There are several pests out there that are skilled at avoiding detection to the untrained eye, and bed bugs are among these. Possible throughout the year in the home, bed bugs may start as a small problem before becoming a much larger one that requires major extermination services.
At A-1 Exterminators, we’re here to help. Our bed bug control services have achieved a 99.1 percent success rate over the years, and we’re so confident in them that we offer a 45-day guarantee following our final treatments – we’ll come back and do a further treatment for no cost at all if our initial work doesn’t get the job done.
At the same time, we can only do our job properly with a little help from you as a homeowner: Properly identifying a bed bug infestation to begin with, which is possible if you know a few red flags. Here are some of the telltale signs, plus how to separate these from signs of other home pests.
Skin Welts
Some of the first visible signs of bed bugs are bites on the skin, which leave welts or similar markings. Here’s the thing, though: These marks often don’t look all that different from what mosquitoes or other pests would leave if they bit or stung you, so it can be hard to tell the difference. For this reason, we advise using this early sign as a warning to be on the lookout for further signs, which we’ll discuss below.
Discarded Skins
Bed bugs go through a few different growth stages in their lifespan, and they shed their exoskeleton each time this happens. You may find these skins in the folds or seams of your mattress or sheets, or possibly behind the headboard. In some cases of widespread infestation, they may even be found in cracks in the walls or carpet. This is a sure sign of bed bugs if combined with skin welts.
Spots or Stains
When bed bugs bite their human victims, they leave trails behind. These will either be human blood or their own feces, and while it’s disgusting to think about, these are telltale signs that bed bugs are present.
Actual Bed Bugs
In certain cases, particularly with a severe infestation, you may actually see the bed bugs themselves. These are brownish to reddish in color, flat bugs shaped almost like an almond. They can be found in or around the bed space primarily.
Don’t Ignore the Problem
If you do notice the warning signs of bed bugs in your home, don’t wait for them to become more severe before doing something about it. Contact our pros about a basic pest inspection, and we can help you exterminate these invaders in short order.
For more on how we can help here, or to learn about any of our pest control services, speak to the pros at A-1 Exterminators today.
