Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs have nothing to do with personal hygiene. Even if you maintain perfectly clean bedding habits, you can still have bed bugs living and breeding in your sheets, clothes, dressers and even the walls of your house!
Many people are unaware that bed bugs can survive in furniture, clothing, carpets and other household places, so it is important to learn how to correctly identify an infestation and get control of a bed bug problem. Additionally, bed bugs are prolific bugs and are able to spread quickly, so identifying them quickly is the key to removing them from your home.
As bed bugs primary food source are people, let’s find out how to correctly identify bed bugs and look at the best ways to remove them from your home before you become their next meal.
Step 1: Identify bed bugs food sources
Bed bugs are tiny, microscopic bugs which make them very difficult to see or detect with the naked eye. However, you can look for signs of their existence in your environment by checking bedding and pajamas for specs of blood or bumps on your body.
Occasionally, you might have an allergic reaction to the bed bugs and may notice small bumps or bites on your body which may include a mild irritation. If you notice blood, or bites, on your body or bedding you should immediately contact a pest control professional such as Dugas Pest Control to confirm and eradicate the bed bug problem before they populate inside your home and become out of control. Spotting or specs of blood is the number one sign you have bed bugs in your home.
Step 2: Listen to family members
If you are concerned you have bed bugs living in your home – listening to family members might be able to help you identify the location of the bed bugs. If complaints of bites or discomfort while sleeping come from certain bedrooms or after spending time in areas of the house commonly frequented, check family members and the immediate area for signs of bed bugs existence.
You can do this by routinely monitoring laundry for specs of blood or checking younger children who may have small bumps or bites on their body or pajamas. By listening to offhand comments you might be able to catch the first sign of an infestation and be able to remove the bed bugs before any damage is done.
Step 3: Call Dugas Pest Control for an assessment
If you do suspect you have bed bugs – the first step is to bag any clothes or bedding which you suspect may be contaminated to prevent the bed bugs from traveling and contaminating other parts of your home.
Your second step is to skip the “DIY” bed bug control products and call Dugas Pest Control. We will be able to tell you immediately if you have a bed bug infestation and how best to deal with the bed bugs once they arrive.
If you are concerned you have bed bugs it is urgent that you call as soon as possible because of the bed bugs rapid reproduction cycle. By calling immediately you can help prevent further contamination.