Bed Bug Identification & Prevention
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs have an oval-shaped body, six legs, and are wingless. In order to move from host to host, bed bugs crawl onto people or our belongings. We then transport them, unknowingly, into our homes where they don’t hesitate to make themselves at home. Bed bugs that have recently fed are a bit easier to spot because after a blood meal, their body swells in a balloon-like manner and turns a deep purple color.
Blood-feeding pests that move onto people and our belongings with ease, bed bugs are a tough pest to avoid. Blood is the sole food source for bed bugs, and people are their favorite hosts. If we aren’t available, they will feed on other warm-blooded animals. Bed bugs can, however, survive for up to a year or more without eating if temperature and humidity levels are favorable.
Are bed bugs dangerous?
Bed bugs bite our skin to feed on our blood, which means they are not ideal to have in our homes. However, bed bugs are still mainly considered nuisance pests instead of dangerous pests because the spread of disease by them is not a concern so far. Bed bug bites can be itchy and excessive itching at the bite sites can create a secondary infection. Also, the presence of bed bugs is unnerving for people and leads to increased stress levels and sleepless nights.
Why do I have a bed bug problem?
Contact with bed bugs can happen in many different areas. Bed bugs want to be near food sources, so wherever there are people, bed bugs may potentially be present.
Places that people may come into contact with bed bugs:
- A family or friend’s home
- Hotels or motels
- Shopping centers
- Hospitals or other health care facilities
- Airports, bus stations, cruise ships
- Schools
- Museums, libraries, movie theaters
- Used furniture, electronics, mattresses, or box springs
How can I prevent bed bugs in the future?
To help you stop bed bugs from taking over your Alabama property, we want to offer some easy-to-execute pest prevention tips:
Purchase used furniture, mattresses, and electronics with caution, knowing that they may be infested with bed bugs.
Minimize hiding spots within your home by keeping clutter to a minimum. Do not leave piles of dirty laundry on the floor for long periods.
Seals any cracks in your walls and floors.
Place covers over electrical outlets that aren’t in use.
Take the time to inspect your hotel or other rental space for bed bugs before bringing your personal belongings inside.
Be aware of your surroundings when in public places, and never leave personal belongings on the floor or near other people’s belongings.
Hear From Our Happy Customers
Serving Auburn, AL Since 2020
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Very professional and polite, he allowed me to ask questions and he explained every single thing he did to prevent pests during our initial visit.- Victoria M.
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Prewett Pest Control did a great job for our church. They were immediately responsive, and all of their representatives were courteous, polite, and knowledgeable.- Rusty J.
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He talked to me let know exactly what he was going to do.I am very happy with the results.- Hazel P.
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Richard came out and inspected our property and he did a phenomenal and thorough job making note of anything he saw that may cause potential issues and even offering suggestions.- Cher C.
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Great Service and very good customer service. The best. A asset to the company. Very professional. Would recommend. Justin Pearce is good at his job.- William H.
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Stan from Prewett Pest Control recently provided me with another outstanding quarterly pest control service at my property.- Mazzi A.
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Big shout out to the Prewett Pest Control crew serving the Auburn area (Justin, Matthew and Ryan).
- Stanley S. -
The Prewett team is great! Stan was friendly and knowledgeable! He answered all of my questions with ease.- Melissa F.