Bed Bug Control In Roseville: Essential Steps For Elimination

What are bed bugs? If you've not yet heard, bed bugs are irritating pests that hitchhike from one structure to another. They are rarely found outdoors. These insects survive on blood, which makes them a pain to have around – quite literally. Each bed bug bites more than once during feedings, so bite wounds are numerous. The worst part about having bed bugs is that they're hard to find. These tiny pests hide in very tight spaces, just out of sight. If you suspect that you have bed bugs in your home or business, let the bed bug inspectors at Neighborly Pest Management take a look. We use fast, effective, and environmentally friendly solutions for pest detection. For bed bugs, we deploy trained dogs to track these elusive insects using only their keen sense of smell. They track bed bugs the same way they would track someone through the wood using the scent from an article of clothing. If you want to learn more or schedule an inspection, jump to our contact page. If you'd prefer to learn how to find bed bugs on your own, we have you covered. Read on to learn about examining your home or business for these secretive critters. We'll also tell you what works to get rid of bed bugs and keep them out for good. Let's get started!    

Examining Your Home: Where To Look For Bed Bugs

At any point in the life cycle of a bed bug, it can find itself inside a residential structure. These insects go from business to business, business to home, home to business, and home to home. If you're wondering if you have bed bugs in your home, there are a few ways you may find out for sure.

Look for signs on your skin: Routine bite wounds will let you know some kind of biting insect is living inside your home, but do you have bed bugs? You may tell by considering the bites. Since each bed bug bites more than once, the wounds tend to have a pattern. Each individual bed bug will typically bite three times as it crawls across the skin. Bed bugs feed in the same area, so it will look as though the bites run across the skin in a path or cluster. Bites from other pests appear randomly because each bug is only biting once. Along with this pattern, look for a rash. The severity of the rash will vary, depending on your skin and immune system.

Look for black fecal material: Bed bugs leave their excrement in many places. You may see signs right out in the open. Examine pillowcases, sheets, bedding, furniture, and clothing for black fecal spotting. Inspect surfaces, baseboards, and outlet covers for black streaks. As bed bugs explore, they can't help but leave their waste as they go. But they're not the only pests that do this. How can you tell that you've found bed bug droppings? Look for a brown coloration mixed in. Bed bugs often excrete blood with their fecal matter. If you don't see droppings out in the open, check tight spaces. Here are a few examples:

• Look in the seams of your mattresses and box springs.
• Look in the space between your mattresses and box springs.
• Look underneath labels.
• Look in the gap around mattress vent grommets.

Look for bed bugs and their eggs: Bed bugs are tiny pests, but they're not invisible. If you search for them in the right places, you may see them. Their eggs are white, shiny, and about 1/26 of an inch wide. When they hatch from their eggs, bed bugs are six-legged insects called nymphs. They start white but turn tan and, eventually, brown as they mature. In all stages, bed bugs have an oval or seed shape. Here are a few places to search for them.

• Look in the locations already listed.
• Look underneath the feet of your beds and other furniture.
• Look along the carpet edges.
• Look behind the frames of pictures and paintings.
• Look in luggage, pocketbooks, and other items you carry.
• Look in couches and chairs.
• Look in the gaps of beds and other furniture items.

Now that you know how to check for bed bugs, it is essential to consider the anatomy of a bed bug infestation. Let's look at the problems these pests cause, how bed bugs problems get worse, and what to expect when they do.