Bed Bugs In Indianapolis Quickly Become A Problem If Left Untreated
There are a few things you can expect from bed bugs. You know they're going to bite because they feed on blood. You know they will do most of that biting while you sleep. Bed bugs prefer nighttime activity. You can also expect bed bugs to reproduce. A female bed bug can lay as many as five eggs a day and typically two hundred and fifty in her lifetime. How long does a bed bug live? Most bed bugs live about four to six months, but conditions may cause them to live as long as a year. In either case, the time is short, and bed bugs know they need to get busy making more bed bugs, or they're in trouble. The eggs they lay daily can hatch in as little as six days. You can expect a bed bug infestation to grow quickly if you don't get your infestation treated. On top of all this, each bed bug usually bites three times. It doesn't take many bed bugs to leave lots of miserable bites on your skin. Early detection and effective bed bug control can save you from that misery. Join us as we look at how to check for bed bugs, how to treat bed bugs early, and what professional pest control in Indianapolis does to get rid of bed bugs.
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Bites
Bed bug bites are an obvious sign of an infestation. But you may not know that bed bugs are responsible. You may not even know that insects are causing your bites. Some mistake bites from immature bed bug nymphs as nothing more than a rash. The reason for this is that certain rashes have tiny bumps. Have you ever seen a rash from a food, fabric, or medication allergy? It is possible to shrug off a bed bug infestation, not realizing you're getting insect bites. As your infestation progresses, the bites will worsen and multiply. At some point, you won't wonder anymore. But it is far better to recognize early bites and deal with your infestation expeditiously.
Black Droppings
You know you have a problem when you see tiny black stains on your pillowcases, sheets, blankets, curtains, clothing, upholstery, and couch cushions, but you may not know bed bugs are the problem. Bed bugs aren't the only insects that leave black droppings. It is also possible that you don't see these droppings at all. A handful of bed bugs hiding in the cracks and seams of your bed may not leave enough of this material out in the open for you to notice. You might not notice until you have more than a handful of bugs. With each bed bug biting three times, you want to catch these bugs before they are more than a handful.
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Bad Odor
Bed bugs have an odor. Part of the odor is the scent of pheromones, which are sickly sweet. The predominant scent is of droppings and dead bed bugs. Some compare the smell to moldy laundry. In the early stages of an infestation, you won't notice any smell, but it will grow, over time. We mention this as a warning sign because dogs and cats can smell bed bugs. If your pet is acting funny in the bedroom, you might have a bed bug infestation.
Shed Bed Bug Skins
Bed bugs shed their skins as they grow. You might see these skins as you change your bedding. Initial signs can go undetected because the materials are minimal. Over time, you'll see these skins more and more.
Early detection of bed bugs is often possible, but the warning signs are not recognized. Use these tips to help you find bed bugs. When you find them, you'll need some tips to help you keep them from becoming a problem.
Tackling Bed Bugs Before They Turn Into A Problem
When you find bed bugs, it is essential to know how to clean bed bugs up. Sometimes, it is possible to stop bed bugs with a vacuum, a steam cleaner, and a dryer.
- Keep your vacuum close at hand as you inspect beds, couches, and chairs for bed bugs. If you find them, suck those insects up and dispose of the bag outside.
- Use a steam cleaner to treat mattresses, box springs, and couch cushions. Heat exterminates bed bugs in all stages of development.
- Launder your pillowcases, sheets, blankets, and clothing. Soapy water and the heat of a dryer are more than enough to exterminate bed bugs and their eggs.
- Routinely vacuum all rugs in your home until you know your infestation has passed.
- Check luggage, bags, and other items that bed bugs may have used to hitch a ride into your home. If you find bed bugs in these, isolate them. Put dryer-safe items through a thirty-minute dryer cycle. If possible, put luggage in a freezer for a few days. Heat and cold work to exterminate bed bugs. If bed bugs are visible, you may spray them with vinegar and water, rubbing alcohol, or soapy water. Do this outside, where there is no chance of the bugs fleeing into the cracks of your home.
These steps may solve your problem, particularly if you caught your infestation early. But, once bed bugs have spread around your home, they will take more effort to control. That control may include the use of bed bug-sniffing dogs.
