What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are parasitic pests that feed on the blood of mammals using their proboscis, a specialized elongated, sucking mouthpart. While bed bugs feed on the blood of a variety of mammals, human blood is their main and favorite food source. Bed bugs are mostly nocturnal, hiding out during the day in tight cracks and crevices, and emerging at night to feed on their sleeping victims. They may feed during daylight hours in places like theaters, offices, libraries, and shopping centers.
Before feeding, adult bed bugs are oval, reddish-brown insects, and are flattened from top to bottom, much like an apple seed. After feeding, bed bugs' bodies swell, elongate, and turn a deep reddish-purple color. Young bed bugs (nymphs) look similar to adults, except they are smaller in size. Before feeding, young bed bugs are translucent or whitish-yellow in color. After feeding, they turn bright red in color.
Are bed bugs dangerous?
Bed bugs are not known to transmit a wide variety of diseases under normal conditions, and they aren’t considered to be dangerous. That isn’t to say that they should be welcomed into your home. In fact, an infestation should be eliminated from any property as quickly as possible.
Bed bugs bite people and, though many have no reaction to bed bug bites, some do experience allergic reactions. Bed bug bites can be itchy, and may lead to secondary infections that require medical attention.
A bed bug infestation can also take an emotional toll on a home's residents. Knowing that bed bugs are living in their home can cause people to have sleepless nights, becoming stressed and uncomfortable in their own home.
Why do I have a bed bug problem?
The first thing to understand when it comes to bed bugs is that an infestation can occur in any home. Bed bugs do not discriminate, and an infestation is nothing to be embarrassed about. These pests may be found anywhere that people are since our blood is their main food source.
Bed bugs inhabit almost any public place where they can easily crawl onto a person’s clothing, bags, or other personal belongings. After coming into contact with people or their belongings, they are then introduced into homes, where they quickly begin feeding and breeding.
Bed bugs are also commonly introduced into homes through used furniture, mattresses, and box springs, or in newly purchased clothing items (new or used). In addition, bed bugs migrate between homes and apartment units through walls, ducts, vents, or wires.
Where will I find bed bugs?
Bed bugs can be found living, breeding and feeding inside homes, apartments, hotels, health care facilities, dormitories, shelters, schools, movie theaters, laundry facilities, office buildings, airports, and bus stations.
Inside homes, bed bugs typically first take up residence where people are found sleeping, mainly in bedroom areas or in the seams of upholstered furniture.
Eventually they will move throughout a home, hiding out in the cracks of walls and floors, behind wooden trim, inside outlets and electronics, and under piles of dirty laundry.
How do I get rid of bed bugs?
To eliminate bed bugs from a home or business, the assistance of a trained professional is required. At Pest-Pro Services, Inc., the first step we take to get rid of bed bugs is to provide a free inspection and estimate. Our experienced technicians then provide the guaranteed (one-year) services needed to completely get rid of bed bugs from your home or business.
Available in Texarkana, and Longview as well as throughout Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas, Pest-Pro Services, Inc. is committed to using advanced technology to eliminate bed bugs and prevent their return. To learn more about eliminating bed bugs from your home or business, please reach out today!
How can I prevent bed bug infestations?
In combination with professional pest control services from Pest-Pro Services, Inc., there are things that you can do to prevent problems with biting bed bugs from occurring:
Know what bed bugs look like and learn to identify the signs of their presence.
Inspect hotel rooms for signs of bed bugs before bringing belongings inside.
Wash all clothing taken on a trip immediately upon returning home.
Keep suitcases, bags, and other personal belongings up off the floor of public places.
Never purchase used furniture, mattresses, or box springs for use within your home.
Regularly vacuum floors and the seams of furniture, mattresses, and box springs.
Wash all newly purchased clothing on high heat cycles immediately after bringing it home.
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