Do you want to live a hassle-free life? Do you want to be pain-free? Most people would answer "yes" to those questions because most want to enjoy life to its fullest. Therefore, when something is in your body causing pain, you go to the doctor, take medication, or have surgery because you want it gone. When there is something wrong with your car that is making it difficult to drive, you go to the mechanic and pay to get it fixed. We want anything that hurts or inconveniences us removed from our lives because we want to enjoy a pain-free, hassle-free life.
When you notice red itchy bumps on your body, you want to know the cause, and you want it removed. You probably found this article because you suspect bed bugs are the source of the bothersome bumps on your body, and you want them gone. If that is the case, you are in the right place because, in this article, we give you the information you need about these pesky pests.
Before we get into the details, your ultimate and best solution is to secure pest control in Marietta from ProCare Pest Services to eliminate the bed bug issue in your home. ProCare Pest Services is a family-owned and operated company that has served this area for almost a decade. From our humble beginnings in 2014 to operating two locations and servicing thousands of customers, we can proudly say ProCare is the best care you can get to solve your bed bug problems. Please keep reading to be educated about bed bugs and how to eliminate them from your house.
Examining Your Home: Where To Look For Bed Bugs
The first step to determine if you have a bed bug infestation is to learn about these insidious creatures. Bed bugs are insects with six jointed legs, two antennae, and a 1/4-inch three-part body consisting of a head, pronotum, and abdomen. If a bed bug has enjoyed a blood meal, it will have a reddish-brown, elongated, swollen body; if it has not eaten in several days, it will have a mahogany, flat, and oval body. Bed bugs have wing pads but no wings, nor can they fly.
You won't find bed bugs unless you know where to look because they are nocturnal creatures. While you sleep, usually between midnight and 5 am, bed bugs emerge from the cracks and crevices where they hide and climb onto your body. It takes about five to ten minutes for a bed bug to eat, and once they have eaten, they detach and retreat to their hiding locations.
Now that we know what bed bugs look like and their feeding habits, we need to be able to identify bed bug signs when we investigate common locations. Search for bed bugs, exoskeletons, eggs, eggshells, stains, and odor. We already have a description of bed bugs, so let's get information on the other indicators of bed bugs.
Insects have their skeleton on the outside of the body, and bed bugs are no exception. For a bed bug to progress through its five growth stages, it must shed (molt) its exterior skeleton (exoskeleton) each time. You won't be able to detect the cream-colored exoskeletons from the first few molts without magnification, but you should be able to see the last one or two.
Bed bugs lay eggs in cracks and crevices along the wall. These white eggs are only 1/32-inch, so you'll need a magnifying glass to locate them. After five days, a black eye spot appears on the eggs, which may help you to find them.
As bed bugs feed, they defecate a material consisting of old blood and waste. The fecal matter creates reddish-brown stains on bed linens, mattresses, and box springs. Of course, they also deposit feces as they travel and where they hide; you will find markings also on walls, corners, and the floor.
Bed bugs release pheromones to communicate with each other. These chemicals alert nearby bed bugs of food sources (hosts) and nesting areas; pheromones also play a role in mating. When a bed bug concentration exists in a room, you can detect a musty-sweet odor from the pheromones.
Now that we can identify the insects and their signs and we know their habits, here is where you need to focus your investigation:
- Behind headboards
- Behind picture frames
- Inside electrical outlets
- Upholstered items
- Cracks in wood flooring and furniture
- Crevices between walls and baseboards
- Bed linens
- Mattress seams
- Box springs
If you see bed bug indicators in those areas, you need bed bug control in Marietta from ProCare Pest Service. Our highly-trained technicians know the signs and where to investigate; they can confirm your observations or make adjustments if they determine the indicators point to another pest.
Unwanted Guests: Common Causes Of Bed Bug Infestations
Most pests enter homes from the surrounding lawn due to adverse weather circumstances or if they detect food and water sources in the house; however, bed bugs are different. Bed bugs are hitchhikers who enter homes by hiding in bags, luggage, clothing folds, shoes, and used furniture.
Public transportation, venues, and used furniture are transportation depots for bed bugs. As you travel on a public bus, cab, or train, bed bugs hiding in the seat cushions or a nearby passenger's items can crawl into your clothing or bags. When you enjoy a play or a dinner at a large public gathering, bed bugs in the upholstery crevices can move onto you. Hotels and motels are synonymous with bed bugs because they hide in mattress seams, box springs, behind headboards, picture frames, and inside electrical outlets in the rooms. Another way bed bugs enter homes is by hitchhiking in the crevices of used furniture, particularly upholstered items.
The presence of bed bugs does not mean you have a dirty house; an infestation means they have managed to catch a ride into your home. Bed bugs are prolific reproducers. Only one fertilized female can produce one to seven eggs over the next ten days after feeding. In other words, she can deliver 20 or more offspring after feeding on a host. The next time she consumes a blood meal, she can repeat the egg production. When you consider the 1:1 ratio of males to females and that it takes about 37 days under optimal conditions (>70?) for a bed bug to reach maturity, you can understand why a bed bug population can double every 16 days after the first generation.
ProCare Pest Services provides the best pest control for bed bugs near you. We have the tools, experience, and knowledge to eliminate these pests from your Marietta home so you can rest easy at night.
Professional Bed Bug Control: Call In The Experts Right Away
In a survey of pest removal professionals by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), 76% noted that bed bugs are the most difficult pest to eliminate from homes. You can imagine why it is nearly impossible for an inexperienced homeowner who does not have access to the latest technology to eliminate bed bugs.
ProCare Pest Services provides bed bug control services in Marrietta because they infest many homes in our area. When a qualified and licensed technician arrives at your Marietta home, we will inspect the interior for bed bug signs. We will provide effective treatment options and plans that fit your schedule. Once we have a game plan, we will treat your home and end the infestation. We will follow up as necessary to ensure the bugs are gone.
Long-Term Bed Bug Prevention: Tips To Prevent Reinfestation
Once ProCare Pest Services eliminates bed bugs, here are some bed bug control techniques for your home that will keep them away for good:
- Inspect clothing, bags, and luggage after traveling or staying in public venues.
- Wash and dry laundry immediately after a trip.
- Wash and dry bed linens at the highest temperature they will tolerate.
- Investigate used furniture with a magnifying glass before bringing the items into the house.
- Suction the crevices between flooring, baseboards, and walls.
- Remove clothing piles from the floor.
- Encase mattresses with plastic protectors.
- Vacuum the house regularly.
Dry clothing and bed linens for at least 30 minutes because bed bugs cannot tolerate sustained heat over 120?. Also, when you vacuum the house, place contents in a sealable bag and move it to a closed outdoor container. Seal the zipper when you use a mattress encasement so bed bugs cannot lodge in gaps.
The best way to keep bed bugs out of your Marietta house once ProCare Pest Services eliminates them is to be vigilant. Inspect clothing, used furniture, and keep the house clean and debris-free. These tips will keep you from experiencing a future infestation; however, ending a current invasion begins with ProCare Pest Services.
For the best bed bug pest control near you, you need ProCare Pest Services. Contact us today to learn about our bed bug treatment options and plans. After experiencing our pest control service, you will understand why the best care is ProCare.