The Ultimate Guide To Bed Bug Control: Tips And Techniques For Raleigh Homeowners

Identifying Bed Bugs: Signs Of A Bed Bug Problem To Look For

Do you know that people often think they have bed bugs when they don't? Do you know why? It's because the most noticeable warning signs of a bed bug problem are bumps and a rash. But these insects aren't the only way to incur a bumpy rash. An allergic reaction to most insects, like mosquitoes or fleas, can cause bumps and a rash. You can have an allergic reaction to the hairs on carpet beetle larvae. You can even develop a bumpy rash after eating a particular food or wearing a certain shirt. The first step in determining whether or not you have bed bugs is to consider your bumpy rash.

What Does A Bed Bug Rash Look Like? 

Bed bug bites are unique. Each bed bug tries to bite more than once. Often, a bed bug will bite three times during the night. It will also feed with other bed bugs. Each bug will bite, crawl, bite, crawl, and bite. Each time it crawls only about an inch. So the bites will look like a path on your skin in the pattern the bed bug travels while feeding. Other bites don't look like this because each bug bites once. A rash won't look like this either because the bumps are random.

Where Do Bed Bugs Hide? 

If you're finding bites on your skin but haven't seen any bugs, it helps to know where to look. There are a few common places these pests tend to hide. Use a debit card to drag along the seams of your mattresses and box springs. Use something to probe underneath mattress labels or explore pockets in furniture. Look underneath the feet of your bed frame and other furniture. Check the cracks and gaps in painting frames and other wall decorations.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like? 

It is possible to see a bed bug in Raleigh and not realize it. So, we must quickly cover bed bug identification. You likely know what an adult bed bug looks like because they get a lot of press. But you're not likely to see an adult. They stay hidden. The bed bugs you typically see are the young nymphs. They are about 1/26 of an inch and white. If a nymph has blood in it after feeding, you'll see it in its abdomen.

Are There Other Ways To Detect Bed Bugs?

Yes. You can look for black spots, black streaks, and brown stains. The black stains are caused by the fecal matter of the insects. The brown stains are excreted blood. You can find these on bedding, sheets, pillowcases, fabrics, curtains, and upholstery.

If you find bed bugs in your home, it may cause you more than a little bit of concern. Your worries can lead to sleepless nights. Let's look at why you don't need to lose sleep over bed bugs, and why it is good to get your rest.

Bed Bugs And Sleepless Nights: How They Affect Your Well-Being

A good night's sleep is essential for health and well-being. When you don't sleep, it can lead to anxiety, depression, and worse. It can also reduce motor coordination and make driving a vehicle dangerous. We can understand why bed bugs might keep you up at night, but a few facts can quell your concerns when you find bed bug signs in your home:

• Bed bug bites don't hurt. Sure, they are often itchy, but you won't feel it when the bugs bite you because they inject an anticoagulant that thins your blood and makes extraction nearly painless.
• Bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases from humans to humans. The reason for this has to do with their behavior. They tend to stick to one location and the human that sleeps, lays, or sits there. There are no documented cases of bed bugs picking diseases up from one human and spreading them to another.
• Bed bugs rarely spread zoonotic diseases. A bed bug prefers to bite humans. One reason is that they don't have the physical accoutrements to crawl through hair or fur. That means they're not likely to bite a cat, dog, rat, or mouse.
• bugs tend to stay in one area until they crawl on something carried to a new location. If bed bugs are biting someone in your home, it doesn't mean you will start getting bitten immediately. It takes time for bed bugs to grow a population large enough that they'll want to start spreading to other areas within your house. You shouldn't have any trouble with those bugs biting you while waiting for a pest management professional to perform a treatment.

It isn't pleasant to have insects biting you while you sleep, but hopefully these facts will help to elevate a bit of your fear. Now, let's turn our attention to what you can do to keep bed bugs from continuing to enter your home, or stop them "before" they enter your home if you don't have an infestation yet.

Proactive Measures: Implementing An Effective Bed Bug Prevention Plan

When dealing with bed bugs on your own, it is critical to understand how you get bed bugs. Nothing is worse than having pests continue entering your house as you try to get rid of the ones already there. Here are a few common ways bed bugs invade homes:

• You can acquire them while on vacation. Bed bugs often crawl into luggage while staying overnight in a hotel. You can prevent this by performing a quick inspection. Look for black and brown spots.
• You can pick bed bugs up when you go to someone's house. Bed bugs can get into your clothing or bags. Keep watch for bed bug warning signs or the tiny nymphs. If you spend the night, store your laundry items in a sealed plastic bag to keep bed bugs out. They are attracted to the scent of you on your clothing.
• You can get bed bugs when you buy used items or pick something up from the side of the road. Do a thorough check for black and brown stains, white eggs, shed skins, and bed bugs in all stages of development.
• You can get bed bugs from a neighboring apartment. Use caulk to seal gaps and cracks around outlets and baseboards to keep bed bugs from coming out of the walls and entering your home. Replace damaged outlet covers. Make sure vents are covered and protected.
• You can get bed bugs from work or school. One way to prevent bringing bed bugs home with you is to keep your bags, briefcases, laptops, and other items away from the items of fellow workers and students. Doing this will prevent bed bugs from moving between the items. 

Now that you know how to prevent bed bugs from entering your house, it is time to talk about bed bug control. Let's look at what the professionals at Go-Forth Home Services do to eliminate these pests inside your Raleigh home.