Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Bed bugs are small, flat, wingless insects that pack a lot of punch in such a little body. They are white, or brown and turn a rusty red after feeding. It is a common misconception that bed bugs only exist in dirty places. The truth is bed bugs can be found in even the cleanest of houses. They are small and sneaky insects. Bed bugs can gain access to your home by latching onto luggage, furniture, clothing, pets, boxes, and many other surfaces.

Bed bugs are like mosquitoes in the sense that they feed off of blood from animals and people. As their name suggests, they are commonly found hiding in the seams of mattresses – and therefore are known for biting people in the middle of the night. Typically bed bugs do not spread diseases, however their bites are said to be extremely itchy. There have been reports of people scratching so much they broke the skin – which increases the risk of infection.

This doesn’t mean to jump to conclusions every time you see a bite mark on your body. If you notice bites becoming more regular – take notice of when they occur. If you spend a lot of time outside and notice marks while you’re eating dinner, chances are they are mosquito or spider bites not bed bugs. If you commonly notice marks on your body in the morning that weren’t there when you went to bed, then it’s time to consider the possibility of bed bugs. Unlike most insects whose bites are sporadic, bed bugs bite in straight lines.

Possible Signs of Bed Bugs:

1. Red itchy bites found on your body – that weren’t there when you went to bed
2. They occasionally leave tiny brown/black stains on the mattress from where they were hiding
3. Small blood stains on the sheets/mattress
4. If you see small dark marks/specks (the actual bug) on the mattress – commonly on the seams of the mattress

Things to Know if You Suspect (or know) You Have Bed Bugs:

1. Do not change where you have been sleeping in the house. Bed bugs have evolved throughout the years and have become skilled at sensing possible hosts to feed off of. Moving from your bed to your couch will not solve the problem – it will cause the bed bugs to migrate to the couch with you.
2. Many people’s first instinct is to immediately throw out the mattress. Do not do this! Moving the infested mattress throughout the house to throw it out will cause the bed bugs to fall off along the way. They will spread throughout the rest of the house looking for another place to live – making your bed bug problem much bigger that it was before moving the mattress.
3. If you believe you have a bed bug infestation in your home, calling a professional to inspect is the best thing to do – they will be able to inspect and know for sure if there are bed bugs. If they find signs of bed bugs they will know the proper next steps to eliminate them without making the infestation worse.

We all know how important sleep is. May Exterminating wants to ensure you are sleeping tight and not letting the bed bugs bite. If you suspect there are bed bugs in your home, call 910-455-5888 and one of our trained technicians will be happy to assist you.