Dead Giveaways You Have Bed Bugs Sleeping With You
Bed bugs are one of the most frustrating pest infestations. Not only are they incredibly difficult to get rid of, but they can also prevent you from getting good quality sleep. They may even leave itchy bite marks all over your body that can threaten your health. If you scratch these bites, you can increase your chance of developing a secondary infection. So, it's important to determine whether these critters are sleeping with you each night. Some dead giveaways that indicate the presence of bed bugs include dark reddish-brown stains, pale yellow pieces of shredded bed bug nymph skin, and tiny bug eggs or eggshells.
You may have a bed bug problem on your hands if you smell a sweet, musty scent on your mattress and other fabric furniture, so this is something to look out for as well. These signs warn that bed bugs have made their way somewhere into your living space. You should check your chairs, sofas, appliances, drawers, and more for these indicators. Once you have identified bed bugs on your mattress or anywhere else in your house, you should contact a professional pest control expert to tackle the problem before it progresses. This may help you eliminate the bed bugs before they make their way to other areas of your home.
How to detect bed bugs starting with your mattress
Before searching for bed bugs, look for reddish-brown stains that indicate fecal droppings or small spots of blood left behind by bed bugs. Be on the lookout for the aforementioned shredded bed bug nymph skin, too. They are pale and yellow in color. Bug eggs will eventually hatch into live bugs, so it is important to identify these as well. Eggs will look like tiny white ovals. Do not forget to search for live bed bugs as well. The best place to start identifying potential bed bugs is by checking your mattress.
To do this, start by putting on a pair of gloves to protect your hands. Next, examine all of your bedding, including sheets, pillowcases, carpeting, and comforters. Search both sides of your mattress and box spring as well. Do not forget to look behind and around your headboard. You may want to consider using a flashlight if you are having trouble getting a close, clear look. If you are wondering how to check your couch and other furniture for bed bugs, the procedure is similar to searching on your mattress. You will need to look for the same bed bug indicators and remains as above. Remove your couch cushions or other detachable parts and examine both sides. Search the rest of the furniture thoroughly on all sides, paying close attention to the seams.
What to do after finding bed bugs on or around your home
After locating an infestation on your mattress or anywhere else in your home, you'll want to get rid of the bed bugs as soon as possible. Of course, contacting a professional pest control company who has experience treating bed bug infestations is vital. However, you should also take steps to prepare for professional bed bug treatment at home. First, keep all of your items inside your home to prevent the risk of spreading the infestation elsewhere. Next, wash and dry all fabrics that can be machine-washed safely on the highest heat.
Place these fabrics in tightly closed trash bags away from any potentially infested items. Then you'll want to inspect all items in your home that you may not have considered that might contain bed bugs. This includes books, electronics, home decor pieces, and more. Consider that a professional pest control company could choose to treat your bed bug infestation with heat, which means that items like electronics may need to be removed from the home to avoid damage. Finally, vacuum all furniture to remove bed bugs and eggs. Dump your vacuum's contents into a trash bag immediately after you are finished and dispose of it outside. Do not forget to examine the vacuum for any remaining bed bugs or bug eggs.