California is one of the worst states for bed bugs, with high rates of infestations in residential and commercial settings alike. In San Diego County, bed bugs are a common problem for home and business owners. Bed bugs spread rapidly and can infest even the cleanest properties. If you’ve never encountered bed bugs before, consider yourself lucky, but make sure you’re prepared if one day your luck runs out.
Our complete bed bug guide will teach you how to spot a bed bug infestation, as well as what to do if you identify bed bugs on your property.
How To Tell If You Have Bed Bugs
There are many indications that your home may be infested with bed bugs. First of all, you may see the insects themselves. They are oval-shaped and small, about ¼ of an inch long. When unfed, they are fairly flat and mahogany-colored, but they become red-brown and engorged after feeding on blood.
Aside from spotting the bugs themselves, you may notice other tell-tale signs of these parasites, including:
Dark spots on mattresses, walls, or furniture, which are left by bed bug droppings.
Crushed bed bugs around mattresses and bedding, appearing as reddish stains.
Discovering bed bug eggs, eggshells, or shed skins.
Red, itchy bites that bed bugs leave on their human hosts, usually appearing in clusters, a line, or a zig-zag formation.
A musty odor emitted by bed bugs.
Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?
Bed bugs are hitchhikers, meaning they catch a ride on the belongings of unsuspecting people and are transported to new locations. The unsettling truth is that bed bugs can be found just about anywhere that people congregate in groups or spend any length of time, including hotels, office buildings, public transportation hubs, hospitals, college dorms, and more. If you visit any of these places, you run the risk of picking up bed bugs and bringing them home with you.
While bed bugs are difficult to prevent, there are a few things you can do to limit your risk of picking them up. When traveling, avoid putting your luggage on the ground in hotels or public transportation. If you stay at a hotel, inspect the room for signs of bed bugs, particularly the mattress, sheets, and headboard, before settling in. Upon returning home, wash all of your clothes in hot water, whether or not you wore them.
Even if you are careful, it is all too easy for bed bugs to hitch a ride home with you. Once bed bugs gain access to your home, they quickly spread throughout the rooms of your house, nesting in mattresses, headboards, carpeting, wallpaper, furniture, and more. They hide during the day and creep out at night, sucking the blood of their sleeping human victims. Bed bugs breed rapidly, and their populations quickly explode, making it even more difficult to get rid of them.
Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite… Call HomeShield Pest Control
Bed bugs are difficult to prevent and even harder to control without professional assistance. Professional bed bug treatments are the only way to ensure that bed bugs will be completely eradicated. If you opt for DIY methods, the chances are that some of the bed bugs will survive, and the infestation will soon be back to full force. Only a professional pest control company will have the equipment, training, and experience to fully eliminate bed bugs from your home.
For quality bed bug control in San Diego County, look no further than HomeShield Pest Control. Contact us today to get rid of the bed bugs in your home.