Cimex lectularius — otherwise known as the common bed bug is a true bug in the order Hemiptera. If you do not like insects, the bed bug will soon become the bug you hate the most. These are predators of humans. They target humans and feed on our blood. Few other organisms are human specific. Those others include lice and mosquitoes. So how do you tell if you have a bed bug infestation in your home? Let’s explore the habits of these nasty little pests.

Visual Clues to Bed Bug Infestation

Bed bugs are small, not much bigger than the size of a single grain of rice. You don’t specifically see them unless you go looking for them. They are nocturnal feeders, which is how they got their name – bed bugs. People would go to bed and wake up covered in bites. So what do you need to look for to know if you have bed bugs?

Bites

The bite marks from a bed bug vary from one person to the next. The reason is that we each react differently to the anticoagulant that bed bugs use. They feed on our blood so to keep the blood flowing they use a blood thinning agent so that our blood will not clot. The bites can range from a small puncture mark to a large rash. Typically, they are itchy, red in color, and they may be raised like a welt or flat. If you have a low immune reaction to the anticoagulant that bed bugs use, then you may not even notice the bites. It is that reaction that causes much of the symptoms that people associate with bed bugs.

Visual Inspection

Because bed bugs feed on human blood, their poop looks like little balled up scabs. You can look for bed bugs in your bed, but you will likely not find them. Instead, look for the small dried pieces of their poop on your sheets, between the sheets and the mattress pad, or on the surface of the mattress itself. If you should find a bed bug then you have proof positive that you have an infestation. If you find their poop then you know that they are there too.

Call a Professional

If you think you might have bed bugs but are not sure, call an expert. Preventative Pest Control serves the Houston Texas and surrounding areas and can help you confirm a bed bug infestation. They also offer free inspections so you can know for certain whether or not you have bed bugs.

If you Travel

Bed bugs are a common pest and are often brought home when we travel. Hotels, camps, schools, and other places where people gather tend to be havens for bed bugs. The are found in the best hotels, in the biggest houses, and they bite the best of us. They are non-discriminating when it comes to finding food.

The problem with bed bugs is that they are small and they hide. They are not like fleas that simply run around on you or your pet. Bed bugs like to crawl under and behind baseboards, hide in the cracks and seams  of your bed, and inside of furniture. When you go to look for them, you may not find them.

You don’t have to share your home with them. Contact Preventive Pest Control for professional Houston bed bug control. Call for a free inspection today!