How do bed bugs get into your house?
In recent years, studies have shown bed bug infestations have increased throughout the United States. While many people wake up confused and frustrated wondering where these pesky bloodsuckers could have come from, they are commonly spread through contact with other people. They attach themselves to items such as clothing, furniture, luggage and mattresses, residing in their new home next to a warm-blooded body. Learning how to identify bed bugs in your home is the first step to preventing an infestation.
How to Spot Bed Bugs
From bug bites to stains on your mattress, there are several ways you can spot bed bugs in your home. If you notice any of the following problems, you may need to call an exterminator.
What do Bed Bugs Look Like?
Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that are flat and reddish-brown in color. They are 4-5 millimeters long and oval in shape – comparable to an apple seed. They are parasites who feed exclusively off the blood of their host. Check around in any type of fold or crevice in your bed. Bed bugs like warm and dark places such as seams in your mattress, box springs or cracks in the headboard or bed frame.
Bed Bug Bites
Bed bugs come out at night or in the morning when the host is asleep. Bed bug bites are distinguished as small, red, itchy inflamed bumps on the skin. Unlike mosquito bites or spider bites, bed bug bites form in a line or row. Mosquitos and spiders have a tendency to bite in isolation or randomness, whereas bed bugs bite in clusters along sheets. Bug bites are usually the first indication of bed bugs in your home. If you notice bites such as these on your skin, you may have a bed bug problem.
Bed Bug Skin Shedding
Bed bugs shed their skin a total of five times before they reach maturity. This outer layer is known as the cast skin. Check your pillowcases, mattress and bed frame for signs of lingering bed bug cast skins.
Bed Bug Stains
Bed bugs come out during the nighttime when their host is asleep and still. However, bed bugs can get squished or crushed during the night, leaving small reddish dots on your sheets or pillowcases. Bed Bugs also produce faecal spots after they feed, these are black ink-like spots found on or around your bed.
Call BugOut Pest Control Today!
BugOut Pest Control proudly serves mid-Missouri with professional quality service. Our expert pest control technicians assure outstanding bed bug removal services. Call us today for a free quote!
