Just hearing the words, bed bugs. can send shivers down a person’s spine. Having a bed bug problem is not only icky but can also be stressful and expensive. Bed bugs are tiny, oval-shaped bugs that hide in mattresses, behind furniture, or behind headboards during the day, and come out to eat at night. Bed bugs feast on the blood of unsuspecting mammals, mostly humans, while they sleep. Because females lay up to five eggs a day, a small bed bug problem can soon grow into a bed bug infestation. Quickly treating your home for bed bugs and diligently checking and re-treating is the best way to get bed bugs eradicated. You can try many DIY ways to sanitize your bed sheets and clothes by freezing them in your freezer for several days, by using high heat on your dryer for infested fabrics, or using steamers to kill the bed bugs. But because bed bugs are expert hiders, they can be very difficult to get rid of on your own. Calling a professional pest control service is your best bet to getting rid of bed bugs and preventing them from coming back.
If you want to know if you have a bed bug infestation, look for these top three signs:
- Red or blistered bites on exposed arms and shoulders
You won’t just see a bed bug taking a stroll across your sheets. If you do, you probably have a serious infestation. Some people do not have a reaction to bed bug bites which can allow the infestation to go unnoticed and get worse. But it is likely that someone in your home will have a reaction to the saliva from a bed bug when it bites. The bites can be small, red bumps to blistered and even hive-like welts. A distinguishing characteristic of bed bug bites is that they come in clusters or trails of three or more bites in a single area.
- Red or brown tiny spots on your sheets
As bed bugs come out to feed at night, they will leave behind tiny, dark brown, or rust-colored excrement that can seep into your sheets like a marker or felt tip pen. Seeing the spots on your sheets or even on the corners of your mattress is definitely a warning sign that you may have a bed bug infestation.
- Oval shaped exoskeletons scattered found near the sleeping area
Just like all insects, in order for bed bugs to grow, they have to shed their exoskeletons. Bed bugs are brownish red, oval-shaped insects that look similar to apple seeds. If you look in the creases or along the edges of your mattresses and find oval-shaped exoskeleton remnants, you are looking at signs of a bed bug infestation.
If you find any evidence of bed bugs, do not hesitate to call a professional pest control company to treat your home before the problem gets worse. Getting your home free from bed bugs as soon as possible can help prevent you and your family from suffering painful, itchy bites, allergic reactions, and from spreading bed bug infestations to other family and friends. If you are in Leander, Tx and are needing a professional pest control company to get rid of bed bugs in your home, call DM Pest Control today!