Key takeaways:
- Bed bugs typically leave a musty odor similar to wet towels.
- They like to feed on blood at night, so you might find blood stains on your sheets.
- Another calling card they like to leave would be their eggs.
- As they hatch and grow, juvenile beg bugs will leave shed exoskeletons.
- They will also start to feed, so you’ll find bites on your arms and legs.
- Your first steps to prevent bed bugs would be to identify the problem area, contain the pests, and then apply heat treatment.
Don’t let the bedbugs bite! This old saying is especially true if you have some unwelcome guests over. Bed bug prevention starts with detection, and if you’re not paying attention, they might decide to settle down and stay awhile.
This blog post will explore different signs of an infestation and outline the steps necessary to get rid of bed bugs. Don’t let those pesky critters ruin your sleep – follow our tips, and you’ll be able to lie back without any worries.
Sign 1: Suspicious Scent
This indicator isn’t the most reliable, as you’d have to be a specially trained bedbug-detecting canine to be able to smell them. However, it might be worth investigating if you think your room has a musty scent that wasn’t there before.
Odors like wet towels, rotting wood, or sweet vanilla have all been associated with bedbugs. These will all stop with bed bug prevention, but if you catch the problem early enough, you might be rid of the smells before they get too bad.
Sign 2: Blood Spots on Your Sheets
You likely have bedbugs if you find small rust-colored spots on your bedsheets. The creepy critters feed on human blood and swell up after a meal. If you accidentally roll over and crush one of these bedbugs, it will release its blood onto your sheets.
Blood spots are one of the most common signs of a bedbug infestation, so if you see them, it’s time to start taking steps to bed bug prevention. You might find areas on your skin still bleeding from bites, which will appear as tiny stains on your sheets.
Sign 3: Eggs Over-and-Queasy
As if bedbugs weren’t enough, you have to deal with their eggs! Bedbug eggs are small, white, and oval-shaped. They’re about the size of a poppy seed, so they’re not easy to spot. But if you’re looking for them, you might find them in the seams of your mattress or furniture or cracks in your walls.
Eggs are one of the main reasons why it’s so challenging to get rid of bed bugs. That’s because it only takes a few weeks for an egg to hatch into a full-grown bedbug. And once they’re adult bedbugs, they can start reproducing and lay even more eggs. So, if you’re dealing with bedbugs, getting rid of their eggs and adult bugs is crucial.
Sign 4: Horrifying Husks
You’re far more likely to come across this indicator than an actual live bed bug. That’s because as a bedbug matures, it sheds its skin. You might find these empty shells in the same areas where you find bedbug feces or eggs.
Yellowish, translucent casings are a telltale sign of bedbug nymphs. And with bedbug nymphs, there’s always the risk that they could hatch and start feeding on you. So, if you see these casings, investing in bed bug prevention is a good idea.
Sign 5: Bed Bug Bites
Besides the criminals themselves, an obvious sign of a bed bug infestation is the bites they leave on your skin. With bed bugs, you’re likely to wake up with itchy, red welts on your body. These welts are usually in a line or cluster and might get worse if you scratch them.
Not all people experience discomfort after being bitten, and some might not even notice the bites. If you have bed bugs and don’t see any bites, it could be because they’re not yet mature enough to bite or because your body doesn’t react to their saliva the way most people do.
If you suspect you have bed bugs, getting rid of them is vital before they can lay eggs and multiply. Keep reading for how to get rid of bed bugs and prevent them.
Step 1: Identify the Problem Areas
The first step in getting rid of bed bugs is identifying the areas where they live and hide. This can be difficult since bed bugs are experts at hiding. Possible areas to check include:
- Beds
- Sofas and chairs
- Carpets and rugs
- Curtains and drapes
- Clothes and luggage
To better locate the bed bugs, you can use a flashlight to look for them in dark places. Bed bugs are usually brown or reddish-brown in color and about the size of an apple seed.
Step 2: Contain the Criminals
Your trusty vacuum cleaner can be a big help in bed bug prevention. Use it to vacuum up any bed bugs you find and their eggs. Pay special attention to the following areas:
- Beds
- Sofas and chairs
- Carpets and rugs
- Curtains and drapes
- Between the cracks of floors and walls
- Around baseboards
- Anywhere else you see bed bugs
If you have a handheld vacuum, use it to get rid of bed bugs in hard-to-reach places. Just be sure to empty the vacuum bag immediately after each use to prevent the bed bugs from crawling back out.
Step 3: Launder All of Your Clothes
These include bed linens, curtains, blankets, clothing, and other items in which bed bugs could be hiding. Be sure to wash them in hot water and dry them at the hottest setting. If you can’t wash something, put it in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes.
You can also put infested clothes in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer for a few days. This will kill the bed bugs but won’t get rid of their eggs. Or you could put the bags in a closed car on a hot day that reaches 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
This procedure is a non-chemical heat treatment that can effectively kill bedbugs and their eggs. For more on DIY bed bug prevention, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) provides some great tips.
Step 4: Call Us!
Do-it-yourself methods can often control small infestations. But it’s best to bring in a professional if you’re struggling to get rid of bed bugs or have a large infestation.
Our Classic Pest Control Operators, Inc. experts are highly trained in termite and pest control. We will exterminate bed bugs quickly, safely, and effectively. If you’d like to know more about infestations and their effects, check out our article on the effect of a termite infestation on our health.
We’re proud to serve Paradise, TX, with bed bug removal and other pest control services.
