Early Signs of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs affliction or contagion can cause several problems if experienced at home. It is better to realize earlier if you are experiencing bed bug infestation, as it can become an ill-famed problem if not diagnosed beforehand. These bugs can spread through your whole house if not eliminated timely. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate these tiny, horrible creatures.
WHAT DOES A BED BUG LOOK LIKE?
You might be wondering what bed bugs are? Bed bugs are tiny parasitic organisms that live in the bloodstream of animals and humans. These are blood-sucking, wingless insects that are reddish-brown.
They are usually flat shaped, being of size about an apple seed. They are long, elongated, with a flat, narrower body. After getting nourished through their host’s blood, their bodies usually swell up and become redder in color.
LIFE CYCLE OF A BED BUG:
Bedbugs are tiny creatures that can move quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings. The female bed bug may lay hundreds of eggs in her lifetime, which are about the size of a speck of dust.
The life cycle of the bedbug is fascinating. They go through five stages before reaching maturity, taking anywhere from 1-3 months under favorable conditions! Once this happens, it only takes one feeding with blood for them to become sexually mature adults that produce up to 3 generations per year (on average).
Although bed bugs aren’t diseases former, they still cause nuisance and are annoying.
In the proceeding article, we will look at the early signs and symptoms of bed bug infestation and their prevention.
HOW TO FIND BED BUGS?
The earlier you find a bed bug infestation, the less work it will be for your pest control team. Treating minor cases can save time and money compared to trying later when things have gotten more widespread or intense!
You may have a bed bug infestation and not even know it. The early detection and treatment of bed bugs are essential to prevent infestations from becoming established or spreading. The cost associated with treating this type of pest can be prohibitive, but it won’t take long if cared for properly!
Through this guide, you’ll be able to identify early signs of bed bugs in your home, which will help you eliminate them before it becomes complicated or arduous.
Bed bugs are pesky little critters that can ruin your day. The best way to get rid of them is by contacting an expert and letting the pros handle it!
EARLY SIGNS AND INDICATIONS OF BED BUGS:
You might not know immediately that you have a mattress bug infestation. Sometimes the signs and symptoms may not appear, but they may eventually appear after two or three weeks. And once the symptoms get worst, they can cause many troubles and harm to your home and spread further. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the early signs of these minute creatures.
Following are some early warning symptoms that you might look for in bed bugs infestation:
- Fecal Matter of Bed Bugs:
If you’re noticing small brownish to black spots on your sheets, pillowcases, and mattress due to the fecal matter of bed bugs, then it’s time for a treatment.
- Bugs Bites on Skin:
The only thing more frustrating than bed bugs are their bites. These itchy red welts will appear on your skin, and some people have even reported experiencing itching that becomes a burning sensation when they first wake up in the morning. It’s essential to keep an eye out for these signs so you can get rid of any pesky insects before things get worse.
The most apparent indication of contact with this type of insect would be a series of three or four little bumps or welts on your skin, which appear highly red and itchy at times.
- Blood Stains on Mattress or Bed Sheets:
When you get bit by a bug, it may leave some blood that doesn’t dry immediately and potentially end up on your sheets.
- Bed Bugs Eggs:
The female bed bugs have a mode of laying oval, white eggs after mating. These babies can be found in cracks or crevices where they’ll leave behind empty shell-like eggshells for you to discover!
- Shedding of Exoskeleton:
Bed bugs and pests like these undergo molting, i.e., shedding of exoskeleton over a certain period. This molted skin may be a shell-like covering over bed sheets, mattresses, or pillowcases.
- Typical Nasty or Musty Odor:
If you are experiencing bed bug infestation, you might suffer a typical musty smell all over your home. This is because bed bugs contain special scent glands, which produce a characteristic offensive odor that helps them communicate with each other.
- Traces of Live or Dead Bugs:
In your home, where there will be a heavy affliction or contagion of the bed bugs, you might observe traces of either live or dead bugs.
- Change in Pet’s Attitude:
Bugs infestation can also affect your pets, which you can see through your pet’s behavior change. Your pets might feel itchy, irritable, or scratchy and won’t find comfort under any conditions. You might feel traces of bugs in their furry coats, which will help you to start preparing for their termination.
