What To Do If You Think Your Kittitas County Home Has Bed Bugs

If you are saying, "I'm getting bites on my skin; do I have bed bugs?" You may. Bed bugs are definitely biting insects. But there are many pests that bite. The first step in addressing a bed bug infestation in Kittitas County is determining that you do, in fact, have bed bugs. We're going to start our discussion today on the topic of the early warning signs that these tiny pests may leave in your home. This way, you will have more to go on than just those bites. We'll tell you where bed bugs hide and how to uncover evidence and what to do when you find bed bugs. If you like learning about pest control and want to know more about these bugs, you'll find some helpful information in this short article. If you would prefer to have a pest professional inspect your home, diagnose your problem, and apply trusted control methods to get rid of the pests that are bothering you, contact us. Prosite offers industry-leading bed bug pest control in Kittitas County. We can walk you through the process.

How To Be Sure It's Bed Bugs In Your Home

A common first sign of a bed bug infestation is finding bites on your skin, but how can you know for sure that you have bed bug bites and not some other kind of insect bites? There are primarily three ways to diagnose an infestation: Evaluate the bites, consider surface signs, and perform a deep inspection. We'll cover the first two in the next section.

Are These Bed Bug Bites?

If you only have one bite, there is no way of knowing whether or not it is a bed bug bite. But you may tell bed bug bites when you have more than one. These insects bite in a few unique ways.

• One bed bug may bite you three times. You'll likely find these bites close together in a line or zig-zag.
• When a group of bed bugs bite you, they will all follow the same pattern. The bites will look like a path across your skin because bed bugs moved across skin along a path.
• You'll likely find bites on the upper portion of your body because bed bugs are attracted to carbon dioxide. You'll also find more bites near your face because carbon dioxide activates the feeding instinct of bed bugs and gets them riled up.
• You'll likely find bites on the skin where your skin is exposed during the night.
• There is typically a rash associated with bed bug bites (though not always). If you have a rash, it can encompass more than each individual bite. The bites will appear as lots of bumps within the rash.

If you put together the clues, you may have little doubt that bed bugs in Kittitas County are the pests infesting your home. When more clues are needed, you may consider the stains these insects leave behind.  

Are These Bed Bug Stains?

When insects climb around inside your home, they leave droppings on surfaces and fabrics. For example, finding lots of black specks on the back wall of the cabinet underneath your kitchen sink is a good indication that you have roaches. Here are a few ways you can evaluate bed bug droppings.

• The droppings are tiny and black.
• The droppings can cause spotting on fabrics and upholstery.
• There is often brown staining with the black stains because bed bugs excrete blood.
• The stains are often found on pillowcases, sheets, blankets, and clothing because bed bugs are attracted to the scent of humans.
• The stains are often found in tight spaces and the recesses in mattresses, box springs, and bed frames because bed bugs prefer to hide in beds when possible.
• The stains are often found on couches and upholstered chairs because bed bugs can feed on people while they're fully awake.

You are now on your way to knowing for sure that you have a bed bug infestation. But bed bug signs aren't always easy to find. You may have to search for them. Let's look at how you can perform a deep inspection. 

All The Places Bed Bugs Like To Hide In Your Home

It is extremely useful to know how to find hidden evidence of a bed bug infestation. You can use these tips to help you tell whether or not you have bed bugs, keep them from coming home with you while away from home, teach others so they don't bring bed bugs into your home, and check for bed bugs after treatment. As you look for bed bugs, keep in mind two important traits that bed bugs share: they don't like the light, and they love extremely tight spaces. Here are a few places you may find them.

• In the seams of your box spring or mattress.
• Under the labels on your box spring or mattress.
• Around the grommets of mattress vents.
• Between your box spring and mattress.
• In the gaps between wood members in your bed, like underneath a slat.
• Within the box spring or mattress. Look for stains around rips and holes.
• Under the feet of your bed frame or nightstand.
• Underneath a carpet edge.
• Behind a baseboard or under crown molding.
• Inside a wall outlet.
• Within the gaps of an office chair.
• In any void within an object, such as a guitar, piano, clock, computer, etc.
• Within pocketbooks, bookbags, duffel bags, luggage suitcases, etc.
• Inside couches, chairs, and other living room furniture.
• Under the cushion of a window nook.

Look for tiny insects that are between 1/26 and 1/5 of an inch in length. The insects will appear white, red, black, or rusty brown. They will have six legs and two antennae. You may also find complete skins, which they shed during development. Along with insects, look for feces, fecal spotting, blood stains, and tiny white eggs.

When you find bed bugs, what is the next step? Let's look at some of the challenges associated with DIY bed bug control and explain why it is best that you don't attempt to get rid of bed bugs on your own. 

Don't Try To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs On Your Own

The main reason DIY bed bug control is a challenge is that most people just don't know how to get rid of bed bugs. Does that seem like a strange answer? There is no better way to put it. Bed bug infestations persist for a lack of knowledge. Here are a few ways lack of knowledge can work against you.

• Bed bugs are indoor pests. They don't live outdoors. If you apply a product to your exterior, you won't keep bed bugs from getting into your home. You will also have little impact on bed bugs with repellents that promise to drive them out of your home.
• Heat is often used by professionals to eliminate bed bugs, but putting a space heater in a bedroom will do nothing to stop these pests. They'll find cold spots in the room or move to another room. Professionals use a multi-pronged process to make sure no bed bugs hide or escape the heat. 
• Bed bugs tend to avoid treated surfaces. If they detect a product, they'll likely go around the treatment. Professionals use products and application methods that are known to work.
• Bed bugs can hide from treatments when treatment areas are not properly prepared for the treatment. A professional will provide a preparation checklist to get you off on the right foot.
• Residual products work best with bed bugs because they stay active and eliminate bed bugs that emerge from eggs after the initial treatment, but the selection and application of control materials can lead to unwanted results, such as dispersing bed bugs throughout the structure. It is best to allow a licensed professional to select and administer these materials.  

Bed bugs are clever, resilient, robust, and resourceful insects. They have to be in order to survive almost exclusively indoors. The best way to stop them is to contact your local pest control service provider.

Call The Pros To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs In Your Home

If you are you in Kittitas County, contact us for bed bug control near you. The service team at Prosite has experience in handling bed bug infestations. We use a multi-pronged and field-tested strategy to systematically rid your home of these irritating pests. Our process includes a professional inspection, a pre-treatment checklist, application of heat and conventional treatment materials, ongoing bed bug surveillance, and appropriate follow-up visits until no bugs remain in your home.  

When you need bed bug control in Kittitas County, it pays to select a professional with a track record of success. Find out what our customers say about us on Google. We work hard to not only provide expert pest control but also friendly service with a smile. We want to meet and exceed your expectations!

Reach out to us today through our contact page, by text, or just call the phone number on the screen. We look forward to serving you.