Customer LoginAre you one of the millions of Americans who suffer from bed bug bites? If so, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey, nearly one in five Americans has had a bed bug infestation in their home. While bed bugs are most commonly found in hotels, they can also be found in other places where people sleep, such as dormitories, shelters, and even cars. So what do you need to know about bed bugs?
In this blog, you’ll learn:
- Why It’s Important to detect and eliminate bed bugs as fast as possible
- How to detect bed bugs even in the most low-light conditions
- A few of the symptoms bed bugs cause unsuspecting families
- How A1 Exterminators can help you get rid of bed bugs in your home
Why It’s Important To Detect Bed Bugs Early
Early detection is key for successful bed bug control and prevention of a major infestation. Professional exterminator intervention is a must to control the problem. Bed bugs are small, cryptic and agile.
They prefer to hide close to where they feed, if necessary, they will crawl several feet to obtain a meal. Initial infestations tend to be around beds, but the bugs eventually may become scattered throughout the bedroom, occupying any crevice or protected location. Bed bugs are hitchhikers they don’t necessarily need a bedroom to find a meal. They have been found in in schools, movie theaters, college dorms, nursing homes and even hospitals.
Contact A1 Exterminators for immediate Bed Bug Control
Bed Bug Control: Why Is It Important To Eliminate Bed Bugs Fast?
Bed bugs can lead to major issues with skin irritation, cause anxiety, and leave you and your family terrified to go to sleep at night.
Exactly Where Do Bed Bugs Hide?
Bed bugs hide in more places than the traditional old dirty mattress. Bed bugs can hide in the seams of living room furniture, drawer joints, and many more nooks and crannies where they may not be immediately (or easily) visible.
Here are a few of the most common hiding places for bed bugs:
- Mattresses
- Furniture seams (chairs, couches, and cushions of your favorite loveseat or recliner)
- Electrical receptacle and appliances
- Beneath loose wallpaper and pictures hanging on your wall
How Do You Know If You Have Bed Bugs?
An adult bed bug is about 1/5″ long and 1/8″ wide. Its reddish-brown body is greatly flattened and oval-shaped. A bed bug has piercing-sucking mouthparts which enable it to pierce the skin and suck blood from its host. Its Latin name is Cimex lectularius.
Bed bugs are generally active only at night because of their dislike for sunlight, with a peak feeding period about an hour before sunrise. Attracted by warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide, the bug pierces the skin of its host with two hollow tubes. With one tube it injects its saliva, which contains anticoagulants and anesthetics, while with the other it withdraws the blood of its host. After feeding for about five minutes, the bug returns to its hiding place. The bites cannot usually be felt until some minutes or hours later, as a dermatological reaction to the injected agents, and the first indication of a bite usually comes from the desire to scratch the bite site.
Your first steps after identifying bed bugs:
- Contact A1 Exterminators immediately for a home inspection
- Use hot water to clean your bedding and linens
- Take down any curtains or loose fabric you may have lying around your home
- After cleaning the linens with hot water, dry them using your home dryer
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
What Do Bed Bugs Feed On?
Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals. They are reddish-brown in color, oval in shape, and about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch in size. Bed bugs are not able to fly, but they can move quickly over surfaces. Bed bugs typically feed at night, but they will also feed during the day if their host is sleeping.
Where Do Bed Bugs Live?
Bed bugs are parasitic insects that live off the blood of mammals. They are most often found in close proximity to their host, such as in their bedding, furniture, or clothing. However, bed bugs are not limited to these areas and can also be found in any cracks or crevices in a home, such as in electrical outlets, baseboards, or behind wallpaper.
How Will A1 Exterminators Help Me Get Rid of Bed Bugs?
Bed Bug K-9 Detection
A1 uses K-9 detection for verification of bed bug elimination.
The dog’s keen sense of smell allows them to smell through walls, floors and even underground. This enables them to sniff out the trouble areas quicker and more accurately, helping us exterminate your bed bugs efficiently.
Canine bed bug detection used in hotels and motels give management an additional measure that they have done everything in their power to give their guests the pest free environment they paid for. In case of a lawsuit initiated by a guest that was bitten, management can prove that they made every effort to rid the environment of uninvited guests.