Are you waking up with unexplained bites and red bumps on your body? It can be very disconcerting to wake up with itchy welts, especially during the colder seasons. Usually, most people assume if they are getting bites in bed, it must be from one bed bug but here could be more. Or could it possibly be flea bites or other insect bites? Are you having an allergic reaction, a skin infection, experiencing symptoms of a bed bug bite or something else? READ MORE
But how do you really know?
It is challenging to determine the origination of most bites. And, it is often impossible to determine if a bite is from a bed bug because everyone reacts differently to the bites. Bed bug bite reactions vary from person to person. Some people will have one bite, and others will have many bites. Some will see bites in a straight line while other find a zigzag pattern. Bed bug bites look like any other bug bites. And how long do the bed bug bites last?
Again, it is different for everyone. When we had bed bugs, my daughter had visible bites on her arms. We didn’t know my son had bed bugs in his room because he didn’t react to the bites. It wasn’t until he saw an actual bug on the sheets that we realized his room was also being occupied.
There are several questions to ask yourself to determine if you have bed bugs.
How often are you getting bit?
If you wake up at your home one morning with hundreds of bed bug bites, this is most likely not bed bugs.
We had a lady call us with that exact scenario. She woke up with many bites and severe itching. As it turned out, she was diagnosed with Shingles. Bed bug infestations usually start small. It is most likely transferred on a body or on an object which means that you would not have hundreds of bugs in your room overnight. It will start small, with a bite here or there, and gradually worsen over time as the bed bugs increase in population.
We did have a customer who had traveled out of state and stayed in a cabin. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to them, there were already hundreds of bugs in that lodge, so they did wake up with dozens of bites all over! But, this will likely not happen in your own home.
It takes time for the bed bug population to grow. Female adult bed bugs can lay about 5 eggs per day. The eggs will then hatch in about 7-10 days. Then, it will be another 5 weeks before the bugs become adults and can reproduce. However, left untreated, the infestation can spread exponentially and can get out of control within four to six months. READ MORE
Do you see any blood stains or fecal stains on your bed or nearby furniture?
If you are getting bed bug bites, It is common to have small blood streaks on your bed. This happens after the bug bites your body and then you roll over in bed. They can also be caused by the movement of the bugs on the bed after feeding. These stains are usually fairly small. Some people attribute any small bloodstain to bed bugs, but anything large than a tiny dot or smear is not likely from a bed bug.
Fecal stains are most commonly found on the box spring rather than the mattress. However, sometimes they may be seen under mattress tags or along the ribbing of a mattress when there is not a box spring on the bed. The bed bugs love to cluster between the box spring and mattress or even in between the box spring and the bed frame. The bugs prefer tight, small spaces such as cracks, crevices, and even screw holes in the frames. You may even see fecal staining around electrical outlets.
Do you see bugs or bug casings?
Adult bed bugs are reddish brown, from feeding on blood, and are about the size and shape of an apple seed. Adult bed bugs grow to about one-quarter of an inch in length. Bed bug eggs are very tiny and white. These are usually found clustered together. Baby bed bugs, or nymphs, are translucent until they start eating. Then they will appear bright red. READ MORE
Bed bugs go through 5 stages of growth and shed their exoskeletons or casings each time. These casings retain the shape of the bed bug but are yellowish in color. They can be scattered anywhere but will primarily be found clustered where the bed bugs spend most of their time. This area is considered the bedbug nest. If you see bed bug encasements, this tells you that the bed bugs are alive and growing.
There are so many hiding places for these pests. Often, bed bugs can commonly be found in between the mattress and box spring. And bed bugs like to hide in the cracks and crevices of bed frames. We have also seen bugs hiding behind pictures on the wall, usually near the headboards of the bed. Bed bugs hide in books, so beware if you have a stack on your nightstand or underneath your bed. We recently treated a bedroom that had nightstands off to the side of twin beds in the rooms. Both of the nightstands had books and magazines that were crawling with bugs.
What happens if I have bed bugs?
Whether or not you know for sure if you have bed bugs or if you have bedbug bites, it is always a good idea to consult with a professional exterminator before you do anything. You want to do more than just treat bedbug bites – you want to deal with the source of the problem!
In our experience, some infestations only get worse using bombs and sprays. Most over-the-counter solutions are weak and only result in making bed bugs hide in other areas of your home. And the chemicals don’t kill the eggs! This means that repeated treatments will be needed. And these additional chemicals will spread unwanted toxins throughout your home. And contrary to popular belief, spraying chemicals will not prevent bed bugs from living in your home. And you will still end up with bed bug bites. READ MORE
If you want to eradicate bed bugs once and for all and end the bed bug bites, give us a call. We are a pest control company that specializes in only bed bugs! We offer a free phone consultation to determine the best steps to take to get rid of the bed bug infestation. Also, K9 inspections are amazing to discover the scope of the problem in the house so that the appropriate treatment for the bed bugs can be administered. These specially trained dogs perform an invaluable service as they can even smell the bed bug eggs! We believe heat is the best and most efficient way to combat bed bugs. The heating process takes 24 hours or less. Once you know where the bed bugs are located, then you know what areas of your home need to be treated.
While bed bug bite reactions may vary, the treatment to the infestation is the same for any infestation: heat! We offer full-service heat treatments where we tackle the problem from start to finish. We have large heaters that are perfect for whole house bedbug infestation treatments. We also have smaller electric heaters to treat just a room or two. We have what you need to get rid of the bed bugs in your home.
However, some people find it more cost-effective to rent our heaters. Our website contains videos and information on how to perform a successful heat treatment to get rid of the bed bugs yourself. SEE VIDEOS We also give on-the-spot training when you come to pick up the equipment. You are not alone in this fight to rid the world of these pests. You do not have to live with bed bug bites. We want to help you succeed! With a heat treatment, you can get rid of bed bugs in 24 hours. Just give us a call!