Did you know that bed bugs all but disappeared around the 1950s? It’s true! Shortly after the invention of a product called DDT America saw a rapid reduction of several pests, including bed bugs, even to the point that entomologists found it difficult to find bed bug specimens for their research. This was a prime time to be a homeowner, that is until DDT was found to be dangerous and was eventually banned in the 1970s altogether. Although this ban was much needed for the health of homeowners everywhere, it did cause an interesting occurrence to follow. People who hadn’t had to deal with bed bugs in over 20 years began seeing them again, and because the bugs were so foreign, most people couldn’t even identify them. Fast forward to today, and bed bug infestations are still on the rise. The question is, can you identify your infestation?
Identifying Bed Bug Infestations
This may seem quite obvious, but to be able to identify a bed bug infestation, you first have to know what bed bugs look like. These parasitic pests are 3/16” long, reddish-brown insects with flattened, oval-shaped bodies with and the need to feed on blood. Here are some sure ways, besides seeing bed bugs themselves, to know if you have an infestation.
Feces: One thing bed bugs leave behind when they infest a home is their fecal matter. This excrement will appear as black patches or dark streaks along the seams of your mattress or along the stitching of your furniture.
Blood Stains: When bed bugs feed, they have a tendency to dribble some of the blood they just consumed back around the area of their meal, (your bed or sleeping area). Look for spots of blood found on mattresses and around sleeping areas, but keep in mind they may also be from scratched wounds or other bites from other insects that are nonrelated to bed bugs. For this reason, look for both blood stains, along with fecal remnants to be sure what you’re dealing with is bed bugs.
Bed Bug Parts: Bed bugs go through several stages of development before reaching adulthood, and each of these new stages requires them to shed their old skins. If you have a bed bug infestation, these casings can often be found on the floor or on your sheets or bedding
Bed Bug Bites: If you find yourself waking up in the morning with small red bites on your skin that were not there before you went to sleep, that’s a pretty good sign you may have bed bugs. Combine that with the rest of the signs, and you can be fairly certain that you have bed bugs somewhere in your home.
Time To Call In The Professionals
If you discover a bed bug infestation it’s time to call the professionals. As we have discovered from history that dealing with bed bugs ourselves can prove to be quite dangerous, but we assure you here at Insect IQ nothing we do will threaten the health of you or your pets. So if your home needs quality pest control that cares, give Insect IQ a call today!
