Bed Bugs Signs & What To Do About Them
Bed bugs could be taking up rent in your home without your knowledge. They could even be feasting on your flesh for as long as 10-15 minutes at a time, without any sensation of pain, whatsoever.
What’s worse is that, while they may eat alone, they certainly don’t travel solo. If you’re looking to keep some distance between you and these unwanted pests, it is important you know some basics. Read on to learn how to notice signs of bed bugs, how they operate, and how you can kick these bugs out of your beds and off your body.
What are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are small insects that are flat in shape and survive on the blood of humans and animals. Because of their small size, they can go undetected for a long time. They cannot fly but they can move with ease on both vertical and horizontal surfaces.
What are Bed Bugs Signs?
Oftentimes, one of the easiest ways to detect their presence is by actually finding where they have already traveled. Bed bugs leave a small pattern-like trail on skin that looks like three small red areas in a row. When on your furnishings, especially a bed, you may notice reddish-brown excrement that appears to be similar to dirt. Shockingly, this is actually dried pieces of undigested blood.
As if that isn’t creepy enough, they also often emit a sweet odor. If you notice any of these bed bugs signs, you should call a professional pest control company to come and get rid of them right away.
How Do Bed Bugs Get in my Home?
Bed bugs like to travel far and wide. They’ll hitch a ride any way they can – 
particularly fabrics from suitcases, clothing and linen, as well as, everything from used furniture to guests who bring them by way of purse or computer bags.
It is even possible that they can make their way from nearby units in locations like apartment housing and other connected facilities.
While Bed bugs trek year-round, they have high-peak seasons for travel just like people do. In fact, pest control professionals will tell you that we receive the most bed bug complaints during the summer, as increased travel during this time of the year may help bed bugs spread from vacation destinations to homes or even college lodgings to homes as students go on summer break.
How Do I Prevent Bed Bugs?
First and foremost, if you notice bed bugs signs, consider professional cleaning to eliminate any possible bed bugs that are already imposing.
Bed bugs do not like excessive heat, so steam cleaning a mattress or carpets and upholstery is a great way to kill and prevent these unwanted residents.
If you travel a lot, you should avoid placing your luggage on the floor of a hotel room. You should also spend some time examining the room and inspecting the mattress, the box spring, and the headboard.
When you return home, you should leave your luggage in the garage and wash all of your clothes in hot water so you can be sure you are not bringing bed bugs into your home.
How Long Does it Take to Get Rid of Bed Bugs?
There are several rumored ways to rid your home of bed bugs.
Bed bugs can’t stand temps above 99 degrees. While warmer climates aren’t hard to come by here in Tucson, our homes are rarely set to such inside.
Bed bugs also hate the cold. Bed bugs do not like prolonged exposure to temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees. Even a few hours in such an environment would not only kill the bed bugs, but their eggs as well, in a timeframe of 30-45 days. This can only be accomplished when you can isolate the temps and close off a room for that month-long timeframe.
For this reason, hiring a pest control company saves you significant money in fluctuating energy bills and the lengthy vacating of rooms or furnishings as you await their extermination.
If you have bed bugs in Tucson, DSR Pest Management, Inc. can get rid of them for you. Our Tucson pest control company safely and effectively gets rid of bed bugs and other pests that might overtake your home or office. To learn more about our services, visit us online or call (520) 790-7759.
The Results Are In. Bed Bugs Are Bad!
The National Pest Management Associations (NPMA) released their results on the Bugs Without Borders research late in 2018. This report is put together to help get an understanding of some of the trends in the pest management universe. As pest management professionals, we can’t say we were surprised by the results, but when it comes to bed bugs, the facts are truly staggering!
We’ve known bed bugs are a problem for a long time, and they were the star of the show in this year’s report. We are constantly communicating with our clients around Tucson about how important preventative measures really are. This report helps to highlight what can only be described as an epidemic in the world of pest management. Unfortunately, there are still so many more steps that should be taken in order to eradicate this pest from our lives and it appears to be getting worse before it gets better.
The NPMA covers a lot of ground in their report, but we want to draw some attention to their findings on bed bugs. Here are some of the facts we found particularly interesting.
97% of pest professionals treated for bed bugs in 2018
That’s almost everyone! DSR was right there with them. Calls for bed bugs are some of our most common calls, and the problem is only getting worse. Our only question is, where does that missing 3% of pest professionals live, under a rock?
