Pest Control For Bed Bugs Near Me

People who know bed bugs, like specialists for bed bug control, can easily identify this pest. But for ordinary people like us, it’s difficult to pinpoint a bed bug, especially if it’s your first time dealing with it. The bed bug is a small creature. Some might even mistake this bug for just dust or dirt. To prevent these bugs from causing trouble, it’s important we get to know them.

Identifying Bed Bugs

The bed bug is a tiny creature that is flat, brown, and oval. Adult bed bugs can grow from 5 to 7 mm or ¼ inch long while the bed bug nymphs range from 1.3 mm to 4-5 mm in size. The bed bug nymphs are the most difficult to recognize because of their small size and their translucent or whitish color.

Did you know that the adult bed bugs change their appearance after feeding? They become swollen and elongated. Plus, their color changes from brown to red. The color change is primarily attributed to the food that these pests eat. They are suckers for human blood, but they also suck the blood of warm-blooded animals. They are nocturnal bugs that feed just before dawn but sometimes, they also eat during the day.

Locating Bed Bugs

The small size and flattened body of the bed bugs make it easy for them to fit in any tiny space. The bed bug goes unnoticed because they are skilled in hiding themselves. They do not have nests like bees, but they hide in groups and they strategically hide in places near their food. Unknown to us, they can enter our homes through clothing, shoes, luggage, second-hand furniture, and others.

We can find them in wall cracks, inside picture frames, couches, bed mattress, inside box springs, behind baseboards and in other places. Once the bed bugs enter our homes, they spread throughout their new surroundings creating an infestation problem. They are sneaky little creatures who will do anything to eat and hide.

Effect Of Bed Bug Bites

The bed bugs are stealthy little creatures that attack people at night while they are sleeping. They suck blood from humans where the skin is exposed like in the face, neck, arms, and legs. It takes them 3-10 minutes to feed but their bites are painless and will not wake you up from your slumber.

Do you have any idea where the bite of the bed bug is unnoticed? Their saliva acts as an anesthetic. Once they pierce the skin they inject their saliva that numbs the bite site. It also acts as a blood thinner so it is easy for them to suck the blood out of your veins. In the morning, you will see itchy, swollen, and red welts on your skin. Do not easily mistake this as a flea or mosquito bite. You might be applying the wrong methods for the culprit. This is why it is important to investigate more. 

Signs Of Bed Bug Infestation

Its tiny size and the ability of the bed bug to stay hidden makes it difficult for us to combat an infestation. But there are ways to identify if bed bugs are present in our homes. We should look for the following signs.

Stains on the mattress or bedsheets
A red or rusty colored stain on your bed sheets or pillowcases means that there are bed bugs in your home. This happens when the bed bug is feeding and stains your bed with blood. As creepy sounds, remember that they take blood as their food so it’s really not a surprise.

A bed bug odor
The bed bug emits an offensive and musty odor from its scent glands that can give away its presence in the area. Oftentimes, they smell like coriander or moldy shoes and clothes. If you observe this smell, conduct a thorough investigation. Bedbugs might already be feeding on you.

Bedbug exoskeletons
If you suspect an infestation, try brushing your mattresses of a stiff brush. If you see white specs accumulating, those are the exoskeleton of bed bugs. It is one of the primary signs of infestation. It’s more difficult to locate these on light-colored mattresses. That’s why you have to be keen in observing the smallest materials present on your bed. 

Home Remedies

A bed bug infestation in our homes does not necessarily mean that we fail to be hygienic. Most of the time, bed bugs invade our homes through other ways that are unknown to us. Preventing bed bugs from entering our homes can be done with these home remedies.

Vacuum your whole house
This is the most cost-effective method to prevent and eliminate bed bugs.  It works by sucking away adult bedbugs, nymphs, and eggs from your mattresses, carpets, and floor cracks. After this, don’t forget to throw away the contents of the vacuum bag to eliminate the pests for good. 

Eliminate clutter
Many underestimate the impact of clutter inside houses. It’ll do they know that these objects serve as hiding spots for pests. So, if you’re planning to solve your pest problems, the first step is eliminating clutter to ensure that there is nowhere else to hide when you start applying pest control methods. 

Laundering clothes, beddings, linens, and curtains
It is recommended that you wash these things in hot water and dry them in high settings to kill these pests.  If you don’t have a dryer, you can utilize the heat of the sun to dry the bed bugs out.

Careful when buying secondhand furniture, especially beds
The bed bugs usually hide in secondhand items such as beds, couches, television, sometimes even in clothing and carpets. So, before you bring them inside your house, thoroughly clean them first to avoid bedbug infestations.

Cover possible entryways of bedbugs  
Bed bugs are considered winter pests because of their inability to ward off the cold. By the time winter comes, they should have found a stable place where they can stay. This includes our houses where there is an abundance of moisture and food. To keep them out, it’s important to inspect the perimeter of your house to check if there are holes, crevices, and broken shingles. Knowing how small bedbugs are, it’s no surprise that they can enter our houses through the smallest cracks.

Use diatomaceous earth
This is one of the most practical methods to eliminate bed bugs at home. Diatomaceous earth is an off-white powder made from diatoms and sediments. It works by destroying the exoskeleton of bed bugs and dehydrating them until they die. In purchasing this powder, make sure you get the food-grade type so it is safe for human and animal contact.

To use, simply sprinkle a generous amount of this powder on your compartments, floorings, cabinets, mattresses, and carpets. Spread it thinly using a broom or a piece of cloth. Reapply this regularly every two to three days.

This will target every pest that walks over it. Not only does this target bed bugs but also cockroaches, fleas, and ants. So if you’re looking for a solution for your pest problems, this is one of the best strategies to apply. You can purchase these in the nearest department store. You can also get these from online stores to have it delivered straight to your door. If you don’t have the resources to buy diatomaceous earth if you can use baking soda or salt as an alternative. 

Exterminating Bed Bugs

We’ve all heard of the saying never to let the bed bugs bite from Lion King. Catchy as this is, we all know that we cannot do anything if bed bugs want to bite us at night. The best strategy is to prevent and eliminate their infestation for good.

Try applying the strategies we discussed earlier. However, these only work for minor bed bug infestations. If the condition gets severe, port than to call a professional to do the job. This is the best chance of beneath all kinds of pests indoors and prevents them from coming back. If you’re looking for the best pest control providers near you, visit Go-Forth Pest Control.

This company offers high-quality strategies for pest management. The best part is, Go-Forth Pest Control offers its services at an affordable price. Not only will they focus on eliminating bedbugs but also preventing all possible pest infestations that may come your way. What are you waiting for? The best services are at your fingertips. All it takes is one quick call to solve your pest problems for good.