Everything you never wanted to hear, but need to know - ( About Bed Bugs )

Everything you never wanted to hear, but need to know

NEW YORK, July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bed bugs are back. Since 2000, bed bug infestations have risen 81 percent, according to The National Pest Management Association. This resurgence has consumers nationwide on high alert, seeking information on the pests and how they can protect themselves.
Gail Getty, a noted entomologist at the University of California Berkley, explains, "Bed bugs and their habits are actually very simple to understand. For the unassuming public, though, differentiating between fact and fiction is becoming ever so difficult with the amount of information available. Understanding the basics is the first line of defense a consumer has against the unwelcomed critters, which can take a toll both financially and emotionally on a victim."
Confirmed Facts

• Bed bugs can be found on bedside alarm clocks
  • True: bed bugs have been known to fester in alarm clocks and other appliances and within dark crevices like coffee makers.
• Bed bugs like to hitch rides
  • True: bed bugs can very easily be transferred in suitcases and on clothing, putting travelers at extra-high risk; Bedbugs do have primitive wings, but they cannot fly.  
• Some people are not affected by bed bugs bites
  • True: Some people do not have a physical reaction to bed bug bites and may be unaware that bed bugs are in their home until they actually see them, but everyone is at risk for having infestations as bed bugs do not discriminate based on socio-economic class.
• Bed bugs can live for many months without feeding  
  • True: Bed bugs can live for many months without feeding. That is why it is imperative to encase mattresses, box springs, and pillows with bed bug proof protectors like the entomologist tested Allergy Luxe® bed bug collection with Arm & Hammer™ odor neutralizing technology.  Bedding encasements effectively trap bugs that are in and on your mattress and box spring and cut them off from their food source indefinitely.
• Insect foggers provide very little control of bed bugs and may even cause the bed bug population to disperse, making control more difficult
  • True: Insect foggers do not effectively control bed bugs. Most insect foggers contain a flammable propellant and some have been associated with accidental fires. The best way to control bed bug problems is to contact a pest professional, who will help with vacuuming, and steaming, laundering belongings, sealing areas and gaps where bed bugs can hide and encasing mattresses, box springs, and pillows with bed bug proof protectors like the entomologist tested Allergy Luxe® collection with Arm & Hammer™ odor neutralizing technology.
• Bed bugs reproduce at alarming rates
  • True: Depending on conditions, bed bugs can produce three or four generations in one year; a female can produce one to five eggs a day, which are as big as a pinhead and can hardly be seen.

