Bed bugs are tiny, parasitic pests that can easily invade your home. These pesky insects seemed to completely disappear around the 1950s, but unfortunately, they made a strong comeback in the mid-1990s and are now more common than ever. If you see bed bugs in your Escambia County home, you should seek the help of a Pensacola pest control specialist. Keep reading to learn more about why bed bugs have invaded your home and how to get rid of them.
How Do I Know If I Have A Bed Bug Infestation?
If you have bed bugs in your home, there are several signs that you will find. Some of the clues that bed bugs leave behind include:
- Blood spots on your sheets: When a bed bug feeds on your blood, its body will swell. This makes it more vulnerable and easy to crush. If you crush a bed bug during or soon after it has eaten, your blood will be squeezed out of its body.
- Dark spots and smear marks: Because bed bugs feed solely on blood, their fecal matter is a dark reddish-brown color. If you see a lot of dark rust-colored spots on your bed or around your furniture, there is a good chance that you have a bed bug infestation. They also tend to walk over their droppings, which creates dark smear marks.
- Bed bug eggs: Bed bugs lay small, white, oval-shaped eggs. Many people think that a bed bug egg looks like tiny grains of rice. The female bug will usually lay her eggs in the crevices of furniture or mattresses where they are less likely to be disturbed.
- Skin and egg casings: As a bed bug grows, it will shed its skin. On average, a bed bug will molt around five times in its lifetime. If you see several translucent skin casings, or you see any bed bug shells, there are several bed bugs inside your home.
A bed bug is able to lay between 200 and 250 eggs in its lifetime. This means that if you have just a few bugs in your home, you can have a full-blown bed bug infestation before you know it.
Does Bed Bugs In My Home Mean It's Dirty?
Many people think that if you have bed bugs in your home, your home must be dirty. This is not true at all. The only thing that attracts a bed bug to your home is your blood. As long as there are people in your home, the bed bug will try to stay. It doesn't matter if your home is clean or dirty. Bed bugs are attracted to people, not dirt.
How Can I Prevent Bed Bugs From Coming Into My House?
Most of the time, bed bugs are brought into your home accidentally. They will attach to used furniture or latch on your clothing or bags when you are near it. Some things that you can do to prevent bed bugs from coming into your home include:
- If you have recently stayed the night in a hotel, be sure to wash your clothes as soon as you get home.
- Don't place your luggage on the floor when staying at a hotel
- Thoroughly inspect used furniture before bringing it into your home.
- Don't go inside someone's house if you know that they have bed bugs.
Because bed bugs are so small, they are easily able to come into your home without you realizing it.
How Can I Get Bed Bugs Out Of My Home For Good?
It can be difficult to get rid of bed bugs on your own. If you are seeing signs of bed bugs in your Pensacola home, don't hesitate to contact us today. At EnSec, we have the experience, skills, and equipment to get rid of bed bugs quickly and permanently.