Bed Bugs Identification

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are biting pests that feed on the blood of warm-blooded mammals, with people being their favorite hosts. In the United States, these pests were once almost eradicated. However, in the late 1990’s, they were able to make a comeback. Bed bugs hitchhike rides with people in order to move from one place to the next. Because of the easy and affordable travel methods available to us, along with the bed bug’s mode of transportation, you can find them in every state in the U.S. as well as around the world.

Adult bed bugs are oval, reddish-brown, and wingless. They have a long, proboscis (nose) they use to feed. Adults grow to about ¼ of an inch. Immature bed bugs (nymphs) closely resemble adults but are much smaller in size and are a bit more difficult to see because of their yellowish color. After feeding, however, they turn bright red and are much easier to spot. These parasitic insects are most active right before dawn, but during the day they hide in dark cracks and crevices.

Are bed bugs dangerous?

Many people are allergic to bed bug saliva, and those allergic will develop a raised red rash around the bite sites that is usually very itchy. Bed bugs are also capable of harboring some disease-spreading pathogens, but this is not a major concern. The biggest problem with bed bugs is that their presence in homes causes a lack of sleep and unnecessary stress. No one wants to know that biting bugs are living in their home and feeding on their blood as they sleep. So while bed bugs are not considered dangerous, they certainly are unwanted pests and require immediate pest control in Lodi, CA.

Why do I have a bed bug problem?

Bed bugs move inside homes and other structures on people or things. These hitchhiking bugs often move into homes on items like used mattresses, box springs, and furniture. The most common way bed bugs will find their way into your house is after you or a family member unknowingly come into contact with them while out in public places, work, or school, and they crawl onto you or your things.

Where will I find bed bugs?

Inside of homes, bed bugs hide their flat bodies in a variety of places including:

• The seams of mattresses, box springs, and upholstered furniture
• In the cracks of walls and wood furniture
• Behind hanging walls and pictures
• Inside wall voids behind electrical outlets
• Inside of electronics and keyboards

In addition to finding the bed bugs themselves, dark streaks (excrement) or drops of blood on bedding, mattresses, box springs, or walls should also alert you to an infestation in your home. You may also find piles of shed skins under mattresses and box springs or on the floor or notice a musty odor in an otherwise clean room. Also, you or your family members may have unexplained bug bites – their bites are usually in groups of three in a line or zigzag pattern.

How do I get rid of bed bugs?

Bed bugs live throughout Modesto and the Central Valley of California, making it difficult to avoid contact with them. The best way to get rid of bed bugs that are already in your home and prevent them from returning is to partner with Peace of Mind Pest Control. Our experienced professionals and modern services provide home and business owners with peace of mind knowing that their pest problems will be solved once and for all. If you are looking to get rid of bed bugs from your property with the help of dedicated, local professionals, reach out to Peace of Mind Pest Control today!