Ozone Sanitizing: a Fast and Easy Way to Eliminate Bed Bugs

June 07, 2016

Bed bugs are unique, small, brown ectoparasites that feed on human blood. They don't transmit diseases, but they have become a public health threat due to their fast expansion, their resistance to DDT and other pesticides, and the physical and psychological burden they cause. This makes bed bugs difficult to eliminate, but Tag.Link.Page.OzoneSanitizing may be the alternative you and pest control agencies are looking for to eliminate bed bugs quickly and easily.

Characteristics and Life Cycle
Bed bugs are small bugs that go from yellowish-white to reddish-brown. They reach a size of about ¼ of an inch long and have a flat and oval-shaped body with six legs and two antennas. They leave dark feces marks in the places they hide, like cracks, crevices, and mattresses, as well as blood spots on bed sheets after they feed.


To go from one stage to another, bed bugs must feed on blood. Each time they pass through each stage, they shed, leaving bright exoskeletons behind. They tend to breed faster during the summer, and they can live over one year. Females can lay over 1 to 3 eggs a day and from 200 – 500 eggs per lifetime. Eggs will hatch into nymphs in one or two weeks. The nymphs will begin to feed immediately and will remain in that state from 14 to 30 days before becoming adults. Once in the adult stage, they will mate quickly. Even though they need to feed to go from one stage to the other, they can survive several months without a meal of blood.

Bed bugs have developed resistance to pesticides, and adult bed bugs can even hide from pesticide application by moving to other areas through wires and walls, making it even more difficult to eliminate them.

Where Can They Be Found?

Due to the nature of the bed bugs' flat body, they can enter your home undetected through your luggage, clothing, couches, used beds, or other items. You can typically find them in box springs, mattresses, bed frames, and headboards, where they will have easy access to feed on people at night. Over time, they can move into crevices and may spread to nearby rooms. You can also find them in the seams of couches and chairs, in the folds of a curtain, in drawer joints, in electrical appliances and receptacles, and even in the head of a screw. Since they are about the width of a credit card, they can squeeze into almost any place.

Signs of Bed Bug Infestation

One of the main signs of bed bug infestation is waking up with itchy areas all over your body that you didn't have when you went to sleep. You should also look out for blood stains on your sheets or pillowcases, dark or rusty spots of bed bug excrement on sheets, mattresses, and bed clothes, fecal spots, eggshells or shed skin on your bed, and other places where bed bugs can hide. Also, look out for a musty odor from the bugs' scent glands.

Bed Bug Bites

Bed bugs are nighttime insects. They bite people when they are sleeping by piercing the skin and withdrawing blood. It takes from three to ten minutes for them to engorge. The bites are painless, but they become bothersome since they turn into itchy welts. You can find bed bug bites on any area of your body that is exposed while you sleep.

Need more information about bed bugs? On the second part of this blog post, we will talk about how to eliminate beg bugs and show you an experiment done by a pest control specialist to demonstrate the effectiveness of ozone sanitizing to eliminate bed bugs.

Do you need to eliminate bed bugs from your furniture? Call us at 855-NO-GERMZ (664-3769), and the Germinator will come to your home and eliminate your bed bug infestation with a safe, pesticide-free ozone sanitizing! You can also fill out the form below to contact our offices to find out more about our services and how they can meet your needs. Remember to always stay in touch by liking our page on Facebook at Germinator, and following us on Twitter @GerminatorMS and Instagram @GerminatorMS. If you want to stay tuned for the latest information about Germinator, subscribe to our Newsletter.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Bed Bugs Life Cycle