No one thinks it could happen to them. But suddenly, there they are: itchy skin welts, small blood smears on your bed sheets from crushed insects, and black dots from fecal droppings. Gross! Contrary to popular belief, poor housekeeping is NOT the reason you might have bed bugs! These bugs can travel between apartments through small cracks in the walls, hitchhike into your home via travel luggage or by way of clothing or furniture from someone else’s home.
Remember, bites alone do not prove that bed bugs are in your home. You must look for the other signs as well, such as blood on the bed sheets and black fecal droppings. The only way to verify bed bugs completely is to visually spot one. Bed bug eggs are white and about the size of a couple of grains of salt. They are extremely difficult to remove from their location. The newly hatched bugs are only about the size of a poppy seed and are yellow in color. As they feed on human blood, the bugs begin to enlarge until they are red or brown in color.
After a good feeding, bed bugs can go months or even a year without feeding again.
Once you have proven that bed bugs have infested your home, you must conduct a thorough search of your home. Bed bugs usually live in and around beds, but can also get into nooks and crevices around baseboards. A favorite hiding place is in the underside of a bed’s box springs. Check your headboards, footboards and even your electronics around the bed like the alarm clock for bugs. If you find one, try to save it in a ziplock bag for identification by an exterminator.
Getting rid of these pests is a matter for an Arkansas pest control company. But there are a few things you can do first. Remove any clutter from the affected area. Cluttered items give bed bugs a place to take refuge. Clean any affected areas with warm, soapy water. Properly dispose of the water and not spread the bugs to another area of the house. Thorough cleaning and proper pest control from a trained exterminator is the key to defeating this bug.
At least you can rest assured that bed bugs do not spread disease. By knowing the signs of bed bugs and seeking professional solutions, you can provide your family with more peaceful nights.
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