3 Obvious signs of a bed bug infestation
Bed bugs have become a huge issue in both the Raleigh and fayetteville areas. Our pest control technicians are dealing with bed bug infestations all the time.
Here are 3 of the most common signs of bed bugs you may see in your home.
1. Bed Bug Bites: The first sign of bed bug bites are what appear to be small red welts on the skin. Bed bug bites look very similar to other house hold pest bites and are sometimes mistaken as such or over looked completely. A good way to immediately tell bed bug bites from other bites such as a spider or mosquito is to look for the linear pattern the bites will typically make. This is due to the tendency of Bed Bugs to feed from the same area more than once. Bed bugs can bite any exposed part of your body while you sleep however the face, back, neck, hands, arms and legs are the most common areas for bed bug bites to occur.
2. Bed Bug evidence on mattress: One of the first things a pest control company will do when inspecting a home for bed bugs is take a look at the mattress. Bed bugs will leave a blackish looking trail of fecal material on your mattress or bedding. Bed bug feces is basically just dried blood. In fact, if you wet it very carefully with a small amount of water, it may turn red again and look like blood.
3. Adult Bed Bugs: Adult Bed Bugs are actually pretty easy to spot. An adult Bed Bug looks similar to a flattened tick unless it has recently fed in which case it will look round. The picture above shows an adult Bed Bug with a few grains of rice to give you an idea of how big they are. We commonly find Bed Bugs hiding in seams of mattresses or between the mattress and box spring. However they can also be found in cracks and crevices throughout a structure.
Bed bugs are not a problem that can be easily gotten rid of with do it yourself methods or store bought products. If you notice any of these signs in your home please give us a call or fill out one of our forms. We offer free consultations for Bed bug infestations.