtains, but they like it because of the privacy and security those areas provide.
Also, do not forget that the soft fabrics of the curtains make them a perfect place to lay eggs. Nymphs should be comfortable there too!
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Inside Electrical outlets
Of course, this is often not the most obvious place where people will look for bed bug eggs. But bed bugs can choose this place if such electrical sockets are not used for a long time.
Remember, they only need an area where they won’t be disturbed; if they can’t find anything, they will pick those spots.
Bed bugs are not electrocuted, and their eggs will not be harmed either!
Other Places
So far, I’ve even talked about some prominent places to look, but don’t limit yourself to those areas. They will lay their eggs anywhere!
They choose their places based on two criteria. One, humans and pets cannot disturb or damage that place. Two is to be closer to humans to ensure you have endless food sources.
Once you discover where bed bugs lay eggs in your bedroom or home, you will be half your thanks for avoiding them.
When removing bed bugs, people often make mistakes in identifying the areas where bed bug eggs are usually found. Therefore, reinfestation becomes a matter of time.
But I think you won’t make an equivalent mistake since I’ve revealed all those hiding places, right?
The Bed Bug Nymph Growth Cycle
Juvenile bed bugs are nymphs and reach this stage as soon as they emerge from the eggs. Here the life cycle of bed bugs can be a great guide.
A few things determine whether these nymphs can turn into adult bed bugs. These are the two most prominent factors:
Ideal Temperature Nymphs bloom at temperature. They cannot grow if the temperature is below 55 degrees or above 100 degrees F. That is your perfect growing environment.
So whatever temperature feels good to you is also suitable for them.
- Reliable Food Source
Although adult bed bugs feed every 3 to 5 days, they will live for a long time without eating any food. But nymphs must erode at least once a week to survive and develop.
Under ideal conditions of life, they will live between 6 and 12 months.
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Implications of Bites From Bedbugs
Apart from some allergies, the bites of these insects do not have serious physical consequences. Babies suffer the most from these bites (actually, punctures). Add, unlike adults.
Babies suffer the most because they cannot move their bodies like adults. They can’t even tell adults what is bothering them!
So if these insects bite you, think that your baby is the one who suffers the most. Apply the subsequent treatment to reduce discomfort:
- Apply antiseptic cream to stop an allergy.
- If the bites look irritated, he will apply an ice pack.
- Use soap and water to wash the bitten area of the body.
The above treatment should be done immediately before it worsens. The bitten area is itchy, but scratching will cause fluid-filled scars or swelling.
You should consult your doctor if:
- The size of the bite grows more and more.
- The baby has trouble breathing or has a severe fever.
- The edges don’t go away for weeks.
How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs Guaranteed- 4 Easy Steps
How To Get Rid of Baby Bed Bugs?
Oh boy! the effort to eliminate them is overwhelming. It requires a thorough and thorough cleaning of your entire home. But if you know how to get the weevil out of your house, you already know some techniques!
The good news is that both intense heat and cold kill them momentarily!
I’ll tell you exactly when to call a pest control professional later in this article, except, for now, follow the tips below to urge them to skip:
Identify All Infested Areas
Follow the identification guide mentioned above. You will use a flashlight and magnifying glass to spot them easily.
Gather Them!
It isn’t easy to urge to ignore them point by point. Instead, it would be best if you tried to move them to a place where bypassing them will be easier.
So, start by learning about any clutter.
They won’t be ready to hide under the stains and move to a replacement location. And eventually, you will gather them in one place to urge, efficiently bypassing them.
Regular Vacuum Cleaning
It’s my personal favorite thanks for containing and skipping them! Vacuuming can also remove fleas from your mattress!
Pay particular attention when vacuuming cracks around the bed frame, box spring, or mattress. Also, confirm to run the vacuum on your dresser, rugs, bed, televisions, etc.
Focus on the crack in the floor or carpet and other places where they will also hide.
The vacuum cleaner won’t kill them.
So once you’re done vacuuming, empty the contents of the vacuum so it can’t come out again.
I usually use a bag to seal the contents of the vacuum cleaner and throw it away. Then I clean my vacuum cleaner thoroughly.
Wash and dry at a high temperature
Washing insect-infested clothes in cold water or at average temperature will not kill them. Any temperature above 122 ° F will kill them.
Therefore, use situations such as temperature and detergent to scrub all your clothes and bedding. Then use your dryer’s best setting to dry them.
Of course, there will be some items you won’t be able to wash. Just put those items in the dryer for up to half an hour setting the best temperature.
If you can’t treat the items together with your washer or dryer, put them in a bag and keep them outside for a couple of months. Without a food source, they will starve.
Just throw away furniture that you can’t clean. But paint them with the “Bed Bugs” brand so no one else catches them and infests their homes.
Freeze your bedding and clothing
You can eliminate those errors by freezing them too. Therefore, keep clothes and sheets in the freezer for a couple of days or put them outside when the temperature is below freezing.
If you want to freeze them to death, it’s a freeway!
