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Which is worse: knowing that bed bugs are around, or having no clue that these pests are feeding on you while you sleep? It's safe to say most people would prefer to know these pests are in their home. That way, they can react accordingly and find a solution to get them out quickly. The only problem is that bed bugs are incredibly difficult to identify, especially if you don't know where to start.
What Are The Signs?
To help you identify these troublesome pests around your West Palm Beach home, here are some signs to look for that should help.
Live Bed Bugs
We don't know where this rumor started, but many people believe that bed bugs are too small to see. We assume it has something to do with how good these pests are at hiding. The truth is, bed bugs are visible to the naked eye. You can identify one of these pests around your home by its reddish-brown, quarter of an inch long, oval or shield-shaped body. The issue comes with how to spot bed bugs.
There is little to no chance you will see one of these pests when you are awake as they are adept at hiding and eluding detection. The only chance you have of spotting a live bed bug inside your home is to set an alarm for three to five hours after you go to bed. When it goes off, wake up and check your surroundings with a flashlight. If you see the bugs we described crawling around, no more wondering necessary; your home has bed bugs. If waking up in the middle of the night and checking your bed in a dazed stupor doesn't sound fun to you, here are some other signs to look for.
Bloodstains
Bed bugs are glutinous pests. Although they cannot steal a lot of blood, they take as much as they can. This overfeeding often leads to dribbled blood around sleeping areas. If you are curious if your home has bed bugs, check your body first for scabs and open cuts, and then check your bed for bloodstains. If you find bloodstains, something is feeding on you while you sleep.
Fecal Droppings
After a bed bug digests a blood meal, it excretes it back out as a reddish-black substance. You'll find speckles of this excrement throughout the home, especially around areas that bed bugs hide. When looking for this sign, check your mattress and box spring crevices, baseboards around your home, and around tight cracks where bed bugs might be hiding.
Bed Bug Eggs
Bed bugs are not fast reproducers. Female bed bugs lay one egg a day. These eggs are pearly-white in color, very tiny, and hatch within ten days. To find these eggs around your home, thoroughly check cracks and crevices with a flashlight. We also recommend fully investigating your sleeping area. Pick up your mattress and box spring and inspect their creases.
What To Do If You Spot Bed Bugs
As difficult as bed bugs are to identify, they are a thousand times more difficult to eliminate. If you suspect these pests are crawling around your home and feeding on you while you sleep, get the experts at Empire Pest Defense involved. We understand how problematic and frustrating these pests are and offer quick and comprehensive treatment plans to get them out of your home fast. All of our technicians are highly trained, friendly, and eager to solve all of your pest control needs.
Call us today to further discuss our pest control methods or to schedule your home for a bed bug inspection. Learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control services.