84% of bed bug calls were a case of mistaken identity
Said another way, most people think they have another pest problem in their home only to find out later they have bed bugs. Of the misidentified pests, 71% of homeowners that ended up having bed bugs thought they had fleas and 28% believed it was cockroaches.
More than 50% of pest professional reported summer as the season with the most bed bug calls
Right now, it’s winter so you should be good to go, right? Wrong. This is a national survey, and this only proves what we already know about bed bugs; they really like the warm weather. For us in Tucson, this means almost year around. Don’t let your guard down! Not to mention, the summer also lends itself to another American habit bed bugs love to take advantage of, vacations and travel.
The top three places pest professional encounter bed bugs are single-family homes (91%), apartments/condo (89%), and hotels/motels (68%)
Again, this confirms what we have already seen here in Arizona with our clients. Other common places pest management services reported having treated for bed bugs are nursing homes (59%), school/daycares (47%), and office buildings (46%).
Sure, hotels and motels show up on this list, but quite a few points lower than homes. One of the reasons we believe single-family homes are particularly vulnerable is that homeowners believe their house is a constant and unchanging. This simply isn’t true. Every time you travel, welcome guests into your home, or visit just about anywhere other than your home, there is a potential for bed bugs to hitch a ride back to your house.
Bottom line, if you ask a bed bug, “Is nothing sacred?!” They will firmly replay, “No.” Keeping a home tidy helps, but we are potentially exposed to bed bugs just about any time we walk out the door.
More 50% of reports on a bed bug infestation come after people discover bites on their bodies
We talked about this a little bit in our last post about bed bugs. If bed bugs are discovered, it is often too late. The reason being, they don’t make themselves noticed until they bite, and they don’t bite until they have made themselves comfortable in a home and quickly spread.
Beyond beds, couches, and furniture, the list of other common places bed bugs are found
Bed bugs are always going to be found in their usual spots but the survey revealed other trouble areas like stuffed animals, wheelchairs, school buses, purses, airplanes, and home appliances.
We are constantly learning more about bed bugs and these statistics are certainly shocking. In our next post, we’ll discuss how it doesn’t get much better because bed bugs are learning about us too making them a lot tougher to kill.
In the meantime, call us to set up a preventative maintenance plan. Protecting your home before bed bugs arrive is much easier, less expensive, and causes much less heartache than when dealing with an infestation. Don’t become a statistic, call us today!
Top 5 Bed Bug Facts Tucsonans Must Know
For those that have been fortunate enough to never have had bed bugs infiltrate their homes, an infestation of the flesh-eating insect can feel like it will never happen to them. Homeowners can grow complacent, thinking, “Bed bugs will never find their way into MY home,” or, “Bed bugs only show up in DIRTY homes.” Especially in Arizona, homeowners can tend to associate bed bugs with more tropical climates and let their guard down.
The truth is, everyone in the United States is vulnerable to bed bugs, regardless of how clean their home is our how extreme the temperatures get in here in Tucson. When, not if, you are exposed to these micro-pests the preparation you’ve done prior to your exposure will determine how long they’ll be in your life.
Aside from scheduling regular pest management services with a professional you trust, one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself you can do today. In fact, you can do it right now! Educate yourself on bed bugs. To help you do just that, we’ve gathered the most important facts Tucsonans need to know about bed bugs in order to protect their homes.
Here are the top five things you need to know to stay one step ahead of these unwelcomed creatures:
1. Bed bugs spread
Bed bugs aren’t as mobile as you’d think. Most often, they reside in an area covering about an 8-foot radius. So, how do they get in your home so quickly?
Bed bugs are very methodical on how they get in and infiltrate your home. The most common occurrences of infestation come after a homeowner has either returned from travel or had guests in their home. They spread by latching onto their host and hitching a free ride to their next destination (see Fact #5). In short, bed bugs spread and humans are the ones that help them do it.
2. Bed bugs don’t care how hot Tucson gets
Bed bugs can survive in nearly freezing temperatures. A factoid those in Tucson don’t need to pay much attention to, but it’s their temperament for extreme temperatures on the other end of the spectrum that should give us pause. These pesky insects can survive and thrive in temperatures over 120 degrees. Naturally, this is cause for great concern amongst us desert-dwellers and means bed bugs can present issues any time of year.
3. Bed bugs are patient
Bed bugs can live without food for a long time; a very long time. On the lower, bed bugs can survive for up to three weeks without any food. Under the right conditions though, bed bugs can wait for food for over a year! It is not uncommon for bed bugs to survive 400 days without feeding, which make them all the more difficult to get rid of them once they infest a home.
