Do You Have a Bed Bug Infestation? : How To Identify One
Good night
Sleep tight
Don't let the bed bugs bite
If only that worked. Bed bug infestations are ridiculously infamous for being hard to deal with. General treatments that may work for mosquitoes or other pests don't work on bed bugs.
Bed bug exterminators say even the cleanest homes might be infested. Notorious for spreading via humans, animals, clothing or furniture, they are also fast breeders. These pests are sturdy and can survive cold and humid weather alike. As long as they have blood to feed on, they'll subsist.
How to Identify A Bed Bug Infestation?
Infestations take four to five weeks to set in but even then one might miss the signs if they're not looking closely.
Adult Bugs
Bed bugs are not exclusively nocturnal, but they mostly stay hidden away during the day only coming out to feed at night.
The eggs and nymphs are too tiny to be noticed but the adult bugs are the size of an apple seed and visible if one looks closely. They're usually light brown to reddish brown in color.
Bite Marks on Your Body
Check your body for bite marks left by the bed bugs overnight. They usually leave red welts along a line or in a zigzag pattern. Bed bugs only feed on the exposed part of the body so covering up when going to sleep at night will help.
Bloodstains on Your Sheets
You may also find bloodstains on your sheets or pillowcases left behind by the bed bugs.
Fecal Droppings
Finding fecal droppings behind headboards, along the creases of the mattresses, behind loose wallpaper etc is a symptom of a bed bug Infestation. These droppings are blackish-red in color and often smear into fabric creating ugly stains.
Eggs Laid by Bed bugs
Often bed bugs lay eggs in the cracks and crevices in walls, behind outlets, under loose floorboards etc . You can check all possible places and if you find any it might be time to call a bug exterminator.
Skin Sheddings
A bed bug sheds it skin between each of the 5 developmental stages it goes through. Finding sheded skin around your sleeping quarters or anyother place in the house is a sign of a bed bug infestation.
What to Do Once You Have Identified A Bed Bug Problem?
If you have done a thorough checking of your home and found that you do afterall have a bed bug problem, the best course of action is to call a bed bug exterminator.
Mother Nature's is a pest control and lawn care company that provide bed bug exterminators in and around Tulsa and Oklahoma City.