What Are Bedbugs? The ancient bedtime verse “sleep tight, and don’t let the bugs bite” may, in reality, be hitting the bull’s eye more than many people realize. These obnoxious and notorious “travelers” are a significant problem and although their incidence declined during the 20th century, they have been on the rise again since 1995. They can be transported inadvertently by innocent persons via luggage, bedding, clothing, furniture, etc. Despite their small size, bedbugs are arguably the kings of their field. They can infest an entire apartment building or hotel, and they have been in the business of being a parasitic insect since ancient times. Bedbugs are mentioned in medieval European texts and classical Greek writings. [1] Bedbugs are wingless insects of brownish color. Their sizes range from a quarter inch to a half inch in length, more or less similar to ticks in appearance. They appear flat and oval-shaped – like an apple seed. [2] They belong to a family of small parasitic insects known as Cimicidae, all members of which feed exclusively on mammalian blood. After a blood meal, their bodies bulge and their color changes from brownish to reddish. [3] Bedbugs are so named because of their distinctive taste to live nearby or inside of beds and beddings and to stay active at night to feed on their hosts – who are usually unaware of their presence. Why Bedbugs Need to Be Eliminated Bedbugs adeptly utilize their beak-like mouth to pierce human skin and, consequently, draw out blood for their nutrition. Nasty bedbug bites are among the reasons why bedbugs have gained their notoriety. Some people do not react to bedbug bites, [2] but for those who do react to them, bedbugs can be a terrible pest infestation. Bedbug bites usually manifest as a swollen, white ridge or wheal on the bite location of the skin. They may be unnoticeable for others, whereas in some, they may be characterized by pronounced itching to the extent that severe hypersensitivity allergic reactions clinically manifest in the form of asthma, hives, and the like. A few people suffer also from a form of anxiety disorder from bedbug bites, where they keep on imagining being bitten even when it is not happening, and this leads to their being anxious. Their anxiety in turn may result in sleeplessness, which could further affect their overall well-being. Why Bedbugs Are Sometimes Hard to Eliminate As mentioned earlier, there is more to these pests that meets the naked eye. They are so sturdy, extremely persistent, and tolerant to any constantly changing environment, that surviving for extended periods (a year or perhaps more) without feeding on a blood source can seemingly be a walk on the park for these arthropods. Taking their small size more likely as an advantage rather than a crippling weakness, bedbugs can easily hide in cracks and crevices and rarely come out from their hideouts in daylight. This entails utmost difficulty for those attempting to seek and exterminate these insects. Bedbugs are wingless, so they cannot fly nor jump like fleas. However, they can move at astonishing speed and can crawl on floors, carpets, mattress seams, sheets, and furniture with ease. Furthermore, female bedbugs can lay up to 5 to 7 eggs (or more) per week (or 200–500 eggs in her life if fed).[2] These eggs hatch in a short span of time, probably about ten days. This enables these insects to create a massive strong army of brown “bed criminals” in a very short time. A strong chemcial insecticide is typically used by professionals to eliminate and control bedbugs, but there are several other effective ways to get the task done without the use of insecticides or any poisonous method. In addition, the use of pesticides can be very problematic: First, these intense chemicals may pose possible health risks for both people and pets, including cancer and acute neurotoxicity. Second, using pesticides repeatedly against bedbugs may produce pesticide resistance and dispersal of these insects.[4] 17 Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Bedbugs Here are some of the natural means to get rid of bedbugs (in no particular order of preference). It is often suggested to do as much as possible to be rid of them as they can be very hard to get rid of. 1. Physical Removal. Isolating bedbugs, along with preventing these brown bugs from spreading further, is one good step to start with. Cracks and crevices of bed frames should be examined, especially if the frame is wood. It also pays well to inspect cracks and corners of dressers; seams, tufts, skirts, and crevices beneath cushions of upholstered chairs and sofas; cracks in wood molding; ceiling-wall junctures; and behind picture frames, switch plates, and outlets.[2] Bedbugs can (and should) be forced to get out from their hideouts. This can be done by using either a putty knife or a playing card. Once bedbugs have been forced out of their dwelling place such as cracks and crevices, one can catch them with a sticky packing tape or crush them in paper towels. 2. Diatomaceous earth. The powder of diatomaceous earth, a kind of soft sedimentary rock, can be used in a dry environment to control bedbugs. The dust-like powder of this rock can stay on the bedbugs’ outer layer of exoskeleton. This disrupts the layer and dehydrates the insects. Also, upon walking on diatomaceous earth, the bedbugs carry the diatomaceous earth along with them through their legs and they lick it off. The sharp silica damages their insides and kills them. 3. Kidney bean leaves. In Eastern Europe, kidney bean leaves are spread on the floor of a bedbug-infested room to “trap” bedbugs. The leaves are destroyed then after. The mechanism behind this practice can be attributed to the microscopic hooked hairs (i.e., trichomes) on the bean leaf surfaces that impale the feet of bedbugs. When impaled by the trichomes, the bedbugs are unable to free themselves despite their struggle.[5] 4. Pyrethrum. Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide (extract) that can be obtained from the dried flower heads of plants Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium and C. coccineum. These perennial plants are themselves called “pyrethrum” and have daisy-like flowers. The refined form of the “pyrethrum extract” is pyrethrin. Pyrethrin attacks the nervous systems of bedbugs and is thus toxic to them.[6] 5. A fungus called Beauveria bassiana. Beauveria bassiana is a fungus that can act as a parasite to insects, thus killing or at least disabling them. Because of such, this fungus is considered a “natural insecticide.” It grows in soil and is environmentally safe to use for bedbug control. A 2012 US study from the Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, had determined that B. bassiana is virulent against bedbugs and causes the death of these insects at 3–5 days following short-term exposure to spray residues.[7] This fungus has also some “pre-lethal” effects such as reduced feeding, mobility, and fecundity. goo.gl/tP8Jy
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 00:57:23 +0000
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