Bed bugs, tiny reddish-brown insects, are well-known for inhabiting beds and feeding on sleeping humans. They are commonly found wherever people gather, such as homes, hotels, schools, offices, and public transport. They're adept hitchhikers, hitching rides on luggage, clothes, and linens, spreading easily. Identifying bed bug bites is tricky, often mistaken for other pest bites, which makes detecting infestations challenging and allows their numbers to increase unnoticed. Recognizing how infestations begin and identifying bed bugs are crucial in preventing them. Signs of a bed bug infestation may include bite marks on the skin, blood stains on bedding, musty odor, and the presence of live bed bugs. Although bed bugs do not cause structural damage, they cause physical and psychological harm. Bed bug bites can cause skin irritation, itching, and even allergic reactions. Dealing with a bed bug infestation may cause significant stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and a loss of property value.

The process of treating a bed bug infestation includes:

• Decluttering, removing bedding/ linen, and vacuuming the infested area.

• Apply insecticides approved for bed bug control to infested areas, which include residual sprays. Treat cracks, crevices, and voids where bed bugs may hide or lay eggs.

• Use specialized equipment to raise the temperature of the infested area to levels lethal to bed bugs. Heat treatment can penetrate into cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide, effectively eliminating all life stages of bed bugs.

• Utilize steamers to treat fabric surfaces, furniture, and mattresses, as high temperatures can kill bed bugs and their eggs on contact.

• Encase mattresses and box springs with bed bug-proof cover to trap any remaining bed bugs and prevent them from feeding or escaping.

• Vacuum infested areas thoroughly, paying attention to cracks, crevices, and seams where bed bugs may hide. Dispose of vacuum bag or contents in a sealed plastic bag to prevent bed bugs from spreading