Do you suspect that your home has been invaded by these blood-eating parasites? Are you finding dozens of bites that look like mosquito bites, but you haven't been camping or hiking recently? Bed bug bites are usually the first sign these pests give that they are infesting your home. Bed bugs go through 5 stages of development before they reach their adult size, which is still only about as big as a pea. So, you can have these bugs for months and not even realize it. Fortunately, there are places you can look to see if you have these bugs.
- Mattresses. The number-one place you're going to find bed bugs is in your bed. Makes sense, right? But what you may not know is what signs these bugs give you or where to look for them. When bed bugs crawl out of hiding to feed on you, they will sometimes leave black fecal streaks or blood stains on your sheets and pillowcases when they travel. You'll want to look for these first. Then do an inspection of your mattress seams and corners and see if you can find black fecal patches, blood staining, shed insect skins, or tiny rust-colored insects crawling around. Look closely. They can be the size of a pen tip.
- Upholstered Furniture. Bed bugs don't just live in beds. They love living inside furniture too. The reason for this is that these blood-eating insects don't need you to be asleep in order to feed on you. If you have an infested piece of furniture, you're most likely going to see evidence around the stitching. Look for the signs listed above.
- Baseboards and outlets. Bed bugs will sometimes take up residence behind your baseboards or inside outlets. The number-one sign that you have an infestation in these places is black fecal streaks.
- Suitcases. This is a hitchhiking pest. That means they were carried into your home by you or someone else. If you've been on a trip in the last few months, it is quite possible that you're going to find signs of these pests inside your suitcases. Use a flashlight and look closely in all the seams and corners. If bed bugs hitched a ride in your luggage you might find white eggs, black fecal streaks, shed casings, blood stains, or these bugs crawling around.
- Clothing. Often, when bed bugs hitchhike into your home it is on clothing. And, often they come in a batch of white eggs. Bed bug eggs don't need the mother to attend to them. They can hatch on their own. If you had bed bugs hatch where your clothes are, you may find signs of these bugs in those places.
When you find bed bugs in your home, don't take matters into your own hands. These pests are extremely hard to eliminate. Trust a professional like Hoffer Pest Solutions. This is a bug you want to make sure you get the first time.