What are bed bugs?
Have you ever seen a bed bug? How in the world would you be able to know if you have bed bugs? Bed bugs are smaller, oval-shaped body and brownish colored insects. Human or animal blood is their food! Their flat bodies get swollen after feeding and become red as the color of blood, which makes sense. They can’t fly but move through ceilings, walls, and floors. An adult bed bug can lay hundreds of eggs, in a short period of time, which produces “nymphs”. These nymphs shed their skin layers, after each meal of blood, four to five times before reaching to maturity.
Bed bug eggs are
- Small as the size of a pinhead
- White
- Invisible to eye until it gets 5 days or older
Issues and Threats
Bed bugs are a public health pest but they don’t transmit diseases, but may affect living host’s physical or mental health. Some effects could be:
- An allergic reaction which may range between a very small reaction to a severe reaction (a rare case).
- Skin infections i.e. ecthyma, impetigo, and lymphangitis.
- Living hosts could also develop mental issues too i.e. insomnia or anxiety.
The habitat of a bed bug
It is easy to handle bed bugs if you discover them at early stages. You should rid yourself of these pests before it becomes a widespread issue. The best way to identify bed bugs is to examine physical signs. These can be found in or under a mattress, furniture, baseboard, and wallpapers.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tells you exactly how to discover if you have bed bugs.
Surprisingly bed bugs can even live and survive at a low temperature of 50°F and can still live at temperatures above 100°F. It’s difficult to get rid of bed bugs but if you find you have them in your home call or contact us immediately.
Preventing bed bugs
Being as clean as possible is the best way to prevent a bed bug infestation. You should follow the following steps to prevent these and many other pests!:
- Be careful of secondhand furniture you get
- Use a protective mattress cover, the higher the quality the better
- Get rid of any clutter
- Vacuum plenty
- If you use any laundry services be extra careful
Hire Us for Inspection
Removal of a bed bugs infestation can be difficult. Big Tom’s Pest Control has experience and a well-trained team that is capable to assess your living area, implement an effective solution and can monitor the infestation. Our inspection helps get to the problem before it become out of control. If you believe you have bed bugs or are worried you got these darn pests from that garage sale, let us know and we will be glad to schedule a time to help you out.
