When most people find
bed bugs in the home, they end up taking the wrong approach. In fact, most people remove the bugs and assume that’s the end of the matter. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst things you can do. You’d honestly be better off spreading the infestation than doing nothing. When you do nothing, you leave the bug undeterred to mate and reproduce with total freedom. And the bed bug is a notorious breeder, with the ability to reproduce rapidly. You can see the problem here.
With all that in mind, a sighting of a few bed bugs does not necessarily mean you need to flip out. It doesn’t exactly mean you are dealing with a full-blown infestation. It does, however, bring a cause for concern.
Why A Sighting Of Bed Bugs Is A Problem?
In all actuality, even one-
bed bug in the home should be enough to warrant a visit from our pest management professionals. The reason being,
bed bugs are purposely stealthy pests. They go out of their way to avoid being spotted. And over the years, they’ve become extremely good at avoiding detection. Maybe you just got lucky and caught a quick glimpse. It could also be the infestation has gotten so large the bugs can no longer effectively hide.
Things are only going to get worse from here if one of the bugs you are seeing happens to be female. A single female
bed bug can lay anywhere from 300 to 500 eggs in a lifetime. When you consider the fact that an infestation could consist of thousands of adult female
bed bugs, it only makes the matter all that more intimidating. Not to worry though because this is what we specialize in.
Another thing to consider is bed bugs are parasitic pests. This means they physically bite on you to draw out blood. As you can likely imagine this is a process that usually leaves behind some form of evidence. It could either leave bloodstains or bite marks. These are two of the big ways that people determine their homes have been invaded. However, bloodstains and bite marks don’t always show up. When they don’t it only makes detecting and eliminating the infestation all that much harder. Therefore, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with some of the other common signs and symptoms of an infestation.
Other Common Signs And Symptoms Of A Bed Bug Infestation
Like every living being out there the bed bug also produces fecal matter. As disgusting as this sounds it is a mere fact you’ll have to deal with. What makes matters even worse is bowel movements usually occur around the feeding site, which is the bed. If your mattress is infested with bed bugs, you might see black inkblot-like stains on your sheets. Another thing you might see on your sheets or around breeding sites are eggs and egg casings. These items are usually only about the size of a pinpoint, but they are detectable if you look hard enough.
Using a magnifying glass is an excellent tool that might be useful throughout this process. Either way, eggs and egg casings sightings will be a surefire sign to get our San Jose office on the line. It means more bugs are on the way or just recently hatched. Most people don’t realize it, but bed bugs shed their skin like a snake. When this takes place, you’ll see the evidence in the form of delicate, clear, and near-translucent exoskeletons. If you are dealing with a large infestation, it might be possible to smell the bugs. When there are a lot of bugs gathered in one place, they produce sweet, musty smells. Keep your nostrils open!
Is There Anything I Can Do?
Most of the information you’ll find regarding bed bugs will recommend getting a professional on the line as soon as you suspect bed bug activity in the home. While there is nothing wrong with this and something we can’t disagree with, there are specific things property owners can try. With that in mind, this biggest worry is further spreading the infestation to other parts of the home. The more confirmed the infestation is, the easier it’ll be to deal with.
With the right strategy and information, you should be able to do just this. The first thing you’ll want to do is invest in some good traps or lures. A mattress cover might be ideal as well. When you have your equipment, you’ll want to start in the bedroom by moving the bed away from the walls. Doing this and placing the traps at the feet of the bed will force the bugs right into these devices.
You could also place an active heating pad in the bed, as these bugs are attracted to heat. Either way, the idea is to force the bugs into the newly installed traps. Other good practices are removing your linens, clothes, drapes, and washing them in hot water followed by high
heat drying.
