The presence of pesky bed bugs can quickly turn your home into a nightmare. These tiny blood-sucking creatures can disrupt your peace and enjoyment of your home, and cause horrible bites on you and your kids.
If you suspect or know that your home is infested with bed bugs, there’s no need to worry. Bite Away Termite And Pest Control, the trusted experts in San Diego pest control, have been successfully eliminating bed bugs from houses in the area since 2007. With our extensive experience, specialized tools, and profound knowledge, we are well-equipped to rid your home of these troublesome pests. Trust us to deliver effective solutions where others fall short!
Identifying the Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation
Adult bed bugs can be seen with the naked eye, while the nymphs and eggs may require a magnifying glass for detection. However, there’s no need to scrutinize your entire house with a magnifying glass. Instead, keep an eye out for reddish-brown fecal stains on your mattress, box springs, and sheets. You may also spot mahogany or reddish oval bugs with elongated or flat bodies (their appearance varies depending on their blood consumption). Bed bugs tend to hide in various places, including electrical outlets, behind headboards, picture frames, wallpaper, mattress crevices, creases in nearby upholstered furniture, and cracks between baseboards and walls.
Signs of a bed bug infestation
One telltale sign of a bed bug infestation is waking up with itchy bed bug bites. These blood-sucking pests feed on humans to obtain amino acids, iron, and protein from the blood. In addition to sustaining their own lives, female bed bugs require blood nutrients for egg production. A mattress is a great place for them to hide and then feat on a sleeping person. A single female bed bug can lay numerous eggs throughout her lifetime, giving rise to hundreds of offspring. The nymphs that hatch from these eggs promptly begin feeding on hosts, undergoing multiple growth stages (instars) before reaching adulthood. The entire life cycle of bed bugs, from eggs to reproducing adults, typically spans from five weeks to four months.
Measures to Prevent Bed Bugs
Bed bugs will travel by piggybacking on a host. This can include luggage, pant legs, a pet, or even on used furniture or clothes purchased at a thrift shop. Even the finest hotels can get bedbugs- not from dirty travelers, but simply from the luggage that has been in contact with other luggage in a plane. It is estimated that up to 20% of homes in the U.S. will experience a bed bug problem
To safeguard your San Diego home from bed bugs, follow these precautionary measures:
- Inspect your clothing and shoes after visiting public restaurants, theaters, or using public transportation.
- Thoroughly examine luggage, bags, and clothing following hotel or motel stays.
- Use a magnifying glass to inspect crevices in used furniture before bringing it into your home, avoiding any previously infested pieces.
- Regularly vacuum your home, paying close attention to cracks, crevices, baseboards, corners, and upholstery.
- Wash and dry your bed linens and clothing at the highest temperatures recommended for the fabric.
- Use mattress and box spring covers made to protect from bed bugs.
Eliminating bed bugs can be an arduous task without the appropriate treatments. That’s why it’s crucial to rely on the expertise of Bite Away Termite And Pest Control.