Are Bed Bugs In Evansville Dangerous To Pets?

Evansville, Indiana is known for being a family-friendly city. With four full seasons to enjoy, there are plenty of activities to entertain folks. While being a “big” city, Evansville still retains its small-town feel. This makes Evansville an inviting place to live for both people and bed bugs.

Bed Bugs In Evansville

Bed bugs are semi-nocturnal, blood-feeding parasites who feed primarily on people. They grow to be about a quarter-inch long with flat, reddish-brown oval bodies. Bed bugs are very common in homes and are known as “hitchhikers.” They can catch a ride on just about anything to gain entry into a dwelling and will set up their home base close to their blood meals. While you may provide their food, unlike other parasitic insects like fleas, bed bugs do not like to live on you. After they have moved into your home, bed bugs will quickly spread out.

Some of the areas bed bugs in Evansville tend to gravitate towards when settling in include:

• Cracks/crevices in walls or wood
• Behind baseboards and wallpaper
• Within box springs, bedding, and around mattress buttons
• Inside electrical switch plates
• Around picture frames
• Under the edges of carpets
• Inside furniture

Bed Bugs And Pets

Carbon dioxide in the blood of humans, warmth, and available skin are attracting factors for bed bugs. Without an available human host, bed bugs can begin to feed on pets. Grooming and cleaning your pet regularly as well as cleaning their beds will help ward off bed bugs.

Some signs of a bed bug infestation on your pets are as follows:

• Allergic reactions
• Rashes
• Skin irritations
• Scratching
• Pink welts or spots.

Spotting Differences Between Bed Bugs And Fleas On Your Evansville Pet

Your pets are not typically on a bed bug’s menu. Human blood meals for the bed bug have to be in short supply in order for them to switch over to your pet. The bed bug just does not care to route through all that hair to get to its meal when the human’s skin is readily available. After a meal, bed bugs leave the host and head back to their hiding places. When a bed bug does bite, it is typically on the belly or limbs of animals where there is less hair.

If you see multiple small, long, red, or brown insects racing around under your pet’s coat, it is most likely a flea. Fleas like warm places, and pet hair helps them hide and reproduce. Fleas have no problem living on their animal host. Signs of flea infestation include vigorous and excessive scratching, chewing, hair loss, scabs, and raised red bites that appear smaller than other insect bites.

Get Rid Of Your Evansville Bed Bugs Once And For All

Pet owners can take preventative measures to protect their pets by washing and drying bedding on the highest possible heat settings; however, that may not solve your household bed bug problem. It does not take many bed bugs to create an infestation, and once they are in, they can disperse into many hard-to-reach places.

It is best to let the professionals at Action Pest Control help clear your Evansville home from bed bugs. Contact Action Pest Control for eco-friendly and pet-friendly treatments that will allow you and your pets to rest easily. Action Pest Control is a leader in all things bed bugs and can help restore your home to a safe haven for you and your pets. Call Action Pest Control today for help identifying, detecting, and treating pest infestations and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Evansville.