It is safe to assume that you do not make a habit of sleeping in a bed if you know it has bugs in it. The only problem with this is that we cannot always know if our sleeping areas are infested with bugs. One type of elusive pests that regularly crawl into beds with people at night are bed bugs. If you are wondering what causes bed bugs in Aiken homes or are looking for some reliable bed bug control methods to get and keep these pests out, here are some things to consider today.
Is It Possible To Have Bed Bugs In Only One Room?
Most often, when a group of pests invades a home, they don’t stick to one place. They wander around, looking for food, and causing trouble. Bed bugs do not need to roam to find food. They just have to wait until their prey (you or one of your loved ones) is asleep so they can crawl into bed and draw some blood. This fact has led many people to think that bed bugs only infest sleeping areas. This is not the case. Although bed bugs are slow, they have plenty of time during the night to come out of hiding, feed, and then sneak off to a safe corner of your home to hide again. As for how to find out if you have bed bugs in your home, your best bet is not to look for these pests but to look for the signs they leave behind. Here are a few to know:
- Bloodstains on bed coverings
- Specs of reddish-black fecal droppings around beds and areas where bed bugs hide
- Bed bug eggs inside of cracks and crevices around your home
- Shed skins near areas where bed bugs hide and feed
- A musty odor in the air similar to over-ripened berries
If you do manage to spot a live bed bug, identify it by its reddish-brown, oval-shaped, apple-seed-sized body. When filled with a blood meal, this pest will be larger and more bloated.
Helpful Tips To Control Bed Bugs
If you did not know, bed bugs do not crawl into homes from outside. They use items people carry to get around. You might pick up these pests while traveling or spending time in public areas away from your home. People you know, like your family and friends, might also carry bed bugs into your living areas. Keeping all of these things in mind, here are six helpful bed bug control tips to reduce your chances of infestation:
- When traveling, check the rooms you plan on staying in for signs of bed bugs (fecal droppings, bloodstains, eggs, live bugs, etc.) If any are found, change rooms or go to a different establishment.
- Before traveling home from spending time away, store your dirty clothing inside a sealable plastic bag. Once you get home, wash this clothing in the washer on high heat.
- Practice checking used furniture, clothing, and other second-hand items for bed bugs and the signs they leave behind before buying them.
- Do not leave your bag, luggage, or any other item in one place for more than 20 minutes while you are out in public.
- Teach your children, close family, and friends about bed bugs so they can identify these pests for themselves and avoid bringing an infestation into your home.
How Do I Get Rid Of Bed Bugs In My Aiken Home Permanently?
You are what keeps bed bugs away from your Aiken home. The professionals at Aiken Pest are the ones who can get these bugs out when they invade. If you are up against an infestation of bed bugs, call us today. We will discuss with you what bed bug pest control services for your home will look like and schedule a detailed inspection to see if these pests are around and causing you trouble.