I don't know about you, but if you live in new york city our skin as been crawling lately with bed bug stories. They seem to be everywhere in the movie theaters, hotels, Niketown, it's hard to escape these creepy crawlers.
Did you know... Bedbugs are a wingless, rust-colored insect about the size of an apple seed. Bedbugs are nocturnal parasites, which means they rest during the day and come out to dine on the blood of humans at night. Bedbugs are attracted by human body heat and typically favor feasting on our shoulders and arms.
Bedbugs hide in cracks, live in bedding and on mattresses, where they have easy access to you. Other living areas favored by bedbugs include:
- Between wooden floorboards
- In wall cracks and crevices
- In carpeting
- In the seams and cracks of furniture, particularly bed frames
- Under loose edges of wallpaper
- Behind peeling paint
Have You Been Bitten
The first signs of a bedbug infestation are usually bites. Bedbug bites are generally painless, though itchy and annoying. They tend to start as swollen wheals, then fade to red marks and gradually disappear over a few days.
If they've gotten you, wash the bites with antiseptic soap to avoid infection. The itching can be treated with calamine lotion or anaesthetic creams.
Aside from those nasty bites, other signs that bedbugs may have moved in include:
- Tiny bloodstains from crushed bugs on sheets or mattresses
- Dark spots of bug excrement on bedding or walls
- An offensive musty odor when infestations are severe
They Can Spread
Bedbugs spread through clothing, mattresses, especially when old mattresses and new mattresses are transported on the same truck.
Say Good-bye
Bedbugs can be tricky to get rid of and can survive for long periods of time without eating, so you need to hire a professional exterminator. If you have bedbugs thoroughly wash, vacuum or clean all surfaces and bedding. Use hot water and a dryer on the hottest setting whenever possible to clean bedding and clothing.Vacuum mattresses, seal them in plastic and leave them outside in the hot sun for as long as possible. You can get more information on www.protectabed.com Make sure to steam clean carpets, and use bedbug spray around cracks in your home.
Now what does all this many when staging your home?
As a home stager my worst fear is that I will bring bed bugs into my home after reclaiming my inventory from my New York City projects. (ughh)
For home stagers, make sure you check www.bedbugregistry.com to make sure the project you are about to work on is not infested with the blood-sucker. If it is I would recommend talking to client about the issue and removing any of your accessory inventory as a precaution, have them purchase these items instead.
Use bedbug mattress covers whenever possible to protect your linens, pillows and other investments.
If you are working with rental furniture, make sure you understand their bedbug policies and find out what protective measures they're using to ensure their products have not been infested.
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