4. Bed bugs are masters of stealth
A bed bugs stealthy-nature makes them one of the most frustrating pests. First, they are great at hiding. As mostly nocturnal insects, bed bugs remain dormant during the day in places we don’t often look. The corners of beds, underneath the sheets, and under cushions of furniture make great daytime hiding spots while the pests wait to make their move.
Second, their bite carries a liquid that has similar properties to anesthesia. This means bites are virtually painless and can go unnoticed for up to 14 days, plenty of time to wreak havoc on a home.
5. Bed bugs are parasites (and you’re their meal)
A parasite is “an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits from deriving nutrients at the other’s expense.” When accused of being a parasite, bed bugs are guilty as charged and guess what…you’re the host. Bed bugs feed off humans by biting and extracting blood. Fortunately, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), bed bugs don’t pose a serious health risk. Most people rather not take their chances. We agree.
If these facts have you a little on edge about bed bugs, you’re not alone. They’re extremely common in our area and require immediate attention when discovered. We’ve already shared some great tips on how to prevent a bed bug infestation, but if you find your home infiltrated by this resilient and pesky insect call a professional immediately! DIY extraction is not recommended and could lead to an infestation that spreads throughout your home.
Getting to Know Bed Bugs
Bed bugs have made a resurgence in recent years as a common household pest. These insects can survive under extreme conditions and can often share your home unnoticed for long periods of time. If you think you could have a bed bug problem, contact your Tucson exterminator promptly for a professional inspection and an individualized plan to eliminate these pests and keep them out of your home for good.
Here are 5 Bed Bug Facts you need to know
Bed Bugs Transmit Few Diseases
Bedbugs rarely transmit diseases through feeding. The only known exception is the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, which causes Chagas disease—recent studies have found that some bed bugs may be able to pass this parasite to hosts during feeding.
Bed Bugs Don’t Live Exclusively in Beds
Despite their name, bed bugs don’t live exclusively under mattresses and in bedding. These pests can thrive in all sorts of environments, including upholstered furniture, backpacks, luggage, vehicle seats, and even behind or beneath wallpaper and carpeting.
Bed Bugs Are Hard to Kill
Bed bugs are a very difficult pest to eliminate without professional knowledge and tools. They can survive for several months without a meal, as well as in temperatures that range from freezing to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bed Bugs Don’t Bite Every Night
Although you may wake up each morning with new bites, an individual bed bug doesn’t feed every night. Most bed bugs eat only once every five to ten days.
Bed Bugs Are Predictable
Bed bugs are extremely predictable in their feeding patterns—their bites typically appear in groups of three on the chest, legs, or arms. Thus, identifying bed bug bites is a significant step toward recognizing the need for professional pest control services in your home.
DSR Pest Management, Inc. can help you control bed bugs and other common desert pests with our comprehensive residential and commercial pest control services. We can remove bed bugs, termites, bees, and birds quickly and completely so you can enjoy a healthy and comfortable home or office once more. You can reach us online or by calling (520) 790-7759 today.
Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite!
Bed bugs spread quickly and can cause major problems for homeowners. These are the classic bed bugs signs that indicate there may be an issue. Use this guide to learn more about these pests and how to prevent them from overtaking your house:
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals. They are usually no bigger than an apple seed and are long, brown, and oval in shape. Bed bugs often produce a sweet odor that helps alert you to their presence. Because they are so small and tend to hide, it might be difficult to determine that you have a bed bug issue.
Finding Bed Bugs
One major indication of a bed bug infestation is the presence of bites on the skin. If you have itchy marks, you might want to call a pest control company to come to your home to see if you have bed bugs. You should also look on the mattress and the bed sheets for rusty or red stains or dark spots. Look in the seams of chairs, in the curtain folds, and in drawer joints to see if you can find any signs of bed bugs. You can also check the electrical receptacles and the fold between the ceiling and the wall. If you see any of these signs, it is important to call a pest control company to take care of the problem before it gets worse.
Preventing Bed Bugs
The best way to avoid a bed bug infestation is to prevent them from entering your home. If you buy used furniture, you should thoroughly check it before you bring it inside the house. You can cover your mattress with a protective material to eliminate some hiding spots. Get rid of clutter and vacuum regularly. If you travel, you should never set your suitcase on the floor of a hotel, and leave it outside your home until you can look it over.
DSR Pest Management, Inc. is here to help you with bed bugs and all of your other residential pest control needs. We make it easy to live pest free. Call (520) 790-7759 to learn more.
