The current increase in bed bug infestations in hotels, hospitals and homes has caused panic in some households. Just the thought of small spiders living in your bed and couch causes immediate itching and scratching in even the most level headed of people. Here are some tips on how to identify and treat bed bugs, as well as how to prevent re-infestation in your home.
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are parasitic insects. Approximately the size of an apple seed, they are oval shaped and reddish brown in color. They spend the day hiding out in the cracks of your mattress, box springs and even head board. They venture out at night to feed on any humans that are sleeping in the bed. Chances are, you won’t even see the bed bugs. You may, however, notice the bumps left behind from their bite. Bed bug bites look a lot like any other insect bite, a red bump on the face, neck, arms or hands. They may present themselves in a line or in a cluster and may cause itchiness. People who are very sensitive to the bite may develop blisters or hives at the bite site.
How can you get rid of bed bugs? Aside from the bedroom, bed bugs may also take refuge in the seams of your couch upholstery, under loose wall paper, and in your carpet along the baseboards. Female bed bugs usually live about 10 months, and lay around 200 eggs during that time. Because of this, it’s quite easy to be very infested in many parts of your house in a fairly short period of time.
It’s extremely difficult to get rid of bed bugs on your own. The best way to eradicate these pests is to hire a professional in pest control. Expect the professional to look through virtually everything in your home, turning up cushions, looking under the bed and turning over the mattress. Believe me, you want them to do this. Finding the bed bugs is half the problem. After locating the bed bugs, the exterminator may treat the areas using heat, industrial vacuuming, or a special product.
How can you prevent bed bugs from returning?
Bed bugs can travel from place to place in luggage, on clothes, or just by crawling. If you are traveling in an area with bed bugs, you may bring them home with you in your suitcase. To avoid this, keep your suitcase zipped and up off the floor. Heat does kill bed bugs, so wash and dry your clothes on high heat if you think you’ve brought some home. You can also prevent the infestation of bed bugs by never buying a used mattress or box springs, and stay away from secondhand bedding.
Having bed bugs doesn’t mean that you or your home is dirty. They aren’t born out of filth, but rather simply from another human host. Being able to identify, knowing how to treat, and knowing how to prevent bed bugs will help you get rid of these unwanted house and bunk mates.
How To Protect Your Mattress from Bedbugs
It’s not your imagination bedbug cases are on the rise. There seems to be a story about bedbugs each week on the news. Recent news reports have said there are bedbugs in high end retail stores and executive offices of some of America’s government buildings.
It’s a myth that bedbugs are only found in beds of dirty homes. The truth is a bedbug can be in a very clean home, office or store. Bedbugs travel on or with people to their next location. If you’ve been in an area that has a bedbug infestation, it’s possible to take a bedbug home with you.
Bedbugs typically hide in a box spring, mattress, bed frame, headboard, baseboard areas, couches and chairs, nightstands, dressers, walls and ceilings. There are other places they can and will hang out, such as the carpet.
There is an article “Do It Yourself Bedbug Remedies”, if you’d like to check it out.
Replacing a mattress or box spring can be expensive. There is bedbug protection for people who have dealt with a bedbug infestation or those who want to guard against bedbugs. American companies manufacture and sell mattress and box spring bedbug covers. The bedbug covers for your mattress and box spring is soft to the touch allowing you to keep the comfort of the bed you enjoy. The bedbug cover for your mattress and box spring vary in price according to where you live, however, they are fairly inexpensive to purchase.
A bedbug mattress and box spring bedbug covers will protect you and stop the spread of bedbugs. If you currently have a bedbug infestation, a bedbug mattress and box spring cover will trap the bedbugs. By trapping the bedbugs they can not escape or spread any further. A bedbug mattress and box spring cover is bite proof, meaning a trapped bedbug or bedbugs can not bite through it or bite you. This will make a trapped bedbug eventually starve to death.
If you do not currently have a bedbug infestation but use a bedbug mattress and box spring cover, this will prevent any bedbugs from nesting or laying eggs in your bed.
There are other benefits to bedbug mattress and box spring covers. Bedbug covers are waterproof, which protects against liquids and fluids. Most bedbug covers are fire retardant. bedbug covers protect against dust mites that build up in mattresses over time. Bedbug covers are a great “go green” product because, if you have a bedbug infestation, less chemical and product will be needed to treat your bed.
