Bed Bugs Exterminators | Can Bed Bugs Climb Up Metal Bed Frames
Nobody wants to hear that bed bugs have infested their living space. But the name bed bugs are also a misnomer of sorts. They don’t live on your bed, that’s just where they are when they are feeding on their preferred food source – blood meal from sleeping humans. Therefore, they have to find their way onto the bed in order to feed.
When bed bugs want to crawl up into your bed to feed, they can do that a number of ways. One of the most common ways is that they will crawl from the floor to the wall, and onto your bed. Most people have their bed close to, or touching the wall. This makes it incredibly easy for bed bugs to make their way to you while you are asleep.
Make Your Bed An Island
Your bed doesn’t even have to be close to the wall, if your bed is close to other pieces of furniture. Desks, dressers, nightstands just to name a few. Bed bug expert Jun Buhkt, owner of Major Pest Control in Calgary says that people can make it harder for bed bugs by moving their bed six inches away from all walls and other furniture. While this won’t prevent all bugs, it makes it harder for the majority of these pests.
However that’s not the only way. If your bed sheets, quilt or comforter hangs over the side of your bed and touches the ground, it becomes a convenient path for bed bugs to take to get to you. In addition to moving your bed away from furniture and walls, ensure that none of your bedding touches the floor, walls or other furniture either. This is what’s called making your bed an island.
Bed Bugs | Bed Bugs Can Crawl Up Metal
A common misconception is that bed bugs are unable to crawl up the metal legs of a bed frame. Therefore, by getting a metal bed frame, and then making their bed an island, people are protecting themselves from these tiny pests. But that’s not true at all. In fact, bed bugs are capable of crawling up metal bed frames. Bed bugs have the ability to crawl on various surfaces, including smooth metal. They have specially adapted legs that allow them to traverse different types of materials and textures.
Bed bugs use claws to grip onto surfaces and their flattened bodies to maneuver in tight spaces. While metal bed frames may offer a smoother surface compared to other materials, bed bugs can still crawl up the legs or sides of the frame to reach the mattress or bedding.
Kerosene a Poor Bed Bug Deterrent
Some people think that putting each leg of their bed in a jar or dish of kerosene or other caustic material is effective at preventing bed bugs from crawling up the legs of their bed. However, it is not recommended to put your bed legs in kerosene (or any other flammable substance) to prevent bed bugs. Using flammable substances like kerosene can be dangerous and pose fire hazards in your home.
Instead, you can buy a product called bed bug interceptors and can be purchased very inexpensively from many businesses in Calgary, such as Home Depot, Canadian Tire, and Rona. These simple plastic disks or dishes are large enough to accommodate a bed leg. The dish has an outer moat with slippery, vertical sides, making it very hard for bed bugs to climb out of the most and onto your bed leg. Some interceptors use non toxic and safe talc powder to make is especially slippery.
Petroleum Jelly Also a Poor Bed Bug Deterrent
Another home remedy is to coat the bed legs in petroleum jelly, however this is also an ill-advised bed bug deterrent. While petroleum jelly may create a sticky surface that bed bugs could potentially get trapped in, it is unlikely to provide long-term protection or prevent an infestation. Bed bugs are adept at finding hiding spots and can easily avoid the petroleum jelly by crawling on other surfaces or bypassing the coated area. Moreover, petroleum jelly can be messy, attract dirt and debris, and may stain your bedding or furniture.
Contact Us
Instead of using messy or ineffective methods of bed bug deterrents and removal methods, the best thing anyone can do when faced with an infestation is to contact your local experts. In Calgary, call Major Pest Control, not only do they offer guarantees, but the owner is an entomologist, who is an expert in bed bugs. They will be able to take swift action to get rid of those pesky bugs once and for all. Contact today for a free consultation and quote!