If the thought of a bed bug crawling around on your skin or in your bed while you’re sound asleep gives you the creeps, you’re not alone. Bed bugs are more common than you think, and if you suspect that you have a bed bug infestation in your home, don’t feel ashamed.
Bed bugs are challenging to get rid of, and if you ignore them, your infestation will only continue to grow. At Seitz Bros., we have decades of experience getting rid of bed bugs in all types of buildings from brand new homes and older apartment buildings to nursing homes and hotels.
Identifying Bed Bugs
Depending on the stage of the bed bugs in your home, it is often challenging to accurately identify a bed bug. Most people notice them when they see them moving, or the exoskeleton of a molting bed bug.
Adult bed bugs are between 5 to 7 mm and about the size of an apple seed. Their bodies are long, flat, and oval-shaped if they haven’t fed recently or reddish-brown and rounder if recently fed. They have wings, but cannot fly, four-part antennas, and a three-segmented beak. If you have a good sense of smell, you may notice an odor that is musty and sweet.
Young bed bugs, or nymphs, are smaller and not as dark in color as adults. Although they have similar characteristics of adult bed bugs, they will almost be invisible when not recently fed. As you might expect, eggs are nearly impossible to see and are about the size of a pinhead and white.
Adult bed bugs are often mistaken for other types of pests like bat bugs or beetles. Either way, you don’t want pests in your home, so it’s best to seek out expert opinion from experienced pest control technicians.
Are Bed Bugs Dangerous?
Bed bugs are not considered a dangerous pest. Because you can unknowingly pick them up from anywhere, such as a relative’s home, a hotel, or even secondhand furniture, many people assume that bed bugs can spread disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assure us that bed bugs do not spread disease, but if you scratch bug bites too much, it can increase the chance of a skin infection. Like other insect bites, bed bug bites affect everyone differently.
If you suspect that you have bed bug bites, pay close attention to the bite. If it gets worse, you may have an allergic reaction and benefit from medical attention.
How to Tell if You Have Bed Bugs
It’s important to remember that bed bugs can be anywhere. It doesn’t matter if your home is immaculate or if you have a cluttered apartment. Bed bugs do not discriminate. Here are some telltale signs that you may have bed bugs in your home:
- You have itchy bites on your skin and often form in a line
- Rust-colored spots (from blood) on your mattress or linens
- You experience intense itching at night
- You smell a musty and sweet odor
- You see bed bugs moving around at night
Although you may be tempted to use insecticides at the first sign of a bed bug, it’s better to call pest control and get an accurate assessment. If you try to treat your bed bug problem before you call a professional, your efforts may counteract otherwise effective methods.
Commercial Bed Bug Control
While bed bugs could be found inside your home, they can also be found on rental properties, motels and hotels. These pests are not one property managers want to deal with nor is it something renters want to find during their stays.
Bed bugs might not be considered dangerous, but they’re not a pest you want to find and of course, they can be bad for your business. A bed bug sighting leads to a poor customer experience which will likely result in bad reviews and a negative reputation. Be proactive when it comes to bed bugs and ensure this pests never infest your commercial property.
At Seitz Bros., we have over 40 years of dealing with and getting rid of bed bugs. We know how to identify them, treat the problem, and provide preventive treatments to reduce the chance of bed bugs entering your living space.
Call us today for a free quote and to set up an appointment to get one step closer to removing bed bugs from your life.