If there is one pest that makes people feel rather disgusted just thinking about them, it’s the bed bug. There is something particularly gross about these small pests. Perhaps it's just the idea of them living in mattresses and sucking blood while you sleep. While this may not be as dangerous as some pests, it can leave you with small, red bite marks in the morning and loss of sleep as you feel their itchy presence.
Bed Bug Basics
Bed bugs can spread quickly, and they can soon make living in your Longview home miserable. To understand how bed bugs travel try thinking of them as bloodsucking hitchhikers. They usually get inside by catching a ride on things like purses, luggage, or even secondhand items.
While bed bugs are a rather tiny pest, knowing what they look like can still be useful. If you know what you’re looking for, identifying them just by sight is much easier. Here is what bed bugs look like:
- They are a reddish-brown color.
- They are usually flat except after they’ve had a meal.
- They are only about as big as an apple seed.
- Their bodies are proportionally larger than their heads.
Prevention Of Bed Bugs In High Traffic Areas
The number one way that bed bugs get inside homes is through general travel. High traffic public areas are hot spots where bed bugs are likely to spread.
Some of the most common places where you are likely to pick up bed bugs are hotels, trains, buses, and airplanes. Really any place where you’re likely to sit and touch things where other people do, too is a potential pick up spot. Bed bugs will hitch a ride on anything from your purse or briefcase to your jacket or pant leg.
While it’s not always possible to completely prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride in these high traffic areas, there are some things you can do to reduce the likelihood they will make it to your home.
- Avoid setting down your luggage as much as you can especially against any bedding or other fabric.
- If you go to a laundromat, transport your laundry in a plastic bag.
- Check hotel rooms, room shares, and hostels for bed bugs before settling in.
- Keep your home, especially entryways, cleaned and uncluttered.
Other Ways Bed Bugs Get Inside Your Home
Other than general travel, the most common way for bed bugs to enter a home is through secondhand items. Bed bug infestations can already live on these items, so it’s important to inspect them before taking them home. While furniture is a common place for bed bugs to hide, they can also be in clothing and other cloth-based items. In fact, even things like electronics sometimes host stowaway bed bugs.
To prevent bed bugs from coming into your Longview home, here is what to look for what purchasing items secondhand.
- Dark stains and spots that might be from bed bug excrement.
- The appearance of reddish-brown stains that occur when a bed bug is squashed.
- Yellow stains that occur from eggs and shells.
How To Get Help If You Have Bed Bugs
Discovering you have bed bugs can be gross and a little disturbing, but there’s no need to panic. The pest control professionals at Pest-Pro Services, Inc. are here for you. Our trained technicians can handle bed bug infestations, so you don’t have to keep dealing with them. As a family-owned business with over ten years of experience, we provide customized plans and free estimates. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment and keep your home safe from bed bugs.