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The Rise Of The Bed Bug
Two decades ago, Americans didn't have to give any thought to bed bugs. Those tormenting pests were a much bigger problem for other countries. However, at the turn of the century, something changed. Bed bug infestations started to appear again. Now, bed bug infestations seem to be popping up everywhere.
You don't have to let the bed bugs bite, though! There are some things you can do to reduce your chances of getting a bed bug infestation, and knowing what signs bed bugs leave behind is the beginning.
Bites
You may wonder why we've added bites to our list. After all, shouldn't the goal of recognizing bed bug signs be to prevent bites from happening? Yes. And this may surprise you but, recognizing bites can keep you from being bitten, when you recognize them on someone else.
Bed bugs are hitchhiking bugs. So, they are going to hitch a ride on a human in order to get into your home. Often, that human is someone who lives in your home. But there are times when this is not the case. If you have a visiting friend or relative, and you properly identify bites on their skin as bed bug bites, you may be able to prevent a bed bug infestation in your home. Plus, you may alert your friend or relative to an infestation in their home.
If you see red welts in lines of three surrounded by a significant rash, there is a good chance those are bed bug bites. These bites are also likely to be from the waist up, and most often found on the sides and neck.
Droppings
Bed bugs range in size from 1 millimeter to 4.5 millimeters. Therefore, their feces are quite small. If you see tiny black droppings along a wall, stuck to your crown molding, littered around an alarm clock, scattered around in a hidden area of your bed frame, or any number of other places, you could have bed bugs. These droppings have two qualities you should be looking for: they are sticky and they leave behind a dark stain.
Streaks
When bed bugs come out of hiding, they often leave streaks as they travel. These streaks can be found on outlet covers, electronics, baseboards, molding, upholstered furniture, sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and more. If you're finding black streaks, you may have bed bugs and it's important to investigate further.
Black Patches
In areas of infestation, there will often be black areas of feces accumulation. On mattresses, these patches will usually be found in seams. On box springs, black areas may appear in seams and on the underside. On upholstered furniture, black areas can usually be found on stitching and tucked in the seams. If you find a black patch, look for blood staining, insects skins, eggs, and tiny black droppings, to confirm your suspicions.
Blood Stains
When bed bugs infest, they will leave blood stains on sheets, pillowcases, blankets, mattresses, box springs, furniture, carpets, molding, and more. These stains may be red but, most of the time, they appear tan or brown. Significant staining is associated with areas of infestation. If you turn over your couch pillows and find brown stains, you should also see black feces, skins, and eggs. When stains are found on sheets or pillowcases, look for black streaks as well.
Insect Skins
Bed bugs go through five stages of development before they become a full-grown adult. As they pass between stages, they shed their skin. This skin, also called a cuticle, can be found anywhere bed bugs travel. In areas of infestation, these skins will be quite numerous.
Eggs
Respond With Professional Bed Bug Control Services
If signs of bed bugs appear in your home, it is time to call in a professional. These insects are extremely difficult to exterminate without an understanding of their habits and habitation. If you are in our Pennsylvania service area, let the QualtyPro-certified team here at Moyer Pest Control deal with those bed bugs. Give us a call to schedule immediate bed bug control services for your home.
Bed bugs lay tiny white eggs in the areas they infest. But these white eggs may be deposited in items we transport. If you open up a bag your child brought to sleep over and find white eggs in the seams, you could stop an infestation from before it begins. Eggs can be stuck to clothing, deposited inside electronics, hidden in the seams of a sleeping bag, and more. Washing bedding and clothing on the hottest temperature should kill eggs if they are present.