Bed Bugs: Signs of Infestation and Its Best Treatments

If you suspect you have a bed bug infestation, you’ll want to confirm it so you can start to deal with it right away and figure out ways on how to remove bed bugs from home permanently. Leaving or ignoring bedbugs can lead to a large scale infestation and cause a major headache unless dealt with. Here are signs you should look for if you suspect you have a bed bug infestation and how to treat it.

What are Bedbugs?

Bed bugs are small, flat, oval brownish insects that feed solely on human or animal blood. They cannot fly, but can fit into small spaces and move quickly over floors and climb walls. Their bites can be very itchy but bedbugs are not thought to transmit disease.

Tell-Tale Signs You Have Bed Bugs

To find bed bugs, you have to know where they like to hide. When they are not feeding, bed bugs can hide in small areas around the bed such as the mattress or box spring, or headboard. If there is a heavy infestation you can find them in the seams of chairs and furniture, or even in electrical outlets and wallpaper edges.

How can you get rid of bed bugs? Before you explore answers to that, how do you identify that you have a bed bug infestation in your home? The pests are too tiny for the naked eye to see, but you can always look for the signs that ensure their presence.

Here is what to look for:

• Bites - If you wake up to new itchy welts on your skin, it could be because of bed bugs. Identifying bed bugs based on bites is difficult, however, because their bites can resemble other insect bites. To confirm you have an infestation, you need to look for other signs.

• Rusty or Reddish Stains on Bedding or Mattresses - When bed bugs feed, they swell to a much larger size because they are engorged on blood. If they are crushed, they will leave rusty brown or reddish stains on the bedding or the mattress. Look for these signs on sheets, under the mattress, or on the bedding.

• Dark Spots - If you see tiny dark spots on your bedding it could be bed bug feces. These can smear and bleed onto the bedding.

• Eggs and Eggshells - tiny (1 mm) eggs and pale yellow skins from nymphs.

• Live Bed Bugs - If you see bugs you can identify, this is a sign they are in other places too.

• Smell - A stinky, musty odor from the bed bug’s scent glands.

How To Treat An Infestation

Once you’ve determined you have bed bugs, you need to clean and treat everything they’ve come in contact with. Most infestations will require a chemical treatment to get rid of the bed bugs, just be sure you use one that is safe to use in bedrooms.

Although there are treatments you can do yourself, the best course of action is to call a qualified exterminator, like bed bugs Barrie by Mr. Pest Control. Once they’ve treated the infested area, you will need to clean the rest of your home.

• Bedding - Clean bedding, linens, curtains, clothing, and stuffed animals in hot water and dry on the hottest dryer setting. If you have items that can’t be washed such as shoes and leather bags, place them in the dryer and run for thirty minutes.

• Get Rid of Your Mattress - This is one of the most obvious signs to replace your mattress, especially if it doesn't look right anymore, or you are using it for more than 5-6 years. You can opt for organic mattress Ottawa products if you are looking for models crafted with sustainably-sourced materials.

• Vacuum your bed frame and bed area frequently and get rid of the vacuum cleaner bag in the garbage outside.