- How Do You Recognize a Bed Bug Infestation
- Where Do You Find Bed Bugs?
- What Attracts Bed Bugs?
- What Do Bed Bugs Feed On?
- How Can You Keep Bed Bugs Out Of Your House?
- Final Words
Bed bugs are a common pest that can invade your bed, clothes, couches, and other household items. They have been around for centuries and will continue to be a problem as long as there is human contact with bedding or furniture.
Bed bugs like to live in warm, dark places. You may find these insects in your bed or near your mattress. They can be difficult to see by an untrained eye because they are small and they hide under furniture or inside pillows.
It’s much better to know how to spot and eliminate bed bugs than it is to have them crawling on your sheets. We’ll show you how to identify, remove and prevent bed bugs from infesting your house so that you can sleep well, knowing they won’t bite.
How Do You Recognize a Bed Bug Infestation?
It might be difficult to spot bed bugs. They’re tiny and sly, making it more challenging to detect an infestation before it becomes a severe problem.
What to Look For
Hundreds of tiny insect pests can be annoying, but a few that are the size of an apple seed are much more severe. Usually found around bedding, couches, and any other place you rest your body regularly. Females typically lay eggs in clusters, which they then cover with bed bug feces.
A bedbug’s exoskeleton is translucent, and when they are full of blood from feeding, it looks reddish-brown.
Bed bugs are insects that can bite humans, but they do not carry diseases, however people often get bumps and rashes when bitten by bed bugs.
Where Do You Find Bed Bugs?
Under the corners of mattresses. Inseams or cracks on bedding surfaces such as box springs, pillows, and couches underneath cushions or between buttons/zippers. They can also be found behind picture frames hanging on walls near your bed where you rest your head at night.
A crack in the wall leads to an open space above a door frame, under carpeting next to baseboards, inside bedside furniture like lamps and bedside tables, and in bed frames.
What Attracts Bed Bugs?
Identifying a bed bug might be difficult, but learning about its behavioral and dietary patterns can help you avoid an infestation. When it comes down to brass tacks, though, these bugs are attracted to the following:
There is a lot of foot movement on the higher levels or within closets with heated surfaces nearby. Access to warmth and moisture attract bed bugs.
Bedding and bed clothing can easily be infested through contact with an infested individual or used bedding.
Bed bugs are more likely to be found on dark surfaces than light ones because of their natural preference for hiding within cracks. Dark colors attract them by making those crevices even darker and easier for bedbugs to hide in them while waiting for potential prey items (such as yourself), so it’s best not to use clothing with these colors when possible.
Must Read: 7 Tips To Keep Bugs Out Of Your Home This Winter
What Do Bed Bugs Feed On?
Bed bugs feed primarily on the blood of humans when possible but will move on to other mammals if they have no choice. They can also survive for up to 400 days without eating anything at all as long as they maintain a safe hiding place such as furniture crevices or dark corners of walls and ceilings; this makes it even harder for you to notice them!
How Can You Keep Bed Bugs Out of Your House?
Because most bed bug infestations in your house are caused by previously infested furniture and people, here are a few methods you can use to keep them out.
Keep An Eye Out For Bed Bug Signs In Your Bedding
Rather than simply checking your bed every week, set aside some time to examine the state of your mattress for indications of bed bugs or bed bug droppings.
You can also check bedding and under furniture for signs of bed bugs, such as black spots on bed sheets or dark blood spots from bed bug bites. Immediately take out your bedding, wash and dry it at the maximum heat and cycle setting available, and launder all of your clothing as soon as the infestation has been eradicated. The high heat and water should suffocate any bed bugs that may be hiding in your clothing, making it easier for you to find them when they die.
Consider washing drapes, rugs, throw blankets, or other items exposed to bed bugs on the maximum heat setting as well; this might make it easier for you to identify bed bugs when they start to die off.
Before You Buy Used Furniture, Inspect It!
When it comes to furniture, purchasing second hand might save you money while creating a low-cost makeover for your home, but it can also be harmful if not adequately assessed.
