Did your mother used to say, “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite."? Whether she had any real experience with bed bugs or not, it was good advice. Bed bug bites are itchy and unpleasant and can make you uncomfortable for a week or more.
Homeowners around Moline need to be more alert for bed bugs during the summer months to make sure they don’t accidentally bring the pesky critters into their homes. Bed bugs are usually carried into a home, hidden in some object that smells like humans or that was used in an area where humans sleep. For example, bed bugs can enter your suitcase while you’re staying in a hotel, causing you to end up with some unwanted souvenirs.
Bed bugs can also enter your home in a piece of furniture, like that couch you purchased at the neighborhood yard sale or the bedding your kids brought home from camp. Sometimes houseguests unknowingly transport bed bugs when they visit.
Homeowners need to be vigilant for signs of bed bugs to prevent themselves from bringing the insects into their home.
When traveling, be aware that bed bugs could enter your suitcase in a number of ways, either from crawling directly in or being packed into your suitcase after attaching themselves to your clothing. Whether you are staying at a hotel, with family, or with friends, do a bed bug inspection when you arrive, before you leave, and after you get home.
Use a flashlight to check creases and folds in mattresses, box springs, upholstered furniture, suitcases and other items where bed bugs might hide. They like tight areas and rough surfaces that make it easier for them to climb, so they are more likely to be in fabric or wood rather than on smooth surfaces such as stone and metal. When checking for bed bugs, look for signs of an infestation. These include:
Tiny eggs, about a millimeter in size. You might see individual eggs or groupings of eggs.
Fecal matter. Bed bug feces often appears as a black streak on bedding or upholstery, and also in areas such as baseboards and bed frames. Sometimes it looks like a black matted spot, and other times it looks like tiny black specks.
Shed skins. Bed bugs go through five stages of development. As they develop their shed skins change color from pale to tan to reddish brown.
Blood stains. These stains often look tan or brown and are often found in the same places that fecal matter is found.
Any sign of bed bugs is bad news. Finding a lot of stains, skins, or eggs is an indication that the infestation is a large one.
Trying to rid your home of bed bugs by yourself is not a good idea. Penn State University warns that using DIY products on bed bugs will only cause the bed bugs to become more widely dispersed around your home, making treatment even more difficult.
Instead of trying to fight bed bugs yourself, bring in Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators as your reliable professional partner. Quik-Kill’s trained service technicians will inspect your property and help you determine the best bed bug treatment for your situation. Call and schedule an appointment today.