No one enjoys a good cat (or dog) nap more than your precious pet, but these days, it's harder than ever to dream of chasing rabbits without worries. With record numbers of people reporting serious cases of bed bugs throughout the country (If they made it into the Plaza, then they could be anywhere), pets are often forced to suffer in silence.
Furthermore, bed bugs are most common during the months of July, August and September, making education and preparation of premium importance. Given that they never take off their furry coats, and spend their days and nights lounging around on beds, couches and piles of laundry, they are most susceptible to getting bed bug bites. And unlike us, those tell-tale bed-bug-bumps aren't always easy to spot under Spot's coat.
But our pets are not sitting idle in the war against bedbugs. In fact, the beagle breed has stepped up to show the pesky parasites that they may run, but they can't hide! A beagle's sense of smell is king among the canine world's olfactory arsenal as beagles are often able to sniff out a bed bug colony long before it leaves any visible evidence. Now, many hotels are! The beagles are crucial in the process because they are able to sniff out the eggs before the problem enlisting beagles to do sweeps of their rooms so as to catch any potential infestation before it spreads to an unmanageable degree. Thus these usually playful pooches are saying thanks for the puppy love by saving homeowners and businesses the expense of a full-scale invasion by cutting the bed bugs off at the source.
With all this talk of bugs in beds, we know that the clean freaks in the kennel are probably ready to jump off the pet parent bandwagon, but never fear, because pets cannot carry bed bugs. What they can do, however, is experience the same irritation of bed bug bites as their human counterparts. So, be sensitive to your pets unique needs, and make sure to use pet- friendly pesticides in your home if you need a visit from the exterminator.
To catch these critters before they can wreak havoc on your home consider investing in a Night Watch Bed Bug Monitoring System. It sits in your bed with you and replicates the temperature and conditions of human skin luring potential parasites into its traps and away from your sensitive skin! It's patented technology is precise enough to catch a colony before it turns into a full blown infestation, saving you the costly and uncomfortable hassle of performing a full extermination.
And if the mere mentions of creepy crawlies make your stomach turn, there are other precautions that you can take to guard yourself and your loved ones against such hungry little pests. One company, Smartsilk, is looking out for all pets (and parents) that just want to nap in peace. Smartsilk is an all-natural bedding company, and is the only brand to be certified asthma and allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The company has a new line of bed linens for both pets and owners that make it impossible for bed bugs and other allergens to penetrate. The sheets also absorb the humidity and heat that bed bugs need to survive, and are resistant to mold and mildew growth, as well.
Of course, bed bugs are not only a menace in the home. Whether sending your young man or woman off to college or taking a family vacation the Bed Bug College Kit has all the basics covered for bed bug prevention. Featuring sheets, pillowcases, and insect interceptors this package is the perfect quick fix to nix your bed bug fear.
And if your sheets are already crawling with these meddlesome menaces try Stop Bugging Me Bed Bug Spray This safe and simple treatment kills bed bugs on contact and can save you a ton of time and trouble if you catch the pests early enough.
If you're looking to take a more aggressive route, look no further than Packtite. Just place your clothes, luggage, plush toys, bedding, or even your shoes inside the Packtite, insert the thermometer, plug it in, set the timer, sit back and relax as the little suckers burn! The large chamber and varied settings make this product perfect you're your extermination needs.
If you're looking to avoid bed bugs it may be helpful to remember the real estate mantra, "location, location, location!" If you're looking to live in one of the five boroughs of New York, you may be surprised to learn that Staten Island is almost completely bed-bug-free while Brooklyn bashfully boasts the highest number and percentage of bed bug infestations. Manhattan and The Bronx tie in terms of number, but those 74,000 reported cases of bedbugs makes up 8.1 percent of The Bronx's population as compared to 5.8 perent of Manhattan's. Reports of bed bugs are up a whopping 80 percent since 2000 making vigilance paramount on this issue.
So bring your beagle, make your bed, and keep the bugs at bay the Wendy and Lucky diamond way! Check www.bedbugcentral.com for the most up to date info on how to find, eliminate, and repel all unwanted buggies from your bed.
Keep up with Wendy at Animal Fair for the latest in pet parenting tips, tricks, and entertainment.