Bed bugs are tiny parasitic insects of the cimicid family found in virtually every corner of the world. Hearty and difficult to spot, bed bugs feed exclusively on blood—which means they’re usually found nesting near their hosts. For Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug, humans are the hosts of choice. These bed bugs are thus found making their homes in luggage, clothing, carpets—and, as their names suggest, beds. While there are several methods for treating bed bugs available on the market today, many of these methods have significant drawbacks, namely in the areas of affordability, toxicity, and general ineffectiveness. At EcoClear Products, we are proud to manufacture a line of beg bed bug control and prevention products that are affordably-priced, eco-friendly and highly-effective. Read on to learn more about bed bugs and how to treat with them with our Stop Bugging Me!™ products.

About Bed Bugs: Fast Facts

Bed bugs are tiny parasitic insects of the cimicid family found in virtually every corner of the world. Hearty and difficult to spot, bed bugs feed exclusively on blood—which means they’re usually found nesting near their hosts. For Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug, humans are the hosts of choice. These bed bugs are thus found making their homes in luggage, clothing, carpets—and, as their names suggest, beds. While there are several methods for treating bed bugs available on the market today, many of these methods have significant drawbacks, namely in the areas of affordability, toxicity, and general ineffectiveness. At EcoClear Products, we are proud to manufacture a line of beg bed bug control and prevention products that are affordably-priced, eco-friendly and highly-effective. Read on to learn more about bed bugs and how to treat with them with our Stop Bugging Me!™ products.

About Bed Bugs: Fast Facts

  • Bed bugs are ectoparasites that feed on human blood. (Ectoparasites are parasites that live outside of their hosts’ bodies.)

  • Bed bugs are insects that belong to the family Cimicidae and the genus Cimex.

  • Though they have the vestiges of wings, bed bugs cannot fly — nor can they jump. They crawl at a pace of several feet per hour.

  • Adult bed bugs are about the shape and size of an apple seed (4 – 5 millimeters in length). Nymphs are roughly half that size.

  • Bed bug eggs are scarcely larger than a poppy seed and translucent in color.

  • Bed bugs do not spread disease, but their bites can become red, irritated welts on the skin.

  • Bed bugs can make their homes in beds, carpets, clothes, and other cool and dark areas near their human hosts.

How Do Bed Bug Infestations Happen?

The unfortunate truth is that all properties are in danger of bed bug infestations. That’s because bed bugs feed off of human blood — and where there are humans to be found, bed bugs will follow. Bed bugs are incredibly adept hitchhikers and will latch rides onto clothing, luggage and other belongings to settle in a new location where they can feed off their hosts. Most bed bug infestations occur due to travel. Unsuspecting travelers can pick up bed bugs from hotels, public transportation, and other foreign locations and unwittingly transport these tiny insects back to their own home, where an infestation soon begins. Similarly, guests entering your home or business can bring with them bed bugs that can make their home in your furniture, carpets, and other possessions.

 

Bed Bug Products

Preventing Bed Bugs: Tips for Your Home or Business

While bed bugs are one of the most prolific pests in the world, there are still several steps that can be taken to prevent them. Follow these tips to help keep your home or business bedbug-free.

  • Be aware of your surroundings — no matter where you are.

    Bed bug infestations have nothing to do with cleanliness. The finest hotels, tidiest homes, and cleanest people can still harbor bed bugs. When you’re traveling or accommodating guests, always be aware of your surroundings.

  • Survey your space regularly.

    Checking your property for bed bugs on a regular basis (especially after returning from travel or accommodating guests yourself) will allow you to find and eradicate bed bugs before they reach infestation levels.

  • Remove all clutter from rooms in your home or business.

    Clutter creates hiding places for bed bugs, which makes them harder to spot. By removing clutter from your home or business, you’ll stand a better chance of catching a bed bug infestation in its early stages and prevent it from becoming a bigger problem.

  • Wash and dry fabrics on high heat.

