Bed bug control in Hattiesburg is a lot trickier than you might think, thanks to the sneaky ways of these tiny hitchhikers. You might believe if you don't travel all that much, there's really no risk of you winding up with bed bugs. However, the proliferation of these pesky pests means that anyone can end up with a bed bug problem at any time, not just those who travel frequently.
Visual Clues: Identifying Bed Bugs By Appearance
Bed bugs are some of the trickiest pests to identify because of their tiny size. Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not microscopic. They are, however, very small. You can see them with the naked eye, but unless you have excellent vision, you will probably need a magnifying glass to see the details of a bed bug's body.
A good way to tell if you're looking at a bed bug is to observe it with a magnifying glass. Bed bugs that have fed look pretty similar to ticks in that they have flat, round bodies. But you will notice that, unlike ticks, bed bugs only have six legs, and their abdomens are segmented. Unfed bed bugs are more oblong and cylindrically shaped and do not look like ticks at all.
Bed bugs are good at hiding, so you may have to look for them if you suspect you have a problem. Search for these bugs in tight areas like the creases and folds in your mattress, zippers in upholstery, and even the joints of your bed frame.
Bites And Rashes: Symptoms Of A Bed Bug Invasion
Bed bugs are hard to see and love to hide in the tightest of spots. This means you may have to look for other bed bug signs besides seeing live bugs if you think you have a bed bug issue. Common signs of bed bugs include:
- Tiny spots of blood on bedding
- Bed bug eggs (look like tiny sesame seeds)
- Bed bug exoskeletons or bodies
- Bed bug bites
Bed bug bites are one of the surest signs of infestation. It's easy to mistake these bites for the bites of other parasitic pests, so you will need to look at the patterns that they appear in instead of the bites themselves. Unlike mosquito bites (random locations) or flea bites (concentrated on your feet and legs), bed bug bites will appear in lines or clusters where your body contacts the bed during the night. If you start inexplicably waking up with bites that fit this description, you can be almost certain that you have a bed bug problem.
Little Hitchhikers: How Bed Bugs Find Their Way Inside
Most people wind up with a bed bug infestation because they accidentally bring these sneaky little hitchhikers into their own homes. Of course, the most common way you wind up with bed bugs is still travel. When you stay in hotels, use public transportation, or move through airports, your chances of picking up bed bugs are much higher.
However, there are other ways to wind up with bed bugs, too. Secondhand shopping is another common way people give themselves bed bugs. It's very easy to go a long time with a bed bug problem. Many people unknowingly sell secondhand items contaminated with bed bugs. Once you purchase these items, you introduce the bugs inside them into your home. These bugs will then begin spreading.
Other places you could wind up picking up bed bugs include laundromats, trains, buses, rental cars, and other areas where large numbers of people pass through with their stuff. This is why getting a bed bug infestation is so easy.
Don't Let Bed Bugs Take Over Your Home: Call Us Right Away!
Like with most pest issues, bed bug treatment only gets harder and costlier over time. Bed bugs don't breed particularly fast, but they do spread so clandestinely that they can infest your home for months or even years without you knowing.
By the time you figure out you have a bed bug infestation, these pesky parasites can be all over your house, not just in your bed. That's why you need to stay vigilant for signs of bed bugs and contact the pros at Havard Pest Control as soon as you suspect you might have a problem.
Our bed bug removal experts will hurry out to your home in a flash, armed with all the latest and greatest technological developments in the war on bed bugs. So don't share your bed with any unwanted guests. Contact Havard Pest Control at the first sign of trouble.