What It Takes To Get Rid Of A Bed Bug Infestation In Your Yakima County Home

Bed bugs look like any ol' insect you might find in your home. They have the same six legs, three body parts, and two antennae, like other insects. But they're actually quite a bit different. Almost all insects come in from your yard and pass over the perimeter next to your home. When you find an insect in your home, you know that there are a handful of reasons why. You may have an entry point. The outside temperature may have risen or dropped. It may have rained heavily. Or that insect caught a scent or tracked a food source. These are generally the reasons bugs get inside. But bed bugs don't have a reason to invade your home. They don't decide to live with you, and they don't decide to stop living with you. Bed bugs spread passively. One day, they're climbing around in one location; the next day they're living in another. What happens in between? Stuff moves. One of the most important facts you can know about bed bugs is that you can't drive them out of your home. They don't want to live outside. You have to target bed bugs and eliminate them. Today, we will look at four steps to address a bed bug infestation. It begins with knowing, locating, and identifying bed bugs. If you can't locate them, you need to know what signs to look for in your home. Once you know you have bed bugs, you need to take steps to keep them out. With other bugs, you would apply pest maintenance around your home. Bed bugs are different. We'll tell you what works to stop them from getting in. Then we'll show you what is needed to get rid of bed bugs. If you want help, or you would like to talk with a licensed pest professional, contact us. Prosite offers advanced and eco-friendly pest control in Yakima County. We can help you find the right solution for you.

Bed Bug Bites Are Often The First Sign Of A Problem

When bed bugs get into your home, they're going to bite you. It is what they do. They can't help it. Bed bugs in Yakima County feed on blood and they prefer human blood. The longer bed bugs stay in your home, the more you'll notice the bites. Bed bug bites will worsen over time because your body can't continually battle repeated exposure to the allergens in their saliva, but at first, you may not even know bed bugs are biting you. We're often asked, "How do I know if I have bed bugs?" The reason this question comes up is that there are many insects, skin conditions, and allergens that can cause a bumpy rash that looks like bed bugs are biting. Here are a few ways to tell the difference.

• A rash is sometimes a rash—and nothing more. The key difference between a rash and bed bug bites is that the bumps will follow a pattern if bed bugs are biting you. Each bed bug is likely to bite you three times. It will do this one bite at a time as it crawls across your skin. Bed bugs stay together when they feed, so several bites will follow a trail on your skin. The more bugs bite you, the wider the trail will be.
• A rash can happen anywhere, and certain pests bite near the ankles and legs. (That's right fleas; we're looking at you.) Bed bugs tend to bite the upper body because they are attracted to carbon dioxide. You'll likely find bed bug bites on your back, shoulders, upper arms, neck, and face.
• Some bugs crawl under your clothing and bite your skin in concealed locations. These bugs only bite for a moment. They don't need to attach to your skin, like a bed bug does. A bed bug will feed for a few minutes. It doesn't want you to move and scrape it off your skin with your covers or clothing, so you'll likely find bed bug bites on skin that is exposed during sleep.
• When a spider bites you, you'll likely only have one bite. Bed bugs aren't going to bite you once. That spider bite may also have an ulcer at the center of the wound. Bed bugs don't have an ulcer or pustule.

In most cases, small bumps start to become inflamed irritated bumps. Seniors are somewhat of an exception. Some seniors don't react to bed bugs strongly, even after repeated exposure. This can make them susceptible to larger infestations.

The Symptoms Of A Bed Bug Infestation

You don't have to wait for bed bugs to bite you to notice a bed bug problem. You can detect bed bugs early by watching for the symptoms of an infestation. Also, if bed bugs are already biting you and you've used the tips above to identify the bites, you may want to actually see a bed bug to know for sure that you have an infestation. In both cases, you need to know how to find bed bugs during the day and how to identify bed bugs when you find them.

How do you find bed bugs? You have to know the warning signs, how to uncover them, and where these signs are found.

• Bed bugs leave black excrement, dried blood stains (which look brown), shed skins, tiny white eggs, and a scent of coriander.
• The tools for finding bed bugs in your home are a flashlight, a credit card or butter knife, and attention to detail.
• Search for signs in tight spaces, around entry points to dark voids, and near any place where people sleep, sit, or lounge.
• Search specifically in the seams of mattresses, recesses of bed frames, under the feet of furniture, underneath labels, around grommets, and in fabric rips.

When you search for bed bugs, you may see one and not realize it. You may lift your mattress and see a tiny speck run and hide. Bed bugs aren't the only insects that can get into your bed. Just because there is a bug in your bed doesn't mean it is a bed bug. Here are a few quick tips to help you with bed bug identification.

• Bed bugs start as oval, white insects that are about 1mm long. They have six legs and transparent skins.
• As bed bugs grow, they look tan.
• Adult bed bugs are a rusty color and look like apple seeds.
• When a bed bug draws a blood meal, it looks redder. The younger the bed bug, the more noticeable the color change. A bed bug nymph may look like a tiny red insect.
• After digesting a meal, bed bugs will have black feces in their abdomens. An adult bed bug may look like a black insect in certain lighting conditions.

Once you determine that you have bed bugs, the next step is to stop bed bugs from getting into your home. Let's take a look at how they get in and what you can do to stop them.

How Bed Bugs Find Their Way Into Our Homes

Bed bugs are hitchhikers. As we pointed out above, they don't select your home. They're carried in. So, the secret to preventing bed bugs is knowing where you pick up bed bugs, how to avoid picking them up, and who can bring bed bugs into your home.

• Bed bugs are often picked up from hotels and motels, but these are far from the only two places you can get bed bugs. Pest professionals treat infestations in office spaces, libraries, movie theaters, taxis, and more. Don't limit yourself to only guarding against bed bugs when staying overnight in public accommodations.
• Bed bugs get into bags and clothing particularly. Storing your luggage and clothing in sealed bags can keep bed bugs out. When you go to work or school, avoid putting your bags or clothing near those of others.
• Bed bugs are carried into homes by anyone, even those who don't live in the home, and by people who visit for a short time. They can also enter homes on used furniture, or travel through wall voids from one apartment to another.

Consider where your bed bugs may have come from and take steps to guard against continual infestation if needed. If you returned from a trip recently, you may not need to take this step.

The Trick To Completely Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs

When bed bugs get into your home, it is best to contact a pest control service provider. Why chose local pest control for bed bugs? Because bed bugs are often easy to address at first. They tend to hide in one location near a food source. If you attempt to get rid of them, you can drive them out of the location and into your walls, which may increase the cost of a professional treatment. At the first sign of bed bugs in Yakima County, consider calling Prosite. We can quickly and discreetly address your bed bug problem. Our licensed technicians know what it takes to get rid of bed bugs.