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Bed bugs can be challenging to treat if the infestation escalates, so you want it treated as soon as possible. It’s a lot easier to treat a minor infestation. That’s why you have to be on the lookout for bed bugs to address the problem early.
Recognize the Signs
Before you start asking yourself how much does bed bug treatment costs or what does Aptive cover, you need to be sure if what you’re seeing are bed bugs. You don’t want to rely on bites as key indicators because bed bug bites look like any other bug bite. Those bites on your ankles could have come from a rogue mosquito or from walking around outside due to chiggers.
It’s better to work on identifying signs that you have bed bugs by what they leave behind. As a tip, always inspect the bed you use when you’re away from home, so you don’t bring back bed bugs. Remember to check your mattress regularly, so you can catch the early signs early of a bed bug infestation.
Start by looking for rusty stains on sheets or your mattress. If you see any of these stains, it’s possible that bed bugs got crushed and left that reddish stain behind. Dark spots about the size of a period are also indicators. Those spots are bed bug excrement and are excellent indicators that you’re dealing with bed bugs. You may also see eggs, eggshells, or live bed bugs.
Where to Look
Contrary to the name, bed bugs don’t just stay in your bed. They’ll find other places to roost like couches, chairs, drawers, behind outlet plates, and lots of other places you wouldn’t expect. Because they’re so small, they can get into various spots.
Good places to check include around your bed. The seams, tags, and piping are all prime hiding spots for bed bugs between meals. If your bed frame or box spring has any open cracks, they also like to hide there.
For more significant infestations, you’ll find them everywhere. They’ll pop up in your couch seams or between chair cushions. You can even find them hiding in your curtains. Loose items hanging on your wall also act as perfect hiding spaces for bed bugs. If you suspect bed bugs, look everywhere for signs that they’ve been there.
Understand Their Habits
To help you spot an infestation before it gets out of control, it helps if you understand what bed bugs do and when they do it. They require blood to survive, so that’s why they bite people when they’re active in the middle of the night. Bed bugs are also willing to travel distances of up to 20 feet to get to you. While it takes a few minutes for them to feed, it’s not unusual for you to miss them at first since you’re likely dead asleep when they’re hungry.
Bed bugs feed multiple times in their lifetime, with time in between meals at about 14 days. Female bed bugs lay hundreds of eggs over the course of a year, making it easy to have an infestation spiral out of control. It doesn’t help that they thrive in low temperatures and survive in significantly warm temperatures.
It’s worth noting that bed bugs can be killed with heat because they die if it gets too hot. Killing them with heat can also be dangerous if not done correctly. Heat only works if you can make sure it reaches all of their nooks and crannies. If you miss any, you’re looking at being infested all over again. Hiring a professional to treat the infestation is the best way to go.
Getting Bed Bugs Under Control
Beg bugs are tricky little pests that are smart enough to hide away from people during the day. It takes some effort to spot a bed bug infestation, so you want to be proactive in your approach. Once you’ve seen the signs, like rusty red stains and bed bug fecal matter, it will not take long before the infestation gets out of control.
Look everywhere a bed bug can hide from you if you suspect an infestation. Check the bed, sheets, couches, chairs, cushions, and wherever else they can hide. When you discover an infestation, you must be thorough in finding out where they are because you’ll have to get them all to clear the infestation. Consult a pest control expert if you aren’t sure.
If you want to verify that bed bugs are making your life difficult, it also helps if you understand their habits. Knowing how and when they feed will also help you catch them. To clean them out, hire a professional. Then, run your sheets, blankets, pillows, cushions, and anything else on the hottest dryer setting to kill any remaining bugs that might be hiding there.
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