Beds are supposed to be your refuge from a stressful and tiring day. It is where you can spend a comfortable night sleep that could replenish your body and reenergize your body. However our beds can be a potential health hazard because of bed bugs. These parasites are small nocturnal insects that feed on blood. Their bites leave nasty and itchy red welts, which can cause problems for hypersensitive individuals. Though bed bugs are not linked to transmission of diseases, having them in your bed and feeding off your blood is certainly unhealthy and can cause problems with regards to your sleep patterns. So how can you avoid these pests effectively and enjoy a good night’s sleep?

First thing that you should know is where to find them. Usually bed bugs are found on mattresses, box springs, bed frames, bedding, and cracks or crevices in beds among others. These insects also can travel from room to room. You can conduct careful inspection with the use a bright flashlight in likely hiding places such as mattress tufts and buttons, box springs, bed frames, including floor and wall moldings, and picture frames among others.

Bed bugs infestation should be dealt with promptly so as not to worsen the problem.  Experts recommends that immediate spraying or dusting of the mattress and box spring should be done focusing more to the area along the edges, above and below the piping or seams as well as under mattress tufts, buttons or handles.The mattress and box spring should be separated and the area between them should be treated as well.

Beddings like linens and pillow as well as bedroom curtains should be washed in hot water and detergentaccording to experts. These should placeafterwards for 30 minutes in a dryer so as to kill and remove insects including their eggs.  These newly washed items should be kept in another area for at least a few days before also.

For bed frames, experts recommends applying residual insecticide or a non-residual pyrethrins to the connecting points at both the headboard and footboard as well as the wall moldings and  hollow areas that are potential hiding place for these bugs. Headboards that are attached to wall should be removed and treated by insecticide as well.

Since bed bugs can be present not only on the bed but in other areas in the bedroom, other furniture, moldings, clothing, and other items should be inspected and treated also and seal any cracks or crevices around floorboards and treat wooden floor and gaps.