Could A Bed Bug "Trap" Be On The Way?
If you've ever suffered from a bed bug infestation, you probably already know about the time, emotional energy, and expense associated with a full-home bed bug treatment. However, there could be a new and improved treatment option on the way. Scientists have recently developed a type of trap that may be able to eliminate bed bugs for good. Read on to learn more about this new invention, as well as what you can do to prevent future bed bugs before it becomes widely available.
What is the bed bug trap?
Although traps and spray treatments exist for nearly every other blood-sucking parasite -- fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes -- bed bugs have always been notoriously hard to trap without using actual human blood. Late last year, Canadian scientists announced their creation of the first successful bed bug trap that operates using pheromones and histamine to attract bed bugs to the impenetrable trap (while leading them away from the sleeping human in the bed).
These scientists plan to make the trap available for sale throughout North America sometime during 2015. Once available, these traps should be useful both for residences in which bed bug infestations are common (such as apartment buildings or extended-stay hotels), as well as freestanding homes in which a recent bed bug infestation has been identified. Currently, the only treatment shown to be completely effective against bed bugs involves heating the home to a very high temperature for an extended period of time, which can be difficult in apartments and other buildings with several individual units.
What can you do now to prevent bed bug infestations in your home?
If you've already endured one bed bug infestation, there are a few things you can do to help prevent yourself from becoming a midnight snack again.
First, when traveling, pack several large plastic zip bags with your luggage. Leave your luggage outside the room when you first arrive at a hotel, and examine the edges of the bed (particularly around the headboard) to check for the telltale tiny dots that signal the presence of bed bugs. Once you've given the room a once-over, you can safely unpack.
When returning home from the trip, place your clothes and other soft belongings in the zip bags. When you've arrived home, wash these clothes immediately in a hot cycle, and wipe your luggage inside and out with a cloth soaked in a vinegar and water mixture. By taking these preventive steps, you should be able to dramatically minimize the odds of a bed bug infestation. For further assistance, contact professionals such as those from Best Control Pest Control Ltd.
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