Myths Debunked

• Bed bugs spread deadly diseases
  • Wrong: Bed bugs do not transmit disease. Bed bug bites, however, can cause allergic reaction in some people similar to a mosquito bite. Frequent scratching of the bite marks or picking the scabs can cause infections. And people with severe and/or repeated infestations can feel anxious, worried or ashamed.
• Chemicals/pesticides will kill all bed bug stages.
  • Wrong: It is difficult to kill all bed bugs with only a pesticide application. Successful treatment depends on an Integrated Pest Management approach to bed bug control which involves, vacuuming, and steaming, laundering belongings, sealing areas and gaps where bed bugs can hide, homeowner, tenant, manager education and encasing mattresses, box springs, and pillows with bed bug proof protectors like the entomologist tested Allergy Luxe® collection with Arm & Hammer™ odor neutralizing technology. Do not use home remedies such as kerosene.
• I can get rid of bed bugs by leaving my house empty for a few weeks.
  • Wrong: Adult bed bugs can live as long as twelve months without a meal, so a long vacation won't provide you with relief. The only way to deal with the problem is to treat it directly and monitor results over the long haul.
• Bed bugs feed off of dirt and other grime
  • Wrong: Bed bugs feed on the blood of human beings and other animals such as dogs, cats, birds, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and mice.
• Bed bugs are mostly found in beds OR found in shelters; only poor people or dirty people get them.
  • Wrong: They're found close to where they feed. Typically they're found in a bed mattress, box spring, bed frames and around the bed. They're also found in electric outlets, switches and behind pictures. Bed bugs can be found in hotels, motels, dormitories, apartments, condos, private homes, and even in public places, such as retail stores, movie theaters, businesses and offices. Anyone can get bed bugs.
• Bed bugs are too small to see with the naked eye
  • Wrong: The adult is about the size of an apple seed. The eggs and baby or nymph is about 1 mm long, almost entirely white and difficult to see with the naked eye. The nymph turns red as it feeds and fills with blood, making them easier to see.
• Bed bugs come out only at night
  • Wrong: It's true that they are more active at night and in the early morning, but bed bugs sense the heat and carbon dioxide given off by humans and therefore may come out at any time of day.
• Bed bug bites are easily felt
  • Wrong:  You do not feel a bed bug biting because they inject their saliva first which contains an anesthetic, numbing chemical and an anti-clotting agent so your blood flows freely.
• Walking into a room that has bed bugs means you will get bed bugs
  • Wrong: They spend 90% of their time hiding and are usually active at night. Bed bugs avoid light and do not like to be disturbed. So you will not necessarily walk away with bed bugs just by being in a room that has them.
• If you have bed bugs you need to throw away infested clothing and furniture
  • Wrong:  Clothing can be laundered to get rid of bed bugs. In most cases furniture can be treated and should only be discarded if there are no acceptable treatments that can rid them of bed bugs.
• It's too cold where I live for bed bugs!
  • Wrong: Even in the coldest climates bed bugs can still thrive. For starters, most bed bug infestations are located indoors. Bed bugs only need to be transported for short periods of time on clothing or luggage to find a new home to infest.
• Sleeping in a metal bed will protect you from bed bugs
  • Wrong: Having a metal bed will not protect you from bed bugs. In some scenarios a metal bed may actually make it harder to detect a bed bug infestation because the hollow tubing of a metal bed is a great place for bed bugs to hide. The best way to prevent and control bed bug problems in beds is to encase mattresses, box springs, and pillows with bed bug proof protectors like the entomologist tested Allergy Luxe® collection with Arm & Hammer™ odor neutralizing technology.
• You can't get bed bugs from your neighbor
  • Wrong: Bed bug migration from one home or apartment to another is actually more common than most people think. In apartments or shared housing such as condos, the risk of migration is even higher. Bed bugs can travel through tiny cracks in the wall, through connected vents or spaces, or in the seams of floor boards or the edges of carpet. They have even been shown to travel out a front door, down the hall and into a neighboring apartment.
• Bed bug bites all look the same
  • Wrong: They can be small and red or bigger like welts. Some people don't react at all to a bed bug bite. It is almost impossible to diagnose a bed bug problem solely on the presence of bites on a human host.

7 Features and Benefits of Bed Bugs Covers from Bug Off Seat Covers

7 Features and Benefits of Bed Bugs Covers from Bug Off Seat Covers

Bed bug seat covers are a fantastic investment in your health and well-being. Individuals who travel, or those that otherwise come in contact with areas that could be infested with bed bugs often feel they cannot do anything to protect themselves. This is no longer the case. By investing in covers that fit over the seating, you are able to protect your body and clothing from coming into contact with bed bugs. These bugs are small creatures that can easily attach to you and come into your home, infesting it with thousands of bed bugs in a matter of months. Bug Off Seat Cover’s prevent this by providing you with an effective way of creating a barrier between you and those bugs.

The Key Benefits

There are many reasons to purchase bed bugs covers. You probably have a specific need in mind, or you may have already faced the worry and concern over these creatures and want a solution to reducing your contamination. Take a look at the following benefits all attributed to using a Bug Off Seat Cover as one of the best options in bed bugs covers.

·       The product offers the best packaging situation. They are small and tightly packed so that they can easily fit anywhere. You can carry it under your arm or in your handbag. This means you are not adding a lot of weight to your handbag or briefcase when you are trying to travel light.

