There are thousands of tiny creatures all around us; most of them can’t be seen by the naked eye. The most common one is bed bugs! A bed bug infestation is a dreadful situation. They are extremely difficult to get rid of. Once they have infiltrated your home, they will attach themselves to most of your belongings. You should burn your bedding and pillows and dispose of your mattress. But, what will you sleep on then?
Can bed bugs live on an air mattress? In today’s article, we are going to answer this question. Find out more about bedbugs and show you how to look for them and how to get rid of them before they become a problem.
Bed bugs are tiny insects. They usually have a reddish-brown color and are between one and seven millimeters long. Their tiny size makes them incredibly difficult to see. Each female lays at least five eggs per day. The eggs have an incubation time of two weeks, and each egg can contain as many as 10-bed-bug-nymphs. These hatchlings are so tiny that they can’t be seen by the naked eye. In fact, the first time most people realize they have a problem is once they are covered in bed bug bites.
How do you get them? Bedbugs can be picked up very easily. They hide in clothing, blankets or could even sneak themselves home with you in your handbag! They survive by drinking blood! This makes your furry pets highly susceptible to infestation.
They are happy to live on animal blood, but their main aim is to make it your bed so they can feast on human blood. The tiny pests are attracted to your body heat and drawn to the carbon dioxide Trusted Source Bed Bugs Bed bugs are nocturnal and hide during the day unless extremely hungry. Preferred harborages are relatively close to the host, such as mattress seams and folds. However, bed bugs can travel several feet from a host and have been known to conceal themselves in outlets, window and door frames, bed frames, drapery, baseboards, floor and wall cracks, drawers, electrical boxes, telephones, furniture, wall-to-wall carpeting, loose wallpaper, and behind wall hangings and headboards. cchealth.org we exhale. We are a shining bright target in their eyes. These creepy creatures can stay alive without eating for as long as a year! That’s why it’s so difficult to get rid of them. There are mattresses that bedbugs don’t like to invade, and that’s air mattresses. There are also air mattresses that are catproof if you have a feline with sharp claws.
These pesky little creatures can live just about anywhere, but luckily an air mattress isn’t the most habitable place for them. They have the ability to live on an air mattress but prefer to live elsewhere. To hide from humans during the daylight, bed bugs drill tiny holes in the mattress where they lay in wait until the cover of darkness.
The vinyl or plastic that air mattresses are constructed from are much more difficult for them to burrow into. If they do succeed, you will begin to notice very quickly as the mattress will leak and start deflating.
Air mattresses aren’t very appetizing for bed bugs, but if there is nothing else to hide in, they may make an exception. The only way to kill these pests is to expose them to extremely high temperatures. In most cases, you will need to destroy anything they come into contact with.
For extra protection, you should encase the air mattress in a zipped-up plastic cover. The bed bugs will find it difficult to climb and burrow into the mattress. Put it in the sun to dry for added protection. The best way to ensure that you get rid of them for good is to call pest control to take care of the problem for you. If you’re looking for a DIY solution, try this spray Bed Bug Killer by EcoRaider, which promises results. But what about bedding? Some people choose buckwheat pillows because they’re hypoallergenic, but these types of pillows may attract bed bugs.
Chances are you won’t even feel the bed bug once it bites you. You may just wake up covered in bite marks. These bites look very similar to ordinary bug bites, so it can be difficult to determine where they come from. Bed bugs are very itchy and can resemble mosquito bites or fleas. Signs to look for include eggs, tiny blood smears on your furniture, or their shredded exoskeletons Trusted Source Bedbugs survived the dinosaur extinction event A study that began as an investigation into the “utterly bizarre” way in which bedbugs reproduce has revealed they have existed for far longer than humans. www.bbc.com .
If you suspect that your bedding is infested, change the sheets in the dark, then quickly switch on the lights. Bed bugs love the cover of darkness. When you turn the lights on, they will scatter to the edges and corners of the bed.
You may not be able to spot bed bugs on your skin very easily, but you may be able to
identify their bites
Trusted Source
How’d the bedbug get its bite? Scientists look to its genome for clues. - The Washington Post
The genome sequence could help us fight this increasingly resilient pest.
www.washingtonpost.com
. They target the skin that is exposed when you sleep at night. The bite may look like a flea bite, except they don’t have a red spot in the middle and appear more like a welt on the skin. The only way to be sure if you have a bed bug infestation or not is to look for the insects and signs that they are living in your mattress.
Symptoms of bed bug bites include:
The bed bug feeds by injecting a small amount of saliva into the host’s skin. This masks the pain of the bite and allows them to feed while you’re sleeping. They generally feed for about five minutes then return to the place where they hide during the day. Bed bugs like to feed every five to ten days, but they can survive for up to a year without eating.
These bugs are very smart and actively avoid detection. They hide in the shadows and will only come out to feed once you are sound asleep. Bed bugs can be found just about anywhere. Cleaning well will help you find them quickly, but the only way to keep them out of your house is to remain vigilant.
Examine your sheets and mattress for any bloodstains. These can also appear on pillows, the bedding, or the wall that is close to your bed. You may find bed bug fecal spots, shed skins, or eggshells. The bugs also have a distinctive musty odor due to their sweat glands. If you find any of these signs, remove the bed from your home immediately. It’s best to burn the bedding or any stuffed toys that may be infested. But if you want to throw your mattress away, you must learn how to dispose of your mattress properly. If you need to buy a new mattress, then look for the best air mattresses on the market.
If you have found bed bugs in your mattress, chances are they are in the rest of the house as well. Look carefully at all the items in your bedroom, and this includes inside books, telephones, outlets, and the carpet. If the bed bugs have gotten into your wardrobe, they can hide inside your clothing without being discovered for months! Examine any chairs, couches, cushions, and even the curtains.
In extreme cases of infestation, it’s better to call in a pest control expert. They have the correct tools to get rid of the problem. If you don’t want to burn your possessions, you can wash them with very hot water and then put them in the dryer in the hottest setting. It’s still advisable to keep the items in a sealed plastic bag for at least a month to make sure they didn’t survive the wash.
Other places to inspect include:
For added peace of mind and protection, you should consider installing a Neatmaster Ultrasonic Pest Repeller. This clever contraption can be put in your room. It uses ultrasonic waves to drive the bed bugs away.
Can bed bugs live in air mattresses? Although bed bugs can technically live in the folds of an air mattress, they are way less likely to make it their home. Encasing your air mattress in a plastic cover will reduce the chances of them living on it. They prefer to live in box spring mattresses where there is ample place to hide. Bed bugs are attracted to sleeping humans, and their main goal is to feast on human blood.
Once they have infested your house, they can only be killed by incredibly high temperatures. This makes them extremely difficult to get rid of. Before you bring anything into your home, you should examine it very carefully with a magnifying glass and a flashlight. Ensure you take the proper precautions to ensure it’s safe to bring inside. Avoid buying second-hand furniture, especially bedding.