Clean Other Items
Throw away anything worthless, such as old books, magazines, clothing, and anything under the bed or floor. He will do it to urge them to ignore their places of life.
Never move insect-infested items from an infested room to a clean room. You will only help them spread! Clean all your curtains, rugs, bedding, and other hiding places.
Scrub the mattress with a stiff brush
Getting around the larvae or the egg hidden inside the crevices of furniture and mattresses is crucial.
To remove bed bug larvae or eggs, scrub the mattress seams with a stiff brush.
Paste your loose wallpapers. Doing so will reduce the number of places where these bed bugs live. Therefore, fix or seal all the cracks inside the wallpaper or paint.
Repair all cracks
Cover all broken electrical outlets.
Don’t leave your bed against the wall. Keep it a minimum of 6 inches away so they cannot climb on it.
Monitor affected areas
It will take a while to remove them altogether. Check all the infested areas that you just cleaned after each week.
If you don’t see any of your activities, you probably need to be moved to a replacement location.
Retreat again if necessary
As I said before, it is hard to urge to ignore them entirely. If you lose any place while cleaning, they will invade other areas of your home.
However, If you notice them again, you will need to try a unique approach. If this seems like a cumbersome task, call the expert.
Exterminate with a professional
Pest control companies have access to some chemicals and toppings unavailable to the general public. If you can’t remove them independently, you need to hire experts.
Most of the time, these pest control companies will offer tips to prepare your home before starting work. So, follow their advice.
The Behavioral Pattern of Bed Bug
To understand why it is difficult to urge to ignore them completely, you must understand their pattern of behavior.
Their way of existence, activities, and hidden behaviors have made them extremely difficult to avoid as pests. Like ants and insects like termites, they don’t even have a central nest.
They are activated mainly in the dark. So unless you search for them by digging up their hiding places, you won’t be ready to see them in broad daylight. There may be a quick video explaining why it’s so hard to insist that you remove them.
As they multiply rapidly, an entire infestation begins, even if you bring one home from outside. If you leave a female insect behind after a radical cleaning, she will invade your home again.
The most alarming thing about these errors is that they will double every 16 days! Therefore, rapid breeding, cryptic lifestyle, and high resistance to chemical treatments have made it quite challenging to avoid them.
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A Note About Hiring The Pest Control Professional
Eliminating bed bug infestation can be a process with no shortcuts. Of course, not most are willing to deal with this annoyance.
So, if you are renting knowledgeable about urging the job to finish, there are a few things to keep in mind. Counting on something, they will apply the proper method.
A popular method is to use heat treatment. It is popular because it removes errors immediately without leaving any residue.
Another method is to use the chemical form of treating bed bugs. But it can take almost every week to avoid mistakes and leaves a residue. But it does a reasonable job of preventing reinfestation.
Therefore, before hiring a pest control company, ask all your questions beforehand, such as their success rate, years of experience, and proper procedures to follow.
How long you like to treat the whole house will depend on how well you follow their instructions regarding the preparation of your room.
Before treating all infested rooms, any pest control company will offer you a preparation sheet. I highly recommend that you take the time to prepare your space according to your instructions.
If you cannot follow their instructions, they will have to delay treatment, which will not be pleasant for either party.
Available Bed Bug Treatments Offered By PRO
There are mainly three types of treatments available to you. Of course, the pest control company will recommend the one acceptable for you to inspect your home, but it is essential to understand what they are and their implications.
- Traditional Insecticide Treatment
How long you want to complete the treatment varies if you choose to use this method. It takes even more days to finish the job.
To completely exterminate the nymphs, most pest control companies schedule a follow-up treatment after two weeks of the initial treatment.
Follow-up treatment is essential to destroy bed bug eggs. Initial treatment cannot destroy them. As multiple treatments are necessary, an extended schedule should be assumed.
- Heat Treatment
It has to be done by a pest control professional. Don’t do this yourself. They need those specialized heaters to kill all the bugs in a room within 6-8 hours.
They set the temperature sensors to observe the heat and heated the space from 135 ° F (57.2 ° C) to 145 ° F (62.7 ° C). Of course, there are other necessary settings, like strategic fan locations, to distribute the heat evenly.
The best part about heat treatment is that the slow rise in temperature pulls the insects out of their hiding places and ultimately kills them. Applying this method will also destroy the eggs and nymphs.
- Cryonite Treatment
Some homeowners don’t feel comfortable using chemicals inside their homes to kill bed bugs. Some pest control companies offer the Cryonite treatment to freeze the insects to death where no chemicals are essential.
Professionals use the Cryonite machine to convert liquid CO2 into solid particles. Because the reliable snow starts at -110 ° F, it kills insects as soon as it reaches them.
Being safe for electronic devices, it effectively kills bed bugs in cars, trucks, and other vehicles where heat or fluids cannot be applied.
This is not a standalone method. It still requires vacuum cleaning, mattress covers, active monitoring, traps, etc.
What Keeps Bed Bugs Away?