·       The product is 100 percent recycled material called polypropyline. You do not have to worry about what you are doing to the environment when you use this product.

·       The bed bugs covers are soft and comfortable. If you do have to sleep on them, like on an airplane, you do not have to think you are sleeping on plastic, which is uncomfortable. Rather, these are soft and easy to relax on, and you can do so with true confidence that you are protected when you do.

·       When you purchase these in bulk, you will save the most money. However, Bug Off Seat Covers are inexpensive overall. You do not have to worry about spending too much on something like this.

·       They are disposable. You use them and toss them out. That way, you do not have to worry about taking them home with you again.

·       They are easy to put on because of the design. They have a top portion and a bottom portion that have a stretchy material incorporated in them. This makes it easy to adjust the bed bugs covers to any seat.

·       They are available in several color choices, including Gray, Black and White.

When you want to protect yourself from the risk of bed bugs, covers are the route to take to make this happen. Bug Off Seat Covers provide you with the level of protection you want and need to feel protected from these invading creatures. It is understood that you will feel better, snooze better and go home without any unwelcome guests when you use this product.

How to Avoid Bed Bugs in Movie Theaters - And Why Should You Worry?

How to Avoid Bed Bugs in Movie Theaters - And Why Should You Worry?

Learn how to avoid bed bugs no matter where you are going or what you are doing. Bed bugs are small bugs that are hard to see with the naked eye. They lurk in hidden areas, places you may never think to look. Their one and only goal is to find a host, where they can feed from when the host is sleeping or inactive. They remain hard to detect at all times, so the host has no idea the bugs are present until seeing the bites the next day. Chances are good that if you come into contact with them just once, you will end up bringing them into your home, where it is much harder to protect yourself. You can be proactive about this by using Bug Off Seat Covers. You may never think about protecting yourself from bed bugs at the movie theater, but this is a prime example of an area to be concerned in.

How to Avoid Bed Bugs in Movie Theaters

When you go to the movie theater, chances are good you do not think about bed bugs, but they could easily be present. Theatres are dark and cool, a perfect environment for bed bugs. One person brings them in on their body or clothes and they could easily and quickly reproduce. They specifically love to hide under hidden areas of the seats.

What can you do? Learn how to avoid bed bugs before you even arrive at the theater. Even if your local movie theater does not have them, or has no reports of having them, take precautions using Bug Off Seat Covers.

·       Get in the know. Monitor news reports and ask the movie theater of any suspected presence of these creatures. You can also ask your local health department about any potential risk factors for you.

·       Purchase disposable seat covers like those that Bug Off Seat Covers’ offers. This product allows you simply to slip the cover right over the seat. It creates a barrier for you, so the bugs cannot get to you at all.

·       Use these seat covers on your seat specifically, but also on the seats that you come in contact with, such as if you are going to be placing your belongings on the seat next to yours. Be sure your friends have these covers, too.

·       Sit down and relax. Watch your movie and do not think about these bed bugs. You are protected from infestation when you have these covers in place.

·       After the movie, simply leave the seat cover for the attendant to take care of, or dispose of it. These are best if used just one time, so you do not bring home any unwanted guests.

Bug Off Seat Covers are highly effective and they provide one of the best overall experiences for users who want a level of protection they can count on. Bed bugs are not something you can get rid of easily. However, you can learn how to avoid bed bugs altogether, so that you do not have to deal with them in your home.

Bed Bugs on Airplanes: Avoid Them with Bed Bugs Covers

Bed bug covers are one of the best ways for you to protect yourself from bed bugs. Bed bugs are invading the United States, specifically in urban areas, and the level of intensity continues to grow by leaps and bounds. If you do not take steps to protect yourself when you travel on airplanes and buses, or sit in theatres, chances are good you are going to not only be bitten by these bugs, but you'll also likely bring them home with you! Bug Off Seat Covers are one of the most effective ways to protect yourself while traveling or in public areas.

