Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed exclusively on blood and have been pests for a long time. They are the most detested of household pests. Bed bugs are flat, reddish-brown, and oval shaped measuring about 3/16 of an inch long. They can lay dormant for several months without needing to feed on humans. They are more active at night when the host is asleep. Under cool conditions bed bugs have been able to survive up to a year without a meal. The average female bed bug will lay up to 600-700 eggs before dying. Bed bug infestations can get out of control very quickly!
Signs of Bed Bug Infestations
Bed bugs are found in crevices and cracks, including mattress seams, sheets, furniture, behind baseboards, electrical outlet plates and picture frames. Once they find their way indoors it is difficult to control them without the help of an experienced pest control specialist. Signs you may have an infestation would be if you actually see the bed bugs or case skins which is the result of them shedding, the appearance of rusty-colored spots due to their blood colored fecal matter, bites on the exposed skin of your body or tiny cream colored eggs. Sometimes there can be a sweet musty odor associated with having bed bugs in the later stages of the infestation.
Bed Bug Detection
Most common form of bed bug detection is visual inspection. Without the trained knowledge to identify the telltale signs of an infestation, bed bugs can be easily missed as they are nocturnal which means they are elusive and secretive during daylight. They prefer to hide in areas that are not easily accessible to visual inspection. Learning how to detect them will limit the spread of the infestation, reducing the cost and complexity of treatment. With any detection method it is important to know that low level infestations may escape detection because of their elusiveness. Failure to identify their presence should not be used as an indicator that there are no bed bugs present!
Treatment of Bed Bugs
Widely used chemicals are available that kill them on contact. Each chemical class kills bed bugs using a different mode of action. Using pesticides that differ in their mode of action is helpful because it reduces the likelihood the bugs will develop a resistance. Insect growth regulators are chemicals that mimic juvenile growth hormones in insects. They work by either altering the production of chitin (the compound insects use to make their external “shell” or exoskeleton) or by altering an insect’s development into adulthood. Some growth regulators force the insect to develop too rapidly, while others stop development. Some chemical treatments require 3-4 visits. If it has been three weeks since your last treatment and there are no signs like bites, live bed bugs, new fecal matter or cast skins then it’s a good indication that you’re bed bug free.
Bed Bug Pest Control in Fort Worth TX | Cushing, Muskogee, Tahlequah, Okmulgee, Wilburton, Eufaula, McAlester, Broken Arrow, Glenpool & Tulsa OK
A bed bug infestation can cause anxiety, depression and loss of sleep for those who have to deal with one and the social and financial hardships that can come with it. Getting good solid information on all your options and hiring the right company will get rid of them quickly. If you think you have bed bugs call Pied Piper Services!