Bed bugs have been a major problem for many people for over 3,000 years. From the 1950s to the mid-1990s, many people thought bed bugs were extinct. But these bothersome bugs have made a huge comeback and are commonly seen throughout the entire country. At Guard Pest Control, we have been providing pest control in Monroe for over two decades. We know the right steps to eliminate bed bugs from your home completely.
Checking For Bed Bugs: A Complete Guide
Bed bugs are small round bugs with flat, dark brown bodies. If you have a severe bed bug infestation, you will probably see these little bugs under your mattress or in the crevices of your furniture. Since they are so small, it's easy to overlook them. If you are unable to see a bed bug with your own eyes, there are still a few ways to tell if you have bed bugs in your home. Some of the early signs to look for include:
- Bloodstains on your sheets: Bed bugs live off human blood. After a blood meal, their bodies start to swell. When their bodies are larger and rounder, they are easier to crush. People will often accidentally crush the bed bugs in their sleep by rolling over on them, creating small blotches of blood on sheets and bedding.
- Bed bug eggs: On average, a female bed bug can lay between three and seven eggs daily. The eggs are small, white, and in the shape of an oval. Many people think that bed bug eggs look like tiny grains of rice. A female bed bug can lay eggs anywhere in your home but will usually try to place them in a safe spot, like under your mattress or between the furniture joints.
- Bug bites on your skin: A bed bug bite can resemble the bite of many other insects, including mosquitoes. If a bed bug has bitten you, you will notice small red bumps on your skin that are extremely itchy. The one thing that sets a bed bug bite apart from another insect bite is that bed bug bites will usually form a straight line.
- Fecal spots: Bed bugs defecate a lot. Because they only eat blood, their droppings are usually a dark rusty color. You can usually find their fecal matter on your mattress and box spring. Usually, the fecal spots are about the size of a marker tip, but they can also look like small, dark smear marks.
If you have a lot of bed bugs in your home, you may also notice a damp, musty smell. Bed bugs have foul-smelling pheromones that they use to communicate with one another. The pheromones smell like an old wet towel.
How Dangerous Is It To Have Bed Bugs In My House?
Bed bugs are not known to spread any diseases to humans or pets. However, they do leave bothersome bites on a person's skin. The bites can be so irritating that they cause some people to lose sleep or scratch too much, resulting in a skin infection.
Turn To The Professionals As Soon As You See A Bed Bug
Bed bugs are challenging to get rid of on your own. One of the reasons for this is that pesticides and other chemicals bought in stores are not that effective on bed bugs. If you can find a chemical that does eliminate bed bugs, it usually only works on adult bugs, leaving the eggs intact. It may seem like your bed bug infestation is gone, but once the eggs hatch, the infestation is back.
Because bed bugs can reproduce quickly, you should seek the help of a professional pest control specialist as soon as possible. They will be able to provide total bed bug control.
How Can I Prevent Bed Bugs From Coming Back?
If you want to ensure that bed bugs are unable to come back into your home, you can:
- Remove all clutter from your house to eliminate hiding spots.
- Check any secondhand furniture or clothing before bringing it into your home to ensure there are no bed bugs.
- If using a shared laundry space, make sure that your clothes or bedding don't come into contact with someone else's laundry.
Call us today if you are looking for an easy way to deal with bed bugs in your Monroe home. At Guard Pest Control, we use state-of-the-art equipment to eliminate bed bugs from your home. We can get rid of the bed bugs in your home and ensure that they don't come back in the future. Request a free estimate.