    Sufficiently hot temperatures will kill bed bugs and their eggs. Wash and dry your bed linens, clothing, and other washables as often as often as possible using the hottest temperature allowed for the fabric. This will help ensures that your property stays bedbug-free.

About Bed Bugs: How to Spot an Infestation

Bed bugs are one of the most common indoor insect pests in the world. As they feed on human blood, they are also one of the most dreaded of all insect pests. If you suspect that you have a bed bug infestation in your space, there are several signs you check for to determine if the problem you’re facing is indeed due to bed bugs. Small bite marks on your body may tip you off to an insect problem, but they don’t necessarily confirm a bed bug infestation. To do that, you’ll need to catch the buggers themselves. Take a magnifying glass, a flashlight, and the EPA’s wallet-sized bed bug ID printout and begin your search.

To check for bed bugs, be sure to leave no stone unturned in your indoor space. Contrary to their name, bed bugs don’t only make their homes in beds. They like cool, sheltered places where humans (their hosts) are easily accessible. Take a flashlight and magnifying glass, and closely probe your bedding, furniture, carpeting, clothing, and other cool, dark spaces in your room. Be sure to check extra closely in small cracks and seams.

You’re looking for small (about the size of a pinhead), oval-shaped, reddish-brown insects about 3 – 5 millimeters in length. You can also look for red stains (signs of crushed bed bugs) and small translucent bed bug eggs. Check your bedding and your mattress. Closely examine folds and seams for signs of bed bugs. Check under your bed and comb through your carpet. Take a close look at your clothing, luggage, and other items with fabric. Check all dark and cramped corners—these are favorite hiding spots for bed bugs. If you happen to catch a bed bug in the flesh, stick it to a piece of tape a take it in to a pest professional in your area for species confirmation.

Bed Bug Control and Prevention With EcoClear Products

To control and prevent bed bugs, it’s important to clean your sheets, clothing, and luggage as frequently as possible (especially after traveling). Heat kills bed bugs, so placing items such as shoes, clothes, backpacks, and bags in the dryer after travel is always a good idea to ensure that any hitchhiking bed bugs are killed before they can make their homes in your space. For existing infestations, we recommend beginning treatment with Stop Bugging Me!™ for Bed Bugs — our very own eco-friendly product formulated for broad-spectrum bed bug treatment and prevention.

Searching for effective, affordable, and eco-friendly bed bug treatment? We have your solution. Here at EcoClear Products, our engineers have developed Stop Bugging Me!™, a full line of green products designed to control and prevent insect infestations of all kinds. For bed bug infestations, we recommend Stop Bugging Me!™ for Bed Bugs, a spray that can be used on bedding, clothing, and other objects for fast and effective topical treatment. (Stop Bugging Me!™ for Bed Bugs is also available in travel sizes for bed bug control and prevention on the go.) For continued control and stain removal, we recommend Stop Bugging Me!™ Laundry Additive—an eco-friendly formulation that can be used with all types of laundry.b

Bed Bug Treatments: An Overview

Once you’ve determined that you’re dealing with a bed bug infestation, you have a number of treatment options to consider. Among these are bed bug heaters, vacuums, and a plethora of insecticide products, both store-bought and professionally administered. Each of these treatments has its upsides and downsides, and it’s up to you to weigh the options and choose the best route for your space.

Though effective, bed bug heaters are relatively expensive and are not a feasible option for many budgets. Vacuums have the opposite problem. Affordable and efficient, they invariably also miss several bed bugs lurking within a space and are thus considered one of the least thorough forms of treatment. Last to consider are insecticides. Many of today’s insecticides contain toxic chemicals that can be harmful for pets, people, and wildlife on your property. What’s worse, recent research has shown that a number of bed bug subspecies are becoming resistant to chemicals used in common insecticides. Thankfully, our team here at EcoClear Products has developed an alternative.

EcoClear - Bed Bug Extermination Products

Shop Stop Bugging Me!™ Bed Bug Solutions and More

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