How To Identify And Control Bed Bugs In Seattle
- Bed bugs are tiny, brownish, oval insects that live by sucking blood from human beings and animals.
- Though bedbugs are not flying insects, their movement on walls, ceilings and walls is very fast.
- In their lifetime, female bedbugs can lay numerous eggs that are as tiny as dust specks.
- Bedbugs that are not mature are referred to as nymphs. Before a nymph matures, it has to shed its skin up to five times.
- A nymph has to suck blood before it sheds skin.
- Under good conditions, bed bugs can mature within a month and multiply into more than three generations each year.
How do bed bugs get into homes and where do they hide?
- Bedbugs can fit into small spaces because of their flat bodies. They enter homes through used couches or beds, clothing or luggage without being detected.
- Unlike bees or ants, bed bugs do not live in nests; rather, they hide in small spaces and live in groups.
- The common places where bed bugs hide are box springs, mattresses and in frames or headboards of beds.
- With time, they scatter to into protected areas or crevice within the bedroom and other rooms nearby.
- Having bed bugs in a home does not imply that the home is dirty because they survive on blood only.
Why are bed bugs detrimental?
- Bed bugs are predominantly found in bedrooms and their body structure enables them to hide during day time
- They are active during the night and suck blood from people as they sleep.
- They feed for at least ten minutes in order get full before crawling away unnoticed
- They use their elongated beak to pierce the skin and draw blood
- Their bites are not painful initially but they cause inflammation on the bite site which then becomes extremely itchy
- Bed bugs bite any part where skin is exposed and their bites may be confused for mosquito bites
- Their concealed behavior cause people not to know of their existence despite of the itchiness they experience when they wake up in the morning
Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation
- The major sign of a bed bug infestation is waking up feeling itchy on some areas especially if the itching starts when a used piece of furniture has been acquired
- A bed bug infestation may be signaled by stains of blood on pillowcases or sheets.
- Bed bugs may leave excretion that appear as rusty or dark spots on mattresses, sheets, walls and bed clothes
- An infestation may also be signaled by the presence of bed bug egg shells, fecal spots and pieces of shed skin in places where the bed bugs hide
- The scent glands in bed bugs secrete a stale smell that is offensive. The presence of such a smell is an indicator of an infestation
How to prevent or control a Bed Bug Infestation
- Bed bug infestation may be prevented by inspecting used beds, bedding or any other furniture prior to shifting them into the home
- In hotel rooms, inspecting mattresses for bed bugs prior to unpacking can help avoid an infestation
- In the event of an infestation, I is advisable to seek help from pest control experts