The thought of being crawled over and bitten by bed bugs at night can make you cringe. However, these tiny bugs can end up in your house, no matter how clean it is. Due to the prevalence of bed bugs, you need to be able to recognize them. Calling a pest control expert sooner rather than later allows you to free your home of these bloodsuckers and get the peace of mind you deserve. It’s important to learn more about bed bugs to know how to eradicate them and prevent them from invading your home again.
Basic Information About Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are so tiny that they can hide well and avoid being detected for a long time. But a heavy infestation can present some evidence of their presence. A fully grown bug looks reddish-brown and striped. Bed bugs can be round or flat, depending on when they had their last meal. Adult bed bugs are the size of apple seeds. You can also identify them through their musty smell. To get around, these bugs crawl and use their antennae to search for food.
Bed bugs have different life stages and can look different in every stage. If you are dealing with a serious bug infestation, you may find them in all life stages. The eggs of bed bugs measure around 1mm across. These white eggs may have small spots on them once they develop. A mature female bed bugs can lay up to five eggs, which hatch after 2 weeks.
Eventually, the hatchlings will become nymphs or adolescent bugs. Compared to adult bed bugs, nymphs have a lighter color. After they have a meal, they become darker. Once they become full-grown adults, they can reproduce in around 5 weeks.
You may mistake bed bugs for other bugs and worry about a possible infestation. fortunately, bed bugs look different from other bugs. You can easily recognize them if you know what exactly to look for. Bed bugs are usually mistaken for ticks, carpet beetles, bat bugs, head lice, fleas, booklice, small roaches, and spider beetles. These bugs share some similarities with bed bugs. However, when you examine them closely, they tend to have varying shapes.
Finding Bed Bugs
As bed bugs can skillfully keep themselves hidden, you might not find and examine them. But they will leave behind some signs to help you determine the presence of an infestation.
You may start worrying about these bugs when you get bites on your skin. Although not all people react to bed bug bites, most people experience raised, itchy bumps when bitten by bed bugs. Due to the way bed bugs eat, they bite many times in a zigzag or linear pattern. If you are dealing with bed bugs, look for other signs of their activity. If you or other members of your family get bitten and think it is due to bed bugs, check some places to confirm the pest activity. First, take your mattress’ bedding and look for bed bug eggs, molted insect husks, and dark spots. A serious bug infestation can mean you can find nymphs and adult bugs along the seams of the mattress. Also, the bugs may be hiding in the headboard, near bedroom furniture, and box springs. Since these pests prefer to be anywhere they can hide while being near their source of food, you may find them in other couches, carpets, and upholstered chairs.
If you believe bed bugs have infested your home, seek professional help right away. Bed bugs are not easy to eliminate without professional intervention. The longer you wait to seek treatment the harder it may be to address your bed bug issue since the bugs will reproduce and spread continuously.
