Bed Bug Identification Guide
Bed Bug Identification Guide
Bed bugs are insects and create a common pest problem. They live and travel across the United States with ease. Bed bugs are exceptional hitchhikers and move from place to place on people, furniture, luggage, clothing, electronics, and more. Bed bugs require a diet that only consists of blood, with human blood being their favorite food source. These pests received their name because they like to live around sleeping areas and feed on human blood at night, usually right before dawn.
Bed bugs are oval and flattened from top to bottom. Adult bed bugs grow to about a quarter of an inch in length and are reddish-brown. Bed bugs are wingless and cannot jump. To feed, they use a specialized elongated mouthpart called a proboscis. Bed bugs grow by molting or shedding their skins. there are a few ways to tell if your home has a bed bug problem, finding piles of shed skins under mattresses or on the floor is one of the signs of an infestation.
Are bed bugs dangerous?
Interrupted sleep and worry are some of the biggest concerns when it comes to bed bugs. While bed bugs do feed on blood, the spread of disease by these insects is currently not a cause of concern. Another problem associated with bed bugs is that some people will react to their bites that range from mild to severe. Itching at the bite sites may lead to secondary infections that require medical attention.
They are also responsible for causing some damage when living inside of our homes. They stains pillows, sheets, walls, and floors with drops of blood or dark streaks of excrement. In the case of a large infestation, an unpleasant sweet, musty odor may develop in your home.
Why do I have a bed bug problem?
Bed bugs usually get into homes by hitchhiking on people or their belongings, and things like used furniture or mattresses. They can also move into houses or apartments by traveling through walls and floors. Avoiding problems with bed bugs can be difficult because they live and hide in so many places that people frequent. Our workplaces, schools, movie theaters, libraries, shopping centers, and airports are all home to bed bugs.
Where will I find bed bugs?
You will find bed bugs in homes, businesses, and sources of public transportation. They are an indoor pest, and because of this are active year-round. Bed bugs can find their way into any home. Whether a home is clean or not doesn’t matter to bed bugs. Bed bugs do like to hide in areas of clutter. A home with clutter will not attract bed bugs, but it will make it more difficult to identify an infestation.
Once bed bugs move into a home, they hide during the day in a variety of places, including the seams of mattresses and box springs. Other common hiding spots include:
- Furniture
- Cracks in walls
- Spaces behind wall hangings
- Wall voids behind electrical outlets
- Keyboards and electronics
- Under piles of dirty laundry
How do I get rid of bed bugs?
Bed bugs are tough pests to avoid, control, and eliminate. If you are experiencing problems with bed bugs in your Oklahoma, Kansas, or Arkansas home or business, let the professionals at BugBros Pest Control help. We take pride in offering the consistent and convenient services needed to eliminate pests and prevent them from returning. We dedicate ourselves to providing our customers with a pest-free environment that can be enjoyed by family and friends. We kill bugs and create #CrazyHappyCustomers!
How can I prevent bed bugs in the future?
Let the professionals at BugBros, in conjunction with our helpful prevention tips, help you avoid problems with bed bugs:
- Before staying in a hotel room or overnight at another home, inspect it thoroughly for signs of bed bugs.
- After traveling, wash and dry all clothing you took on the trip. Clean out and vacuum suitcases before storing them away.
- When traveling, working, or running errands, make sure to keep bags, coats, and other personal belongings up off of the ground.
- Place covers in outlets to stop bed bugs from crawling into them and moving behind your walls.
- Reduce the amount of clutter in your home.
- Regularly vacuum your home to pick up stray bed bugs.
- Place bed bug proof covers on mattresses and box springs to reduce hiding spots in your home.
- Inspect your upholstered furniture, mattresses, box springs, and bedding for signs of bed bugs regularly.
- Seal up cracks in walls and along baseboards to stop bed bugs from traveling between rooms or apartments.
For more information about our bed bug control services, reach out to BugBros today. We would love to work with you to ensure that your residential or commercial property is free of bed bugs and other pests!