You're lying in bed and feel a tickle on your legs. You turn the light on, move the covers, and look to see what is tickling you. When you do, you don't find anything. Do you have bed bugs? How can you know? Then, you wake up the next day and find bites on your legs. Are they bed bug bites? It is hard to tell because there are many bugs that can bite you.
Days go by, and you wake up again with bites on your legs, and you're still not seeing the pests that are biting you. Is it time to call a professional and get a bed bug treatment? You can. But you should know that we sometimes get calls to deal with bed bug infestations only to determine that these bugs aren't present. The first step in an effective bed bug control plan is to make sure you actually have a bed bug infestation.
Today, we'll share with you a foolproof strategy to locate warning signs of bed bugs in your home, tell you what you can do to get rid of them, and offer up some simple tips to prevent future bed bug problems. If you'd like a licensed professional to deal with your problem, remember that your Chase Pest Control service team is here for you. We offer professional control for bed bugs in The Woodlands. We're also happy to perform a free inspection and tell you if you have these parasitic pests. In either case, contact us to get connected.
Examining Your Home: Where To Look For Bed Bugs
If you don't have bed bugs, it is nice to know you can get a free inspection from Chase Pest Control. There is also an extra benefit to learning how to detect bed bugs. If you know the signs and where to search for these signs, you can catch bed bugs while away from home and avoid bringing home what will turn into a bed bug infestation. Here are six telltale signs of these insects:
- Black Droppings: Bed bugs leave tiny black fecal pellets when they come out at night to feed. You may find these on fabrics or stuck to hard surfaces, such as a bed frame or baseboard.
- Black Spots: Bed bug droppings sometimes soak into sheets, pillowcases, upholstery, clothing, etc. If you find fecal spotting, there is a good chance that you have a bed bug infestation.
- Brown Stains: Bed bugs sometimes excrete blood during feedings. When these bloodstains dry at night, they become tan or brown. You may find them on your bedding, along with the black stains.
- Pale Insects With Red Abdomens: When bed bugs hatch, they are tiny pale-colored bugs with six legs. While extremely small, they are visible to the naked eye. If feeding, you'll see the blood in the abdomen, and the bug will look mostly red because its abdomen is larger than the head and the thorax.
- Insects That Look Like Apple Seeds: Adult bed bugs look a lot like apple seeds. What you'll notice most about a bed bug is that you can see its black fecal matter inside its abdomen. At full size, a bed bug is about 1/5 of an inch long.
- Shed Skins Or White Eggs: Bed bugs shed their skins as they pass through their five instars of development. You'll find these skins in tight spaces, such as the seams of a mattress. They will appear white or tan.
Knowing what to look for is only half the battle. You need to know where to look. Bed bugs hide from view and often tuck themselves into places that are hard to inspect. You'll need a flashlight and something to probe around with, like a butter knife or a debit card. Some areas to search include the following:
- Look under your bed frame and nightstands.
- Look between your mattress and box spring.
- Check underneath mattress labels.
- Inspect your mattress vents.
- Look in the gaps of your bed frame.
- Look inside rips or tears in mattresses and box springs.
- Drag along the seams of your mattress and box spring to bring evidence to the surface.
- Check along baseboards and crown molding.
- Inspect stitching and zippers on upholstered furniture.
- Look inside furniture pockets.
- Check laundry piles.
- Inspect luggage, duffel bags, books bags, suitcases, and pocketbooks.
Before you inspect, get your vacuum out and use the crack and crevice attachment. During your inspection, keep the vacuum near you so that you can suck up any bugs you find. Bed bugs often huddle together in one spot when they first infest a location. If you uncover and suck them up quickly, you may stop the infestation. Make sure you dispose of them outside of your home.
If you don't see them or you find them in more than one spot, it is time to contact Chase Pest Control for a bed bug treatment in The Woodlands. Let's take a look at why we say this
Bites And Rashes: Symptoms Of A Bed Bug Invasion
The issue with bed bugs is that they are annoying and persistent pests. If you apply control methods that fail to rid your home of these insects entirely, you can expect that they are going to do a few things you're not going to like:
- Bed bugs bite. The wounds they cause get worse the longer you have bed bugs because your body will become more allergic to the bed bug saliva with ongoing exposure.
- Bed bug bites often have a rash associated with them. The rash is your body's response to bed bug saliva. You get a bed bug bite rash for the same reason you get a mosquito bite rash. That means you can expect the same unpleasant itching.
- Bed bugs bite more than one. Often, one bug will bite three times during the night. It only takes a handful of bugs to leave a lot of bites on your skin.
- Bed bugs feed on human blood and won't stop biting you.
- Bed bugs are indoor pests, so they aren't going to go away.
When you see bed bug signs in your home, contact Chase Pest Control for an inspection and treatment. These insects will grow a population and cause more trouble the longer they stay in your house. Let's take a look at what you can expect when you call for professional assistance.
Professional Bed Bug Control: Call In The Experts Right Away
What does bed bug control look like? It begins with a detailed inspection. We track these bugs and determine where to focus treatments. The treatments we apply are a mix of liquid and aerosol materials. We'll check in with you a week to ten days after treatment. We will treat your home again if you still see signs of bed bug activity. Typically, it takes two treatments to get rid of a bed bug infestation because these are resilient and resourceful insects. Feel free to call if you'd like to know more about our treatment strategy or schedule a treatment.
Maintaining A Bed Bug-Free Home: Prevention Strategies
Once the bugs are gone, what comes next? Is there a way to keep bed bugs out of your home permanently? These insects aren't like other pests. They don't live in your yard or crawl through tiny cracks in your exterior. An ongoing pest control service plan won't keep these bugs out. The best we can do is get rid of bed bugs and provide you with routine inspections to catch them early and give you quick access to our bed bug services. But there are many ways you can take steps to avoid bringing bed bugs home, such as:
- Use the tips above to keep watch for bed bugs while away from home.
- When spending the night somewhere, perform a quick inspection.
- Always store laundry in a sealed plastic bag to keep bed bugs out of your clothing.
- Always use a luggage rack if the hotel provides one so that bed bugs can't get into your bags while they're open.
- Refrain from hanging clothes over chairs or on your bed.
- When returning from a trip, wash all your clothing and put your wash through a dryer cycle.
- While at work or school, refrain from storing your personal items near those of co-workers or fellow students.
It takes diligent effort to prevent a bed bug infestation. Fortunately, there is an easy solution if you ever get bed bugs again. Your Chase Pest Control service team is available to help you get rid of those pests fast. Keep our number handy, or consider getting ongoing pest control so that you always have fast access to a licensed technician familiar with your home and family. Jump to our contact page and drop us a quick note, or reach out to us by phone. We are your local home pest control experts in The Woodlands!