An infestation of bed bugs caused some major headaches for an Arizona household.
According to Phoenix-area independent news station KTVK, when an Arizona woman and her husband first discovered the bed bugs in their home, they did not know how to properly handle the problem. They tried getting rid of the pests on their own, but the infestation only grew, spreading to every room in their house. The couple began sleeping on chairs in the living room to avoid getting bites from the bugs in their beds.
Because the couple were embarrassed to ask for assistance to eliminate their pest problem, they learned to live with the bed bugs for more than a year.
Finally, the woman's daughter decided it was time to seek treatment for the insects that continued to plague the household. She arranged for insect control professionals to take care of the problem.
Severe bed bug infestations are a challenge to get rid of and often require professional assistance.
A local pest control expert told the source that the pests are notoriously hard to treat because even leaving one tiny egg behind means the bed bug population will continue to grow.
Exterminators spent hours in the home, utilizing treatments known to be effective against bed bugs. After the treatments were finished, the crew stuck bed bug-attracting traps on the walls. The traps determine if there are still bed bugs in a residence after it is treated.
Several weeks after the bed bug treatment, the couple did not find any bed bugs in the traps, meaning their home may finally be completely free of the pests.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that while the presence of bed bugs is irritating, an infestation has nothing to do with the cleanliness of a home. The cleanest of residences can succumb to a pest invasion, which is usually noticed when itchy bites occur while sleeping. Even though these bites cannot spread disease, scratching the welts excessively has the potential to increase the chance that a secondary skin infection will develop around the area.
Bed bug control is a difficult task for homeowners to undertake on their own, and those experiencing an infestation should contact an pest control professional for advice and effective treatment before the problem spreads to other areas of the house.