The most accessible way to prevent nymph infestation in your bedroom is by keeping bed bugs away. Fortunately, there are certain scents that bed bugs hate the most.
There are some natural remedies that you will apply.
So, if you’re trying just one of the ingredients mentioned below, these blood-sucking parasites won’t be ready to ruin your parting dream:
- Apply lotion
The scent of the lotion prevents bed bugs from laying eggs. Therefore, spraying it anywhere on the bed is usually an effective mechanism to avoid baby bed bugs.
When it comes to contact, the lotion can kill bugs. Although it is not, it is deadly repulsive to them. As long as they smell the scent, they won’t bother living inside the mattress or anywhere!
However, there is a catch …
Isopropyl alcohol is highly flammable. So, please don’t go crazy and misuse it! Never mix it with other ingredients to extend its effectiveness.
- Try Lavender Oil
When it comes to home remedies for pest control, lavender oil is understood to repel bed bugs. Yes, it does not kill them; but now it’s to get them away from your bed.
A few drops (5-10) of 100% pure volatile lavender oil should be enough. Get several sprays and fill them with lavender oil. Leave those sprays in various parts of your house, not just inside the bedroom.
Bed bugs will come out of your house. Therefore, there will be no adult bed bugs that can solve the nymph problem.
- Apply flavorer
Not only for a fresh feeling, but you will also use a flavorer to solve your bed bug problem. They hate the pungent aroma of peppermint oil!
The oil’s high menthol content irritates bed bugs and any pests you may have.
Spray the diluted flavorer on your mattress, headboard, or anywhere else you think pesky critters may be hiding. They won’t bother you in the dark the next day!
- Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
Not only does it prevent bed bugs, but it also kills them! Not just bed bugs; it’s super effective at eliminating any creepy pests like termites in your bedroom or anywhere.
Sounds daunting?
Do not worry. Its scent is safe for humans. But it can harm your pets. Therefore, keep them away while you are in your room.
As well as killing bed bugs by damaging your exoskeletons, its pungent smell is super effective at keeping them away.
However, the thing about killing bed bugs with ED is that those bed bugs only start in the dark and only work on adult bed bugs.
So if you choose to use DE, you would like to leave it on the mattress and other places in the bed overnight.
- Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil can also effectively keep bed bugs out of your home if applied carefully. You would like to be careful because it is a toxic volatile oil that will be deadly to your pets.
Tea tree oil’s potent, lingering smell can keep bed bugs away for a while. When it comes to direct contact, it can damage their exoskeletons and eventually kill them!
Put it in a spray bottle and spray the headboard and bed frame. If you have a confirmed infestation, it will even spray all over your bed and furnishings.
Just confirm that your pet does not digest it. And because the aroma of tea tree oil is often annoying and unbearable for some people, you will wear a mask to avoid this unpleasant situation.
- Blood Orange Oil
A proper bed bug repellent that you can try. It is very effective due to the acidic smell that any pest detests. You will use blood orange oil to avoid them in many ways.
First, mix your few drops with water in a spray bottle. And spray the answer all over the mattress and headboard. Apply an equivalent in other areas where you create the infestation.
Then let it dry there.
Another method is to pour a couple of drops of oil into a diffuser and leave it on overnight.
Yes, they are natural. But do not allow your children or pets near during the method.
- Taste the juice
We love the fresh scent of lemon, but not bed bugs! That is an unpleasant smell for them. So you will try it, and it is safe for teens and pets!
Spray the freshly squeezed juice all over the areas where these insects can hide. Leave it there and watch the magic.
They will come out of your room and certainly out of the house. As a bonus, your room will be filled with pleasant citrus scents.
- Pepper powder
Yes, it has been proven to help ward off bed bugs, but you need to remain extra cautious! However, I don’t think I have to explain why.
Now, let’s mention its effectiveness and how to use it.
Bed bugs or any pests hate the scent of pepper powder, which is why it works as a kind of charm.
Keep your pets and children away from dust. If it comes into contact with your skin or naked eyes, you will have a burning sensation! Wear protective clothing and glasses to protect yourself.
Sprinkle the powder on the mattress and headboard now. Those nasty insects will be gone in no time!
- Paraffin
Due to the antibacterial properties of paraffin, you will use it to fight the pesky insects that are making your life miserable. The best thing about paraffin is that it is completely tasteless and odorless.
Spray it on your mattress and furnishings using a spray bottle. It will not harm the bedding or the color of the furniture because it is colorless.
Personal Observation on Natural Insecticides
Yes, there are many, and they are effective in killing bed bugs. You will also get excellent results by spraying alcohol and essential oils.
You will also get effective results using silica dust, botanical pesticides, etc. But do not buy commercial insecticides to kill or prevent bed bugs that the EPA does not approve.
Do not apply any of these insecticides excessively, resulting in skin irritation and other undesirable reactions.
Aside from the above home remedies to kill or repel bed bugs, you will be tempted to use baking soda to kill bed bugs. But sadly, baking soda doesn’t kill bed bugs.