The Most Effective Bed Bug Control Solution For Your Kittitas County Home

Bed bugs are creepy little pests. Ask anyone who's had them. If these insects have found their way into your home, you've got your work cut out for you. Bed bugs are robust insects with one agenda: survive! Even if you use products that are known to work, you can still fail to get control of these bugs. The best solution is to prevent an infestation or to catch bed bugs early. Join us as we look at how to spot early signs of bed bugs, why bed bugs like to bite you while you sleep, easy tips to prevent a bed bug infestation, and what works to control bed bugs in Kittitas County. If you have an infestation already and you need immediate assistance with bed bug control in Kittitas County, jump to our contact page for service.

Easy-To-Spot Signs Of A Bed Bug Infestation

Some warning signs of a bed bug infestation are easy to see. Recognizing these signs can help you address a bed bug infestation early and prevent misery. Let's look at these signs and discuss a few reasons why you may not realize bed bugs are to blame.

Bug Bites

You can expect bed bugs to bite you when they invade your Kittitas County home. These insects feed on blood and have a preference for human blood. Not only will they bite you, but they will leave numerous bites. Each bed bug typically bites three times in a row. A few bed bugs can leave several bites. It is easy to spot these bites, but you may not realize they're bed bugs.

• You may not even realize they're insect bites at all. Bed bug bites are often minor at first. When newly hatched bed bugs bite, you may have numerous bumps in a large rash and mistake it for nothing more than an allergic reaction to food, fabrics, or something else unrelated to insects.
• You may think another insect caused your bites. It can take hours or even days for bite wounds to swell and become rashy and itchy, making it easy to mistake bites from an inside pest as bites from an outside pest.
• You may only have a minor reaction to bed bug bites and not realize these insects have infested your home. Studies reveal that thirty percent of people bitten by bed bugs show no sign of bites on their skin, and this percentage is much higher for senior citizens.

Bed Bugs

You know you have a bed bug infestation when you see bed bugs, but are you aware that many people don't know how to identify bed bugs? The reason is that bed bugs don't always look like those reddish-brown, seed-shaped insects you've seen in images. Here are a few factors to consider.

• When bed bugs hatch, they are white, not reddish-brown. As they develop, they become tan and eventually reddish-brown. They don't start out the same color as adults.
• A newly hatched bed bug with a blood meal in its body will look like a red bug because the abdomen is significantly larger than the thorax and head of a bed bug and is transparent so you can see the blood.
• As a bed bug develops, its exoskeleton will become less transparent but is never fully opaque. At all stages, these insects look redder after a blood meal. They're also bloated, which can throw you off if you're looking for a seed-shaped insect.

Blood Stains

Bed bugs excrete blood, and this causes stains. You may find these stains on pillowcases, sheets, bedding, mattresses, box springs, curtains, and upholstered furniture. You may not realize the stains are related to bed bugs for a few reasons.

• Blood looks tan after it dries. You might not recognize the stains as blood stains.
• There are other reasons you might find dried blood stains. You might think the stains are from something else.
• Blood stains are often mixed with black fecal matter from the bed bugs.

Black Stains

Bed bugs leave their excrement in many places. The waste material of bed bugs can make an infestation obvious. But there are reasons you might not connect the black stains to bed bugs.

• Stains on your mattress may look like rub marks acquired when moving the mattress.
• Many insects leave black droppings. You may think you have another pest problem.
• Bed bugs may leave their droppings in a hidden location, such as inside a couch or couch cushion.

Bad Odor

Bed bugs use pheromones to communicate. These pheromones have a sickly sweet smell, described by some as a mix of cilantro and raspberries. But you probably won't smell this odor as much as the smell of dead bed bugs and their feces. Some compare the general smell of a bed bug infestation to a dirty locker room towel or moldy laundry, not something sweet. If you have a good nose, you may sense this smell even if you only have a small infestation.

When you find bed bugs in your home, the next step is to protect yourself. The trick to preventing bed bug bites is understanding where they bite you, not where on your body but where in your home.

Why Bed Bugs Like To Bite Sleeping People

You know that bed bugs like to bite people while they're sleeping. Do you know why? It is because bed bugs can sense a rise in carbon dioxide emissions. As you begin to breathe deeply and enter a deep and restful slumber, bed bugs will come out to feed. But nighttime isn't the only time bed bugs will attempt to draw a blood meal. They may bite you while you're fully awake. They'll do this while you lounge on your couch and watch television or sit in a chair and work on your computer. Bed bugs need you to lie down, lounge, or sit. They need time to feed on you for ten minutes. If you thoroughly inspect mattresses, box springs, bed frames, couches, and chairs, you may find your bed bug infestation. Use a vacuum to suck the bugs up quickly, and you might not get any more bites. If you can't find the bugs, or they are in more than one place, targeted and strategic control is necessary.

Easy Tips To Prevent Bed Bugs From Catching A Ride Into Your Home

The best DIY bed bug control in Kittitas County are methods taken outside your home. These bugs are hitchhiking bugs. If you know how to prevent bed bugs, you won't have to worry about controlling them in your home. The control happens before an infestation takes root. Here are our best tips:

• Always perform a quick inspection when staying somewhere away from home. Look for bed bugs, shed skins, black and brown stains, and tiny white eggs.
• Look for bed bug bites on your skin. Each bed bug will bite three times in a row. Several bed bugs will leave a path of bites on your skin.
• Protect your laundry. Bed bugs are attracted to items that have touched your skin. Put your laundry in a plastic bag and seal it with a bread tie.
• Protect your bags and luggage. Bed bugs get into tight cracks and crevices. Spray your bags with lavender to keep bed bugs out. You could also store them in a sealed plastic bag. Both methods work.
• When you return home from a trip, wash all your clothing in hot, soapy water and run them through a dryer cycle.
• Always watch for bed bug activity at work, school, public venues, public transportation, daycare, senior living centers, and other places where these insects infest.

When you catch bed bugs before they hitch a ride home with you and you know how to clean bed bugs up in infested areas, you'll thwart those bugs. Once they take root in your home, it is time to get local pest control for bed bugs.

The Most Successful Way To Get Rid Of A Bed Bug Infestation

Are you in Kittitas County? Contact Prosite for bed bug control. Our technicians have experience and training to deal with even the most challenging bed bug infestations. We will locate the bugs in your home and guide you in selecting a treatment plan that is right for you. We provide you with a bed bug preparation checklist to help you get ready for your treatment and to ensure the greatest chance of success. The treatments we apply are a mixture of heat and control materials. These are applied strategically so that no bed bugs escape the treatment. When your treatment is done, we leave monitors in place and check them during your follow-up visit. The strategy we use is multi-pronged and field-tested. You can rest easy once your technician gives you the all-clear. Connect with us today if you're dealing with a bed bug problem in Kittitas County and schedule a service visit. There is no better way to deal with bed bugs.