No one wants to admit that they have a bedbug problem but the sooner you deal with it the easier it will be to deal with. Bed bugs multiply fast and can all too easily not only become a problem for you, but for all the people you come to visit. These little pests are hitchhikers, and it just takes one pregnant bedbug to sneak to your loved one’s house to make it their issue as well.
These blood sucking creatures populate near your bed and bite you and your family in your sleep, often giving people the creepy feeling that makes it hard to rest. Bed bugs supposedly have been around for 100 million years and have bitten humans for a mere thousand. For a while in the 20th century due to the use of DDT pesticides, infestations seemed to recede. In the late 1990’s increased international travel, mixed with a lack of public awareness about pest prevention added to a sharp increase of infestations across the country. It may also be that bed bugs developed a resistance to DDT. Regardless of why they are certainly a problem to look out for. Here are some signs that you may have a bedbug problem that needs to be addressed.
Early Signs of Bed Bug Infestations
The first signs of bed bugs are subtle but recognizing them fast is key in preventing it from becoming a larger issue.
You wake up with bites: you may start to notice bedbug bites even after one or two generations since they start biting from the moment they hatch. You most likely won’t catch them biting you but may wake up with welts on your body, especially in places that are tight such as elastic bands on clothing. They can be incredibly itchy and create unsightly welts. Bed bug bites affect each individually differently, however the most common signs of a bite show up as raised bumps in a line, zigzag or random pattern. They can also appear pimple-like with a dark red center, with skin tone lighter than normal surrounding it. The bites appear due to an allergic reaction to the bites; however, some people are not allergic at all. They may go on a long time without realizing that an infestation of bedbugs is under their mattress or in their walls which can truly be unsettling.
A sweet and unsettling odor: Bed bugs, especially when the infestation is large, have a musty sweet smell they excrete from their bodies. They may have a coppery blood like smell from the debris of blood from their feces.
Dark stains: While we are on the subject of bed bug feces, they will leave behind a noticeable mark on your sheets and bedding. As they eat, they defecate, leaving behind small unsightly marks, which look dark brown or black and tend to bleed around the edges. The only good news about seeing these marks is that they often clue in you to where they are hiding. More marks mean you are closer to finding their hiding places.
Bloodstains: Aside from defecation, you may see signs of bedbugs which you inadvertently crush during the night. Because they feast on your blood, when they are crushed it leaves behind a small blood stain—gross, right?!
Bed bug debris: Bed bugs may seem sneaky, but they certainly aren’t neat. Once you start to look for them, you will most likely find traces of them including empty egg cases, dead bed bugs, shedded skins, and fecal matter around your bed. One of the most common places they hide is close to their food source—you! Look under your mattress in the piping and seams. If you have bed bugs, they are most likely there, though sometimes they can hide in cracks near your bed or crawl through from a neighbor’s wall.
You spot live bed bugs: Bed Bugs wake up at night, so you won’t most likely catch them walking around during the day. They often venture out in the early morning before the sun rises and you are in your deepest sleep. Look in the cracks of your mattresses and walls to find the hiding place of bedbugs. They can fit through a crack as thin as a credit card so concede most cracks as potential hiding places.
If you suspect you have a bedbug problem we are here to help. We can help you find the source and offer a wide range of treatments to get rid of your bed bug problem, once and for all. Don’t hesitate to call us right away if you think there is even the slightest chance that an infestation is about to begin. We can put the brakes on it right away!