BED BUGS CONTROL; HOW TO GET RID OF THEM?
Finding out the infested area is necessary to get rid of the infestation. It’s crucial to find bed bugs before they start reproducing and the infestation spreads further, so do find them.
Once you have found them, it’s time to get rid of them. Collect those bugs. You can do this by sucking through a vacuum. Once you are done, wash and dry the affected area, and boom! You are free of these annoying creatures.
But wait! You aren’t done yet. It’s just a temporary solution. If you want to get rid of them permanently, follow one of the following home remedies/ or expert techniques to control these pests.
- Use of Insecticides/ Pesticides:
The two most common pesticides used to kill bed bugs are pyrethrin’s and pyrethroids. They have relatively low toxicity for humans yet still provide an effective treatment against these pesky insects that thrive in our homes! As far as pesticides go, these substances happen to be fast-acting with only a need for small doses.
- Natural treatment of either Heat or Cold:
Temperature plays a vital role in getting rid of bed bug infestation. The hot water cycle is your best friend when getting rid of bed bugs. Place all affected clothing in a hot washer bath and wash them for 30 minutes in very high heat, then dry on a med-high or further higher temperature after thirty sleek minutes have passed!
Another best way to get rid of bed bugs is by freezing them. Put all items that have been infested in a freezer at a temperature of at least 0 degrees Fahrenheit for four days, and the bed bugs are dead now!
- Use of Desiccants:
Desiccants are substances that kill bugs by destroying their protective coating. Without this, the insect will dry out and die due to a lack of water-retaining capacity in its body tissues; two popular desiccation agents include silica aerogel and diatomaceous earth- both having very high mortality rates for bed bug populations.
- Use of Bug Bombs:
When you need to get rid of bed bugs, foggers and bug bombs will do the trick. They’re both toxic, but they have their benefits in preventing bed bug infestation.
- Use of Steam:
Steam is a great way to kill bed bugs without the help of an exterminator. You can use it on mattresses, couches, and other places where the bugs hideout!
- Covering the mattresses:
The best way to avoid getting bitten by bed bugs is not to leave them on your mattress or box spring. Purchase protective covers with a zip-top closure and keep those pesky little creatures out while you sleep soundly at night without worrying about being infested!
- Hiring a Bed Bug Exterminator:
There’s no need to worry about bed bugs when you have an experienced professional around! Hiring a pest control company will get the job done for good, fast and cheap.
Hiring an experienced professional to care for your bed bug problem is the fastest and most effective way.
FINAL WORDS:
It’s possible you might not know if there is an infestation. Signs can show up weeks or months after the initial problem has occurred, so it becomes difficult for people to identify them independently without professional help from pest control professionals like us!
Therefore, it is necessary to look out for these early signs if you have a bed bug infestation and get rid of them as soon as possible.
PEOPLE ALSO ASK FOR:
- How to check for bed bugs?
To check for bed bugs, you can look out for the following signs:
- Bloodstains on bedsheets
- Typical offensive odor
- Traces of live or dead bugs
- Fecal spots of bed bugs
- Welts on skin
- Itchy skin
- Eggshells over pillows or mattresses
- How long does it take for bed bugs to appear?
The bed bug infestation can take up to two months before you notice any signs.
Bed bugs are pesky creatures that can turn your life into an endless cycle of patience-building and frustration. It’s always best to act fast when you notice any signs or bites from these blood craving insects!
- How to tell if I have bed bugs?
The remains of bedbugs can be seen in many different ways. For example, you might notice red or rust-colored stains on sheets and mattresses due to them being crushed by their hosts while also leaving behind poop which looks like dark dots that are blurry at times because it has been diluted with other fluids over time since an infestation takes place internally before becoming externally visible again via excrement.
- What is heat treatment for bed bugs?
The most effective way to get rid of bed bugs is through heat treatment. A pest control specialist will place specialized heaters throughout the house and gradually raise its temperature over 130 degrees Fahrenheit so that they can kill any eggs or larvae hiding out there waiting for a chance at life again!
