You may have read the title above and thought, “how can someone not know they have bed bugs?”. Bed bugs aren’t as easy to spot as you may think. In their early stages of development or when they are unfed, they are quite small and clear in color. Even when fully grown and regularly feeding they still hide and are often difficult to spot. Bed bugs are a common issue over the summer in Connecticut and Massachusetts. However, they do often go unnoticed or are mistaken for other harmless pests. There are a few sure signs of bed bug infestations. If you know what to look for you may have a better chance of catching them early and getting professional treatment to get rid of them.
Why Bed Bugs are Common in Summer
While bed bugs can be found anywhere, it’s still true that hotels and motels are big culprits. In the summer, as many people are vacationing and passing through our area, they can contribute to the spread of bed bugs. As you go about your business mixing with tourists, or vacationing yourself, you may encounter bed bugs. Bed bugs can hitch a ride on your belongings and may inadvertently be brought back to your home.
Why Bed Bugs Are Often Missed
As mentioned above, bed bugs are small and like to hide. Additionally, they are often mistaken for other pests. You may see one crawling on your arm and swat it away, not giving it another thought. As you are vacuuming you may notice little specks, but they vacuum right up so you go on about your business. Unless you are specifically looking for bed bugs you are not likely to find them.
Signs of Bed Bug Infestations
There are a few simple signs to look for that may confirm a bed bug infestation in your home:
- Stains on your mattress, sheets, or box springs that look like dried blood or brown spots. This could be blood from bites or bed bug feces.
- Crumbled or dead-looking bug parts around your baseboards, in the crevices of your mattress, or in the backs of your drawers may be discarded exoskeletons of bed bugs.
- Apple seed-looking bugs congregating behind photos, in wallpaper cracks, in outlets, or around seams of upholstery and bedding may be actual bed bugs.
- Bed Bug Bites
Bed bug bites are one of the biggest signs that you have a bed bug infestation. You may wake up with a cluster or line of bites on any exposed skin. Most often, they will bite around your neck or hairline, bare legs, wrists, or around the waistline - any skin they can get to. Sometimes, bite marks are mistaken for mosquito bites but mosquitos usually don’t bite in clusters.
Professional Inspection for Bed Bugs
At American Pest Solutions, our trained technicians can help you identify whether or not you have a bed bug problem. We use several methods to search for and detect bed bugs, including K-9 bed bug inspections. If you suspect a problem, it’s better to call us and have us find no evidence of an infestation, than to ignore it and later find yourself with a huge problem on your hands. If we do discover a bed bug infestation, we have a variety of treatment options available to get your home free from bed bugs in no time.