Contrary to popular belief that bed bugs reside only in a filthy environment, they can invade even the cleanest areas. Bed bugs don’t discriminate, and you can find them in houses, apartments, hospitals, nursing homes, cars, planes, and even five-star hotels. They can even find shelter in new furniture at various stores.
Therefore, cleanliness doesn’t have anything to do with bed bug infestations. This is simply because bed bugs need human blood to survive, which means they can be anywhere people are.
So, what do you do if you encounter these pesky little parasites? More importantly, how can you even spot them? Here are the answers to all your burning questions, including what to do if you’re ever injured by bed bugs:
How to Spot Bed Bugs
Bed bugs can be difficult to spot if you don’t know where or what to look for. They’re incredibly small and tend to hide in small dark crevices, such as behind headboards and between mattresses.
This is because they prefer dark places, where they can stay away from warmth. They hide in various tiny crevices during the day and come out at night when you’re asleep so that they can easily feed on your blood. Don’t worry, you can actually detect them easier than you probably thought.
The tell-tale signs of a bed bug infestation, apart from living bed bugs, include:
- Small red spots
- Small dark brown or black spots (bed bug excrement)
- Tiny white eggs and eggshells
- Yellow skins shed by the bugs
- Bed bug bites or skin rashes
You can check for the warning signs of a bed bug infestation if you look very closely in and around the following areas:
- Bed sheets
- Between mattresses
- In the seams of a mattress and box spring
- Between bed skirt pleats
- Beneath pillows
- In the seams of upholstery furniture
- Under cushions
- In the folds of curtains
- Behind headboards
- Around baseboards
- In the joints of dresser drawers
- Around electrical outlets and light switches
- Behind hanging pictures
It’s especially important to check for these signs when staying at a hotel, even if it boasts five stars. Inspect your room before you unpack, so that potential bed bugs don’t cling onto your luggage and hitch a ride back home.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
If you have a widespread bed bug infestation in your home, you should immediately hire a professional pest control service to exterminate the little pests. However, if the problem isn’t too serious yet, you can use several DIY remedies to get rid of bed bugs, although, we always recommend contacting an exterminator the second signs of bed bugs are spotted.
Apart from vacuuming every part of your furniture every day and washing your clothes and bedding using hot water, you can try the following quick home remedies that are quite effective.
1. Baking Soda
Baking soda will absorb moisture out of the bodies of bed bugs, effectively killing them. Sprinkle baking soda in every small crack and crevice where they could hide and leave it for a few days. Then, vacuum to suck out all the dead pests. Repeat the process every couple of days to make sure you completely exterminate the bugs.
2. Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol will kill bed bugs on contact, so pour it in a spray bottle, and spray everywhere the bugs could be residing.
3. Vinegar
Vinegar also effectively kills bed bugs, as it severely damages their nervous system. However, it doesn’t kill the eggs, so be sure to use alcohol or baking soda in combination with vinegar.
4. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is also very effective. Dilute 20 drops of tea tree oil with 200 ml of water and spray it onto the areas where bed bugs could hide.
5. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is one of the best home remedies to rid of bed bugs, apart from professional extermination. It’s a fine white powder made by crumbling a naturally occurring sedimentary rock. This rock is composed of minuscule shards capable of killing bed bugs.
Sprinkle this powder in every crack and crevice, and all over the floor, and leave it for a few days before vacuuming. Repeat the process as many times as it’s necessary to completely eradicate the pests.
Make sure to not sprinkle it on your bed. Those microscopic shards it contains could find their way into your lungs and cause serious damage.
Also, make sure you use food-grade diatomaceous earth, as it contains very little crystalline silica, so it’s safe for humans. Filter-grade diatomaceous earth, on the other hand, is toxic to humans.
What to Do If You Were Injured by Bed Bug Bites
If you suffered bed bug injuries in a home you were renting or any other place you were staying at and can prove negligence, you can potentially file a lawsuit and request compensation for your injuries.
Bed bug bites can sometimes cause allergic reactions and can even leave permanent scars. You should never ignore your injuries if they’re the result of negligence on behalf of a landlord, hotel management, or more.
If you were injured by bed bugs at someone’s fault besides your own, you should:
- Document your injuries by taking photos and/or videos
- Alert the responsible party
- Save the receipts, bills, and any notes that you may have if you treated the injuries
- Make notes of any potential property damage, such as infested clothes, that you may need to throw out
- Keep track of potentially lost wages due to your injury treatment
- File a lawsuit against the responsible party to try and get compensation
How Bed Bug Injury Law Can Help You
Bed Bug Injury Law can potentially help you if you’ve experienced a bed bug infestation and would like to file a lawsuit against the responsible party. We can’t guarantee you receive compensation, but we can help you determine whether or not you actually have a strong case.
Bed Bug Injury Law has helped hundreds of people get the compensation they deserve for their bed bug injuries. Our expert team of bed bug lawyers has helped hotel guests, families, and more settle their cases for thousands of dollars.
Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll assess your case and see if we can provide you with the necessary legal guidance.
I was bitten by bed bug 09/15/2019 at the Palms Hotel in Myrtle Beach South Carolina told the front desk manger they only sent the maintenance man to come check to see if there were any they clam they were none but I have pictures of my bites do I have a case because now I done brought them home is there anything I can do
I was attacked and bit n at my job and ended up bringing them home and now my car and home and I rent a room from my mom