Bed bugs feed on human blood, and used furniture can easily be infested with them. While you might not see any obvious signs of the insects or their droppings initially, they may show up weeks after use when it becomes more challenging to get rid of them.
If you’re in the market for used furniture, keep in mind that it’s often more expensive to get rid of bed bugs than to prevent getting an infestation in your home and on pieces of used furniture in the first place!
Avoiding used mattresses and upholstered items like couches will go a long way towards preventing potential problems down the road. New sheets, mattress covers, or couch covers can provide excellent protection against any future incidents when used correctly.
Always Check the Room When Travelling
Before you unpack, inspect your hotel room for bed bugs, focusing on the bedding, upholstered furniture, and drapes.
Bed bugs can hide in your luggage and live up to a week. If they come home, they will live there for a long time. When you return from a trip, check your luggage for any signs of bed bugs.
To Prevent Bringing Them Home With You…
Immediately put all your dirty laundry in the dryer on high heat to kill any remaining eggs or adults. Take out suitcases and place them away from areas where people sleep, such as living rooms or bedrooms. If the home has been thoroughly inspected for bed bugs and no signs of infestation are discovered, another inspection is not required.
Vacuum suitcases before storing them away so there is no chance of carrying back anything that could reinfest you at home. If possible, take clean linens out of plastic bags and store them separately from the used ones, which should be sealed up tightly with tape or stored in a black plastic bag if need be.
Fill Any Cracks or Gaps in Your Walls
To keep bed bugs out, make sure any gaps in the baseboard or wall are sealed. Bed bugs may travel via walls between apartments, but closing any holes will prevent them from ever approaching you.
Caulk is a viable option. Caulk is the type of sealant used by painters and decorators to fill cracks, seams, and gaps between the baseboard and the wall, e.g., between the baseboard and the wall. If sealed properly, it will prevent bed bugs (or other vermin) from traveling from room to room by closing wall cracks.
Contact a Pest Control Company
After taking all the precautions to prevent bed bug infestation, don’t hesitate to call a pest control company if you still have a problem with these pests in your home or business. A professional bed bug treatment will safely, effectively, and most importantly, permanently eliminate bed bugs from your home or business.
Some individuals choose to treat their homes on their own when they become infested, but this may end up costing more than expected and the potential for an unsafe application is high, rather than hiring a professional pest control firm that is trained and licensed to properly eradicate bed bugs.
Many homeowners who want to take matters into their own hands resort to over-the-counter treatments like sprays and foggers, which cab ineffective against these pests and often make it more difficult for experts to eliminate them later because of the adverse effects of an incorrect application.
Keep Your Pet and Their Accessories Clean
Bed bugs may be hiding beneath or inside your dog’s collar. It’s unlikely, but it’s the only place your dog could hide unless they have a coat in the winter. Bed bugs can only survive indoors, so if you walk your dog outside and never to anybody else’s home, there’s no chance for them to acquire them.
It is simple to clean their collar. Combine it with the rest of your laundry, and, as we previously stated, the heat and water will eliminate any bed bugs that may be on there.
Keep Them At Bay With Sprays
Bed bugs have been found to avoid a variety of chemicals in the lab. This includes desiccants, solvents, chemical pesticides, and other substances. Several “homemade cure” remedies are available to avoid DDT’s adverse effects on both human health and insect life.
We can use sprays to keep away bed bugs. While this method is not foolproof and may take a few rounds of spraying to prevent future infestations, it should help prevent or at least limit the spread of these pests in your home since they cannot lay eggs on fabric that has been sprayed.
It would be best if you vacuumed upholstery regularly but did not spray chemicals directly onto surfaces as you run the risk of inhaling harmful toxins when using chemical sprays indoors.
Final Words
The best way to prevent bed bugs is by taking all the precautions. If you have already taken those measures and still find yourself with a problem, don’t hesitate to call HERO PEST CONTROL!
We can come out for an inspection and give your home or business a professional treatment that will safely, effectively, and most importantly, permanently eliminate bed bugs from your property. Call us today!