The worst kinds of pest problems are the ones that occur when you’re not even awake. Some tiny critters are nocturnal and good at hiding themselves and their eggs from human eyes. Bed bugs certainly fit the bill, and knowing what to watch for and how to respond may just save you from being feasted on in your sleep.
What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are tiny parasitic insects that feed on the blood of animal hosts. In other words, they are bloodsuckers, and you don’t want these pests to infest your property. Knowing how to spot them and where you’re likely to encounter them is the first step in prevention.
Shape & Size: Bed bugs are incredibly small bugs, usually smaller than an apple seed. However, they can be spotted by the naked eye and they are typically brown or reddish, with oval-shaped bodies.
Hitchhikers: Bed bugs are lazy insects that don’t move very fast or very far. Because of this, they cling to materials, grasses, or other surfaces and wait for animals or people to pass by. They then cling to hair, clothes, or skin until an easy place to nest is found.
Eggs: Bed bug eggs are often impossible to see. They are tiny, pepper-like flecks that can blend into dark fabrics or simply look like dirt or lint. Bed bugs often lay their eggs in dark corners or undersides of furniture.
How A Headache Turns To A Nightmare
While their nighttime feedings and left-behind bite marks are certainly reason enough to not want bed bugs, they are also a pain to get rid of. The first reason for this is that bed bugs multiply quickly and can speed through their life cycles to become fully mature and reproductive members of a population. That means a small problem can quickly snowball into a troublesome infestation. Bed bugs can also go a long time without feeding, meaning improper elimination methods or a false sense of security about an infestation can provide ample time for a population to come back in force.
Why DIY Methods Often Fail
Aside from the fact that destroying hundreds or thousands of tiny insects is already difficult to do, bed bugs are tough to get rid of for another big reason: different methods address different types of bed bugs. Bed bugs go through distinct stages of life, some of which can protect them from slapdash extermination attempts. Often, at-home or store-bought methods will only mask the signs of an infestation temporarily, and they aren’t guaranteed to kill bed bugs of all sizes. Only professional solutions can kill them in each of the following stages of life:
Eggs: Again, these are already tough to spot, and store-bought or over-the-counter treatments often do nothing to eliminate the bed bugs that have yet to hatch.
Nymphs: Bed bugs spend several stages as tiny nymphs, which are discernable by the black markings on their rear ends. As they feed and grow bigger, they shed their shells and grow into larger, mature bed bugs.
Adults: Bed bugs survive for many months as fully-mature adults, able to reproduce frequently. Adults can go weeks without feeding.
Do It Right, Contact The Pros
Only proven, professional solutions can completely eradicate a bed bug infestation. Besides being able to protect you and your property, the professionals at Pest-Aside can provide you with even more prevention tips for how you can stay a step ahead of bed bugs and many other pests. Rather than waste time and money on methods that don’t work, enlist the help of experts right away.
Don’t wait for a bed bug problem to grow into a nightmare, contact Pest-Aside right away.