They hide in the darkness, come out at night, and bite you while you sleep. We're talking about bed bugs. When these pests get into your Massachusetts home, they can make you want to move out—but what can you do about them? Join us as we tackle four subjects you need to know if you want complete and effective control of bed bugs. We'll look at how to detect these pests, how to track them, five ways to stop them, and the best way to get rid of them. If you're at the end of your rope and you want a quick resolution to your bed bug problem, contact us. Big Blue Bug Solutions provides advanced pest control in Massachusetts. We can give you advice and service options to arrest your infestation.
Easy-To-Spot Signs Of A Bed Bug Infestation In Your Home
Do you know that some people think they have bed bugs when they actually don't? Bed bug detection is essential to any bed bug control solution. Recognizing the warning signs of an infestation can also help you prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride home with you.
Bites: The first warning sign to look for is bed bug bites. These insects can't help but bite you. However, you may not know the bites on your skin are from bed bugs. Why? What do bed bug bites look like? Initial bites may not look like bites at all. Bed bug nymphs leave numerous wounds that typically develop into small, raised bumps surrounded by a rash. But it is easy to mistake these bumps for an allergic reaction to something else, like clothing. Look for a pattern to the bumps. They'll look like a path across your skin because that is what they are. Bed bugs usually bite three times in a line. When half a dozen bugs bite you, it will look like eighteen rashy bumps on your skin like a path.
Feces: Bed bugs are experts at hiding. But you may not need to find them to tell that you have an infestation in your home. These insects may leave black fecal spotting out in the open for you to find. You may also search for this material by dragging a debit card along a mattress seam.
Brown Stains: When a bed bug feeds, it may excrete blood with its fecal matter. Depending on the mixture, stains may appear brown rather than black. You'll find these stains on sheets, pillowcases, bedding, upholstery, and clothing.
Most of the time, you'll have to search for warning signs. It helps to know where to search. Let's look at how to find bed bugs in the places they hide.
Why Bed Bugs Like To Bite Sleeping People
If you want to know how to find bed bugs in Massachusetts, you need to know why bed bugs like to bite sleeping people. There is a connection. You may already guess some of what we're going to say. Bed bugs hide in beds. That is the obvious link. Here are a few more that aren't quite so obvious.
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Bed bugs like to bite sleeping people because they're attracted to carbon dioxide. When you sleep at night or take a nap, you exhale more carbon dioxide. Can you think of someplace you might take a nap? Yes. Your couch or living room chairs. These are places bed bugs are often found.
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Bed bugs like to bite sleeping people because they're attracted to the scent of humans. The scent can also lead bed bugs to establish themselves in places where you sit, such as a desk chair or cushioned window nook. You'll want to check these places.
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Bed bugs like to bite sleeping people because they're people. Bed bugs aren't able to easily bite animals. If you're wondering whether you'll find bed bugs outdoors, the answer is no. Bed bugs can't survive well outdoors, they are almost exclusively indoor pests.
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Since bed bugs like to bite sleeping people, you may pick them up when you're sleeping somewhere away from home. It is essential to keep watch for bed bug warning signs when you spend the night somewhere, even if it is the home of a friend or relative.
Do you see the connection? Now, you know some of the places bed bugs are found. Let's turn our attention to how you can keep bed bugs from coming home with you, as well as some bed bug control techniques for your home that really work.
Five Bed Bug Prevention Tips
Bed bug control requires specialized knowledge and most people don't know how to remove bed bugs once an infestation has started. The best way to control bed bugs is to not get bed bugs in the first place. Does that sound like a plan? Great. Here are five tips to prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride into your home.
1. Always Check For Bed Bugs
When you spend the night away from home, you are vulnerable. If you take a few moments to run down through this quick checklist, you'll make it much harder for bed bugs to come home with you.
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Leave your bags in the vehicle or place them on the floor in the bathroom while performing your inspection.
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Check all fabrics for black or brown stains.
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Check between the mattress and box spring for bed bugs, stains, white eggs, or shed skins.
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Inspect upholstered furniture.
When you detect bed bugs in a hotel, alert the hotel staff. If given another room within the hotel, it is okay to accept it. Bed bugs are usually isolated. Make sure to take a room that is not adjacent to the room you were in.
2. Protect Your Luggage And Clothing
During your stay, consider storing your luggage up high or in a sealed plastic bag. Some travelers use a lavender spray and swear by it, though we know of no scientific research to back this. It is also wise to keep your laundry items in a sealed plastic bag. Bed bugs are attracted to your scent and will enter your bags if they can smell you on your items. They are particularly attracted to clothes that have been worn.
3. Wash And Dry Your Clothes
When you return home, it is essential to put all of your clothes, even items you have not worn, through a hot soapy wash. Then, put your clothes in the dryer. Soap works as a desiccant to eliminate bed bugs. Heat directly eliminates bed bugs in all stages of development. These are great ways to arrest an infestation before it starts.
4. Always Check Used Furniture
When you buy a used item that was in someone else's home, you may get bed bugs with the item. Keep in mind that bed bugs are found in many items, other than the ones listed so far. They get into piano benches, pianos, guitars, alarm clocks, computers, book bindings, duffel bags, pocketbooks, nightstands, and more. If an object has a void within or cracks, creases, and gaps, it can harbor bed bugs.
5. Teach Your Family
Your kids can pick bed bugs up in many places, such as school, a friend's house, or during a sleepover. Sit down with your kids and teach them about how to detect bed bugs. Doing so will add another layer of protection against bed bug infestations. These bugs don't just come home from vacation with you.
If you're diligent, you can catch early warning signs and stop these insects in their tracks. Once they get into your home, it is time to contact local pest control for bed bugs. The behavior patterns and life cycles of bed bugs make them extremely hard to control without pest control training.
The Best Way To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs In Your Home
Are you in Massachusetts? If so, let Big Blue Bug Solutions help you with your bed bug problem. We use science to solve bed bug infestations. Here's what you can expect:
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We perform a professional inspection, track the insects, and evaluate the conditions that are allowing them to infest your home.
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We share our findings with you, listen to your concerns, and develop a plan.
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We use a mutli-pronged process to treat your home and eliminate all the bed bugs in the structure.
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We evaluate the control plan to ensure no bugs remain after treatment.
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We follow up to make sure those bugs don't find another way to invade your space.
A bed bug infestation can feel overwhelming. We help you from start to finish and make the process easy to understand. We have over 80 years of experience in dealing with pests in New England. You can trust our team to provide you with impeccable service that runs smoothly from start to finish. Most of all, you can trust that those irritating pests will be evicted. Do you want to know more or schedule service? Navigate to our contact page and drop us a line, or give us a call. We look forward to helping you find the best solution to your bed bug control issue.
