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Blog

How To Prevent A Bed Bug Infestation In Your Home

11/7/13

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Bed bugs have been in the news for the past few years and their spotlight has not faded! Bed bugs are still problematic for homeowners and residents of apartment buildings. These parasitic insects feed on the blood of mammals. Adult bed bugs are a reddish brown color and are about the size and shape of an apple seed; flat and oval in appearance. The nymphs are a smaller version of the adult bed bugs and can be seen by the naked eye. Bed bug eggs are very small and white, and difficult to see with the naked eye. Bed bugs are common to areas where there is a lot of public traffic such as: libraries, movies theaters, hospitals, office buildings, shopping centers and airports. With the high number of bed bugs throughout the area it is unfortunately very common for people to unknowingly introduce them into their New England homes.

Just the presence of two or three bed bugs in your home can lead to a large infestation very quickly. For this reason it is crucial to know what the signs of bed bugs are and what steps to take if you see any. Common signs of bed bugs include:

• Small rust colored spots on your bedding and linens. These spots are dried blood from where the bed bugs were feeding.

• Tiny brown droppings on your linens or under your mattress and box spring.

• Finding tiny white eggs or egg casings

• Shed exoskeletons found in piles around your mattress or other areas where the bed bugs are hiding. They are shed from the growing nymphs.

• Seeing live adults crawling under your mattress or in cracks or crevices throughout your home.

• Waking up with mosquito like cluster of bites; however this sign is less reliable since bed bug bites look very similar to other types of insect bites.

If you notice any of these signs you should immediately contact a bed bug exterminator. A professional New England pest control expert will be able to quickly and efficiently inspect your home for bed bugs and provide effective treatment. If you are living in an apartment building you should promptly contact your building manager so immediate help can be sought. Once the source is located a pest professional can provide treatment for the affected units. If it is found that you are responsible for introducing the bed bugs into your apartment you will most likely be responsible for the remediation fees, but that small cost will be worth a good night’s sleep without the worry of bed bugs.

If you live in an apartment where sometimes it can become murky as to who really needs to pay for the extermination fees it is best to try and prevent an infestation all together through the implementation of simple pest prevention tips. Whether you live in a single family home or a building with lots of living units in it there are many steps that you can take to prevent a bed bug infestation or at the very least catch it before it gets out of hand. Bed bug prevention steps include:

• When traveling on a bus, plane or train, keep you purses, bags, and coats up off of the ground. Inspect your seat for signs of bed bugs before sitting down. This also holds true for going to movie theaters, libraries and other similar places.

• If traveling, before bringing your luggage into your hotel room check it for signs of bed bugs. Places that bed bugs hide include underneath mattresses, in the mattress seams, in the cracks of wooden furniture, behind curtains and picture frames.

• When returning home from traveling clothing should be immediately washed in hot water and your suitcase should be taken directly outside and vacuumed and cleaned out.

• New and especially used clothing should be immediately washed after purchase.

• If at all possible do not purchase used furniture; but if you do make sure you thoroughly vacuum it and clean it.

Bed bugs are not a pest that should be ignored! If you notice signs of bed bugs in your home you should immediately contact a Worcester pest control company or a Framingham pest control company for help! A quality pest control company can help effectively and safely remove these bloodsucking pests from your place of residence. If you live in Worcester, MA, Framingham, MA or the surrounding areas and are in need of quality home pest control, don’t hesitate; contact the bed bug experts at Big Blue Bug Solutions today!