Bed bug infestations continue to grow in the United States, and Auburn is not excluded. Bed bugs are here. If they get into your home, they can create misery for your family - but only as much misery as you allow. If you catch bed bugs early, you can reduce the impact they can have on you. Here are five signs that your Auburn home may have a bed bug problem.
1. Bites
When bed bugs start to bite, the bite wounds can be slight. If you catch them early, you can prevent yourself, or someone you love, from getting bites that are far worse.
Anatomy Of Bed Bug Bites
- These bites can be small raised bumps or large welts.
- These bites are often associated with a rash.
- These bites can be numerous when several bugs feed at once.
- These bites tend to be concentrated in one area because bed bugs feed together.
- A single bed bug will feed multiple times - often three times.
- The bites of a single bed bug will be in a line or a slight zig-zag.
- The bites of several bed bugs are likely to look like they follow a path across the skin.
- These bites tend to be on skin that is exposed during the night.
- Bed bugs tend to bite the shoulders, neck, and face because they are attracted to carbon dioxide.
2. Stains
Bed bugs leave their excrement and excreted blood on fabrics and surfaces. If you find black or brown stains on sheets, pillowcases, bedding, mattresses, box springs, or some other item, it is time to do a more detailed inspection. You could have a bed bug infestation.
3. Cuticles
Bed bugs have cuticles. No, we're not talking about fingernail cuticles. The skin of a bed bug is called a cuticle. As it develops, a bed bug will shed its cuticle several times. These shed skins can be found around areas where bed bugs are breeding. This material will be small because a bed bug is only between 1 and 4.5 mm long. It will have a pale white or tan coloration. Search for this material in tight spaces and compressed locations. This is where bed bugs prefer to hide and breed.
4. Eggs
The egg of a bed bug is 1mm long and pale in color. You may find them as individuals or in small groups. These eggs will be in tight spaces and compressed locations. Here are a few examples:
- The spaces between your mattress and bed
- Under the cushions of your couch
- In the seams of your mattress or box spring
- In the tiny gaps and recesses of your bed frame
- Behind your baseboards or crown molding
- Under the edge of your carpets
- In the cracks and creases of book bags, duffel bags, pocketbooks, etc.
5. Bugs
If you know what bed bugs look like, you could catch an infestation early, or even before these insects infest your home. You are probably aware that bed bugs are flat, oval-shaped insects with a rusty red coloration and horizontal lines on the abdomen. That's what an adult looks like. But adult bed bugs aren't likely to feed on you while you're awake. The bed bugs that are daring enough to feed on you while you're awake are immature nymphs which may be a pale or tan coloration. If you see a tiny pale insect with a bright red abdomen attached to your skin, take note; it could be a bed bug.
You can uncover adult bed bugs, along with the other stages, if you do an inspection of your bed. Keep in mind that several bed bugs can be congregated in an area the size of your thumbnail. You'll have to do a detailed inspection. They may also be in tight, hidden spaces. We recommend dragging a debit card along the seams of your mattress or box spring to lift eggs, cuticles, and bed bugs to the surface.
I Have Bed Bugs, Now What?
If you find bed bugs in your Auburn home, it is best to have a licensed pest professional exterminate them. Bed bugs are clever, resourceful, and resilient pests. The insect that we call a bed bug is Cimex lectularius, which has been living with humans since before recorded history. If they were easy to exterminate, they'd be extinct by now. Contact Prewett Pest Control for effective control of these bugs. We're here to help you with all your pest control needs.