Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite.  This is the phrase that many people are familiar with hearing before going to bed.  As mythical and silly as bed bugs might sound, their presence is as real as the bed you sleep on.   

Cimex lectularius, also known as the common bed bug, has been known since ancient times.  The bed bug pest is best adapted to the human environment and is found in temperate climates, like our beds.  The warmth of our bodies and carbon dioxide is what attracts the creepy and crawly bugs to our most personal of places.  

Most people think that bed bugs only visit the filthiest conditions, this belief is sorely mistaken.  In fact, bed bugs can infest the cleanest environments.  Hotels and bed and breakfast’s can be the most susceptible because of increased domestic and international tourism.  These un-welcomed guests have been known to travel within apartment buildings and in condominiums.

To get weekly Home and Garden Newsletters delivered right to your inbox click here!

To add an even more unsettling element to these pests, bed bugs only feed on our blood for about five minutes, but can live up to 18 months without a food source.  They leave their mark on our skin with three bite marks in a row, usually red in color.  

The best way to detect the (cimex lectularius) is to look for dark brown or black tracks on your bedding, which are fecal stains.  Also, keep a close eye on your skin.  If you notice a set of three red bumps, chances are you are housing unwanted roommates.  

The most effective way to evict these pests is to first wash all bedding and clothing in hot water, regardless of color. Second, dry bedding and clothing on high heat for one hour.  

Another sure way to seal out those pests, “Get a special cover for the mattress, this will suffocate the bugs” said John Smith, owner of Santa Clarita’s Molly Maid.  

Molly Maid offers effective solutions to maintaining a pest free environment that will save you both sleep and money.  

To learn more about these solutions visit Molly Maid at 18350 Soledad Canyon Rd. Santa Clarita, CA 91387 or call (661) 298-1800 or visit www.mollymaid.com