Would you know it if bed bugs were biting you while you were sleeping? You would think so. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Bed bugs are extremely sneaky pests that know how to draw blood from their victims without them knowing it. For this reason, it is important that you know how to check for bed bugs in your Pensacola home. Here are some tips and tricks to help you do just that.
Look For Blood Stains
If you are trying to identify bed bugs inside of your home, the first thing you should look for is blood stains on your bed covers. If you do not have any open wounds or ripped scabs, these bloodstains could be from bed bugs dribbling. This dribbling occurs because bed bugs overeat and are unable to keep all of the blood they remove inside.
Look For Bite Marks On Your Skin
Are bed bug bites dangerous? Thankfully not. Will you know if bed bugs are biting you? This depends. Not everyone reacts the same to bed bug bites. Some people feel irritation and itch around the affected areas after they wake up, but they have no visible symptoms. Others might find red bite marks on their skin that run in a straight line or zig-zag pattern. If you suspect your home has an infestation, have all of your family members check themselves for these bite marks.
Check For Fecal Droppings
After a bed bug finishes processing a blood meal, it excretes it back out onto nearby surfaces. You might find these specs of reddish-brown excrement in the creases of your mattress and boxspring, on your headboard, and in other places around your home.
See About The Quality Of The Air
As bed bug infestations grow, so does the amount of pheromones they put off into the air. With larger infestations, the human nose can detect a musty odor. What do bed bugs smell like? Many liken their scent to that of sweet, over-ripened berries.
Inspect For Shed Skins And Eggs
Bed bugs lay eggs in hard-to-reach places throughout homes. They also shed their skins in these areas while growing from a nymph to an adult. Use a flashlight to look inside cracks and gaps for these eggs and shed skins.
DIY Bed Bug Control Techniques
In order to keep bed bugs out of your home, you have to understand two things. These pests get inside by riding on items that people carry, and you are the most likely person to carry bed bugs indoors. That said, here are five bed bug control techniques to help you keep these pests out of your home.
- Check rooms for signs of bed bugs before settling into them while traveling.
- Store used clothing inside an airtight bag before traveling home from vacation. When you get home, wash this clothing on high heat.
- Be careful not to leave any items on the floor for more than 20 minutes while in public spaces.
- Inspect used furniture, clothing, and other items for signs of bed bugs and bed bugs themselves before purchasing the items.
- Inform your friends and family about bed bugs.
How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
Now that we have shown you how to check for bed bugs let’s talk about how to remove bed bugs from your Pensacola home if they get inside. Our recommendation is to let the experts at EnviroGuard lend you a helping hand. We use advanced bed bug control methods to quickly identify and remove these problematic blood-feeders.
Give our team a call today to learn more about our bed bug control and get a quote for your Pensacola home.