It’s important to get the proper fit for your bed bug mattress and box spring cover. You want the cover to fit your bed and work properly. Take the measurements and mattress thickness with you to a retail bedbug cover suppler or have that information handy, when you’re ordering online.
Tips for Shopping for a New Bed
When it comes to choosing a new bed, there are many things that you need to keep in mind. Of course, the seller will try to get you to buy the most expensive bed in the store but if you know what to look for, you can buy a quality bed without spending too much money. There are hundreds of brands, styles and comfort levels to choose from.
When it comes to the bed frame and headboard, you can choose from metal, wooden or divan style bed. This decision will depend on your style and what you are looking for in interest to your home. Just remember that you don’t need to get something heavy and big in order to look elegant. Something small and simple can also give your bedroom a beautiful zone.
When it comes to the mattress, you will want to try out each one to see which is most comfortable to your liking. You will want to get a larger size if the bed is for you and a spouse such as a queen, king or California king. For a single person, a twin or full may be efficient and will take up less room.
Think about what you currently like about your bed, if anything. All beds are different when it comes to a comfort level. While some prefer soft beds that you can sink into at night, others prefer a firm mattress that will better hold their body while sleeping.
If you are sleeping with a partner, you may want to consider getting a foam mattress instead of the traditional style spring mattress. This is because when you are moving at night on a spring mattress, your partner can feel the movement and may be awakened at every move you make. With a foam mattress, only your side of the bed will move so that your partner can sleep comfortably.
Of course, the final decision will depend on your budget. Although it is good to splurge a bit on a quality mattress, you can still get a comfortable bed within your budget. Understanding these factors can really be helpful before you head to the store to purchase a new bed.
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Six Disadvantages of Loft Beds
While loft beds can help an individual make the most of a small space, there are several drawbacks to having a loft bed that a person should consider before making any decisions. In this article, I intend to describe six disadvantages of loft beds when compared to conventional beds.
#1. Loft Beds Dominate Bedrooms
Although much can be done with the space created by a loft bed, loft beds can dominate bedrooms by being one of the tallest things present. Having a loft bed is essentially having a tall platform that is bed-sized in length and depth. If you are concerned about the aesthetics of your bedroom and bedroom furniture, a loft bed may not be for you. And if a twin-sized loft bed can dominate a room, consider what a double- or queen-sized loft bed would do. Loft beds can also reduce the amount of light that gets into a room or the amount of light that ceiling lights provide.
#2. Loft Beds Are Inconvenient
One of the most annoying things about loft beds is that you have to climb into and out of bed. When I am tired or sick, I don’t feel like having to drag my body weight into bed. Getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or get a drink is similarly distasteful. If the loft bed is high enough, you might have to be careful about not hitting your head on the ceiling. Dropped items such as books or pillows are a pain to pick up. These are things to consider if you are contemplating building a loft bed.
#3. Maintaining a Loft Bed is Inconvenient
Making a loft bed is not easy, as they are often pushed up against walls. Likewise, there’s not a good place to stand, so you’ll likely be kneeling on the same mattress that you’re lifting up. If you like to clean your mattress often, it will be difficult to hand down from atop the loft bed and similarly difficult to hand back up.
#4. Loft Beds Aren’t Good for Couples
I can’t imagine sharing a loft bed with another person. Perhaps if the loft bed were a double, I’d consider it. However, twin-sized loft beds dominate a bedroom the least, and I would never have a loft bed bigger than that. There is always the possibility of falling off of a loft bed, and the fact that a loft bed is so close to the ceiling might make certain activities difficult or impossible.
#5. Loft Beds Aren’t Necessarily Comfortable
Because the mattress of a loft bed will likely be supported by a large slab of wood, loft beds aren’t necessarily as comfortable as mattresses supported by box springs. This is worth considering, though I never had problems with my loft bed.
#6. Loft Beds Are Difficult to Move
Loft beds really can’t be moved through a doorway easily. If you build one and want to move it, you’ll probably have to disassemble it and reassemble it in its new location. Take this into consideration if you’re thinking about building a loft bed.
Loft Beds
While loft beds do have certain disadvantages when compared to conventional beds, they are still worth considering if you want to maximize the space that you have. Do a cost-benefit analysis and see what is more important to you. Can you think of any other disadvantages of having a loft bed? Feel free to share your thoughts in the form of a comment. Thank you for reading!
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