Tips to Prevent Bed Bugs

Do you know that bed bugs can easily latch onto you when you are traveling and you could end up bringing them home with you? This is one of the biggest risks you will face on the plane. Here are some tips to help you to get help. Bed Bugs seat covers can help you in an easy way.

• The first thing to do is to know how to check your seat before you sit down. Take the time to check the material for bedbugs. Specifically look on the seat, in the edges and against the lips. You want to ensure that you look under the armrests. In most cases, these bugs are going to get into the more hidden spaces of the cushions and seats, rather than in visible areas.

• Go further. Grab the edges of the seat and pull. In most cases, these seat bottoms are removable. The only way for you to do know if there are risk factors like bedbugs is to see the evidence of them. You will want to look at the underside of the cushion.

• Specifically look under and around the armrests, which is another area in which these bedbugs can hide. They like to hide in areas that are not noticeable, especially in dark areas. They can actually remain hidden and out of sight for weeks without dying, and it only takes one person to sit in the seat to trigger an attack from the bed bugs.

• Do not forget about the headrest. This is a great place for these critters to hide. They easily can crawl into the openings at the bottom of the headrest and remain protected from cleaning or visibility. You cannot see them, they are hiding and they will only come out when they know a blood meal (or you) sits down near enough to them. Pull off the headrest and look on the inside. If you find any evidence of them, it's time to make a move.

Bed bug covers from Bug Off Seat Covers can help to reduce your risk. Because they place a layer of plastic between you and the bed bugs (as well as other germs), the creatures are unable to get to your skin, and thus cannot attack you. Bed bugs personal seat covers are a simple to use tool that protects you from the spread of bed bugs, even as they continue to spread quickly. Bug Off Seat Covers are one of the most effective tools for this process of stopping bed bugs.

Simple Solution for Avoiding Bed Bugs Infestation: Bed Bug Covers for Your Seat

Simple Solution for Avoiding Bed Bugs Infestation: Bed Bug Covers for Your Seat

Bed Bug covers for personal seats are a tool you should be using to protect yourself against the infestation of bed bugs. Bed bugs are small bugs, barely noticeable to the human eye. They hide in dark places, but prefer fabrics, like mattresses, carpeting or other areas where they are out of sight, but close enough to their next meal. What you may not know is that that meal is you. These bugs feast on blood on humans and pets, often when they are sleeping. However, any time that you come in contact with services where there are bed bugs, they can easily and quickly attach to your person and travel with you, even right back to your home. Once they are safe they can multiply quickly. One of the ways that you can prevent this is through bed bug covers and Bug Off Seat Covers are the best for this specific need.

Where Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are spreading. While these bugs were in fact much less of a risk just ten years ago, in the last few years they have grown to overwhelming numbers, often limiting your ability to control them. What makes them particularly troublesome is that these bugs can actually go for several weeks without having a blood meal. That means they can easily travel on your clothing, in your suitcase or even on your body to move from one location to the next. It is because of this easy transfer that these bugs are invading countless cities around the world at alarming rates. But, how do they do it?

•   Bed bugs are almost always common in some hotels. They lurk throughout the room, infesting the various areas of the bed that most people never check. 

• The bugs are able to get into your suitcase to travel with your home.

• They are lurking on seats on airplanes, on buses and in other public areas like theaters.

In any of these situations, they can come home with you and that poses a big risk to you. The good news is that you can prevent, or reduce your risks, of bringing them home. To do this, start with the use of personal bed bug covers. By placing this specific type of seat cover over your seat, you place a barrier between you and the bugs. There are only two ways to protect yourself from these bugs.

1. Ensure there are no bed bugs on the surfaces you come in contact with.  
2. Use personal seat covers to protect against the bugs coming in contact with you.

Personal seat covers can help because they stop the transfer of these critters to your body, thus preventing you from further exposure. There is no real way of making sure any room or any seat is going to be 100 percent safe. The only thing you can to do to prevent bringing bed bugs home with you is to use this type of barrier. With personal bed bug covers, such as Bug Off Seat Covers, you can stop that risk and feel more confident as you travel.