How much do you know about bed bugs? Did you know that their favorite time of year is summertime? This is when they are able to travel most. Why? Because it is when we travel most. You see, bed bugs are hitchhiking pests, a term used to describe the way they cling to items and use the people carrying them to get into homes. More human movement means more bed bugs traveling. As summer comes to a close and fall comes into full swing, many homes are just now finding bed bug infestations. Is your home one of them?
Do you know for sure that your home has bed bugs? Or are you unsure? We have some quick and easy ways for you to tell.
Look for blood spots. Tiny bloodstains on your bedsheets could be an indication that bed bugs are nearby and feeding on you at night while you are asleep.
Check your skin for itchy red spots. If you find yourself going to sleep without itchy bites and waking up with them, there is a chance they could be the result of a bed bug infestation. It is good to note with this that people react differently to bed bug bites and some get no red bumps or irritated skin at all.
Inspect the corners of your bed for speckles of black fecal matter. These remnants are left behind after bed bugs have processed their blood meals.
Take a big sniff of the air. Does it smell mustier than before? You could be smelling the odor bed bugs leave behind.
Thoroughly inspect your sleeping area for live bed bugs. If you don’t know what bed bugs look like, they are small, reddish-brown, oval-shaped pests that grow larger when feeding.
After following the steps above, do you suspect your home has bed bugs? If you are still unsure but have a sneaking suspicion that bed bugs are the culprit of your lost zzz’s there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Bed bugs are extremely elusive.
If a bed bug infestation is just starting out, many of the above signs won’t be present yet.
If you clean your bedsheets often, you may be washing away any signs of bed bugs without eliminating the problem itself.
To know for certain if your home has bed bugs, it is best to call on the professionals. Here at Insect IQ, Inc, we have the tools and experience needed to not only identify bed bug infestations in their earliest forms but also to treat for bed bugs no matter how severe the infestation has become.
Want to learn more or schedule an appointment for your home? Contact us today.
