When there are bed bugs in your house, you may be wondering how to treat their bites and get rid of the pest. And if you are anxious about the likelihood of bed bugs in your house, inspecting for bed bugs is easy, if you understand how. Learn how to perform a do it yourself inspection today. Once you determine bedbug infestation, make sure to call a professional pest extermination company.
Can you see bed bugs?
Unluckily, bed bugs can be difficult to find. And in spite of the ongoing bed bug epidemic, most people still do not know what a bed bug looks like.
Their bites are normally mistaken from mosquito bites or bites from other pests, and some individuals show no reaction at all to bed bug bites. So, it is unsurprising they go undiscovered for a long period. Nevertheless, if you know the right place to look, you might be able to notice them. Mature bed bugs can be seen with the naked eye, no equipment is needed. Check:
- Bedside tables
- Loose paneling and wallpaper
- Headboards
- Wall or ceiling junctions
Adult bed bugs are approximately 5mm. They are reddish-brown, flat and wingless, though they enlarge like torpedo after feeding on blood. When that occurs, they turn to bright red in color, taking days to return to reddish-brown.
Immature bed bugs are classified by one of the five immature stages as they near adulthood. They can also be seen with the naked eye, although in their youngest stage are very hard to spot. Eggs are even smaller and much difficult to see but can offer another sign of bed bug presence. Eggs are pale, found in clusters and are about 1mm long.
Bed bugs shells or molted skins
Check out for empty shells that might exist where the where bed bugs crowd and feed. They grow with each blood feed on the way to maturity. By doing so, they shed their shells or exoskeletons to grow bigger. This process is known as molting. Each bug will molt five times as they develop through each of the five immature stages. Where infestation grows big, there will be hundreds or thousands of molted skins left behind, no matter the duration of the infestation. The exoskeletons appear like bed bug itself although they are translucent. They are different sizes due to their different life stages.
Fecal spots
Signs of bed bugs include liquid waste, which is found everywhere they go. Their fecal spots diverge from bloodstains.
Bed bugs are ectoparasites, meaning they nest on the outside of their host and feed on its blood. They feed between four to six days whenever a host is present.
How to get rid of bed bugs
Bed bugs are very hard to eliminate. They normally require a tactical approach to using several methods to completely get rid of them from your home once they have started an infestation. That is why it is crucial to call a professional Pest control service that has the knowledgeable and trained in bed bug control and removal to inspect your home and decide the best treatment method.