Just the thought of bed bugs can be enough to make your skin crawl. One of the places in your home that is supposed to be the most comfortable and relaxing infested with nasty little creatures? Sounds more like a nightmare! Even the idea of something crawling around when you are sleeping and then feeding on you is terrifying, which is why you need to know where to look so that you can sleep soundly and comfortably in your own Seguin, TX, home.
Misconceptions Around Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are not something new in dirty homes; they are pests that have been around for thousands of years and can be found in every place that you can find people, even in the cleanest of homes or businesses. You can find them in:
- Homes
- Hotels
- Schools
- Offices
- Churches
- Stores
- Public Transportation
The reason they are so prevalent is that they are known as “hitchhikers,” meaning they can stick themselves to almost anything that moves and be taken anywhere. They can show up in someone’s bed, stick to them when they go to work, get in an appliance, go where that appliance goes, and end up in a completely new home. This is the life of the bed bug.
How To Spot An Infestation
It can be fairly hard to identify bed bugs because they are so small, and their bites look like any other pests. Adult bed bugs are just ¼ inch long, but the nymphs can be minuscule, between 1/20 and 1/5 of an inch long.
They are generally oval-shaped and are visible to the naked eye, but they are generally inside of the mattress seams and box springs. The easiest way to find an infestation is by noticing their fecal spots on mattresses, upholstery, and walls.
One of the easiest ways for bed bugs to come into your home is by travel. Typically when you travel, you spend time in really busy and populated places like hotels and public transportation, which can be hubs for bed bugs. They can attach themselves to your clothes or even your luggage, so be wary of putting your suitcase on your bed right when you get home. They can also hide in baseboards, picture frames, and regular household appliances. The other most common way for them to get into your home is by hiding in second-hand furniture, so be on the lookout when buying!
Preventing Bed Bugs
The best way that you can prevent bed bugs from coming into your home is by knowing when and where to look. Because bed bugs are hitchhikers, they will attach themselves to anything you have when you are traveling. What you need to do is vacuum your suitcase when you come home from vacation and inspect it for signs of bed bugs.
Something else you can do is when you are on vacation is to keep your luggage in a trash bag. Also, be sure to wash your clothes on hot cycles when you get home, even the clothes that you did not wear. The heat will stop these pests in their tracks.
When purchasing second-hand furniture and appliances, always be sure to thoroughly look over whatever it is you are buying before you bring it home. Otherwise, one of these pests can be hiding, and before you know it, you can have a whole infestation.
Solving An Infestation
If you do unfortunately get an infestation, your best option is to call a professional to take care of them. DIY bed bug prevention and control is never going to be 100% effective. When you think your home in Seguin, TX, might be under attack from bed bugs, contact the professionals. Here at Daniel Pest Control, we will give you both an expert’s opinion and expert bed bug control if you do have a bed bug infestation.