Identifying Bed Bugs And Treatment Tips

24 March 2018
 Categories: , Blog


Bed bugs are one pest you definitely do not want in your home. They can multiply and infest your entire home, not just your bed (don't let the name fool you). These pests can bite you, feeding on your blood, leaving you with red and itchy bumps on your entire body. If you spot these itchy bumps when you wake in the morning, you could have bed bugs. Read on for tips on how to spot bed bugs, how to treat them and other helpful tips.

Spotting Bed Bugs

If you've woken up to find itchy bumps on your body, it could be from something you ate or even mosquito bites, or it could be bed bugs. Check your bed for these tiny bugs by pulling up the sheets and checking around the edges of the mattress and box spring. If you see tiny bugs about the size of apple seeds, it could be bed bugs. Take a magnifying glass if you aren't able to tell. They appear reddish-brown in color and have flat bodies. You may even spot some skin of the bed bugs, as they shed their skin. 

If you've found them in your bed, check around the rest of the room including behind picture frames, along dressers and nightstands and behind baseboards. If you've found them in other areas of the room, check in other rooms as well. Bed bugs will travel from one room to the next. If you find them in other rooms of the home, they could be in your couches and chairs as well. If this is the case, you could have an infestation. Infestations should be treated by a professional pest control company.

Treating Bed Bugs

Bed bugs should be treated by a professional pest control company if you have an infestation. If you've only spotted a few bed bugs, you may be able to treat the problem yourself. Remove the sheets on your bed and wash them in very hot water, and dry them as well in the hottest setting. Take your pillows and either wash them the same way. Your mattress should be vacuumed thoroughly to remove all bed bugs and skin sheds. Then take the canister out of your home to empty it. Place the mattress in a mattress bag that protects against bed bugs.

Vacuum the rest of the room thoroughly, and again empty the canister outside the house. Wipe down walls and baseboards with a rag soaked in a bleach/water mixture. Wipe down furniture, wall hangings, outlets and other receptacles, then wipe down ceiling fans and other lighting in the room. 

If you have any belongings stored on the floor, put them where they belong or toss them. Bed bugs can also be living in piles of clothing on the floor, so put them away or get rid of them.

Use bed bug containers under the legs of your bed frame or you can use a shallow container such as a small bowl to prevent bed bugs from getting to your bed. 

You don't want pests living among you in your own home, but you definitely do not want bed bugs taking up residence. Inspect your bed and bedroom often to prevent an infestation. Call a pest control specialist or exterminating company like Pioneer Exterminating Company if you have a problem with bed bugs or other pests in your home.


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