A bed bug infestation can happen at any time. When you find these creepy pests in your home, there are a few things you should know. Let's take a look at how to detect bed bugs, what to expect from these pests in your home, and how to get rid of bed bugs and prevent future infestations. If you are currently struggling with a bed bug infestation and you need advice or treatment, remember that HomeShield Pest Control provides smart and eco-friendly pest control in the Sacramento Region. We'll listen to your problem and provide a solution that will work best for you. 

What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?

The first step in bed bug control is to look for bed bug signs. Of all the signs you can find, the best sign of all is to find these pests and properly identify them. To start, you need to know where bed bugs hide. These insects don't like the light and will hide in surprisingly tight spaces. Look underneath the feet of furniture, in the folds of couches, along the seams of box springs and mattresses, in the crevices of your bed frame, and along baseboards. When you uncover insects hiding in these or similar places, use these tips to help identify them.

  • You'll likely find bed bugs surrounded by black fecal matter or black stains caused by their droppings.
  • You'll likely see shed insect skins and tiny white eggs in hiding places where bed bugs are reproducing.
  • If you see bed bugs, they will be seed-shaped and have six legs. Depending on the age of the bugs, they will be pale-yellowish, tan, or brown. Often, bed bugs in different stages of development are found together. Some of the bugs you find will be 1mm long and pale colored, others will be full-size, 4.5 mm-long insects that look like apple seeds.
  • Bed bugs will appear redder if they have had a recent blood meal. Immature nymphs may look like tiny red insects because they have transparent abdomens and the blood is visible. Adult bed bugs will look redder, but not bright red.
  • Bed bugs will appear more black if they have not fed recently. The black coloration is the feces inside their bodies. Baby bed bugs will only have a slight amount of black. Unfed adult bed bugs may look like black insects in certain lighting.

When you find bed bugs in your home, what should you do? Are bed bug bites dangerous? Let's take a quick look at the dangers associated with having bed bugs in your Sacramento home.      

bed bug in home

All The Ways A Bed Bug Infestation Can Be Problematic

First, we have some good news. Bed bugs are not known to spread diseases to humans. While bed bug-to-human disease transmission is possible in laboratory studies, they don't seem to spread diseases in the real world, which is likely due to their propensity for feeding in one location on the same people. It may also have to do with their inability to easily feed on dogs, cats, or rodents. Bed bugs can't move through fur or hair easily. This is good news for the hairy humans in your house!

So, how are bed bugs problematic? Do they present a health concern? Here are a few facts you should know as you consider how to treat bed bugs in your home. 

  • Bed bugs bite more than once. Typically, each bug will attempt to bite three times. It doesn't take many bed bugs to leave several bites on your skin.
  • Multiple bites and ongoing bite events can lead to anemia, which is a condition that can lead to medical symptoms, including fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, headaches, and more. 
  • Children bitten by bed bugs sometimes don't report the bites to their parents. When bite wounds are scratched, open sores can develop and infections can occur.
  • The disturbing nature of bed bugs can lead to sleep deprivation, which has medical symptoms.
  • Bed bugs come with a social stigma. There are still many people who think that only dirty people get bed bugs, even though this is not the case.
  • Friends and family may avoid coming over when they find out you have bed bugs.
  • Kids can have issues with bullying when students at school find out they have bed bugs.
  • It is hard to get all your friends over for the Superbowl when they learn that you have bed bugs.
  • Bed bug treatments are extremely difficult and frustrating. Going after these bugs over and over is exhausting. 

You get the point. Most of the problems bed bugs present have nothing to do with the bites they leave on your skin. Sure, bed bug bites are itchy and uncomfortable, but it is the social ramifications Sacramento residents have trouble with most. 

The Most Effective Bed Bug Control Solution For Your Home

Bed bugs are a disturbing nuisance more than anything else, but they're incredibly hard to eliminate. You can wear yourself out going after these pests if you don't have the knowledge required to apply an effective bed bug treatment. With other pests, we suggest all-natural methods to drive these pests out and keep them out. We don't recommend natural pest control for bed bugs; they just don't work well.

At HomeShield Pest Control, we use a field-tested strategy to make sure no bugs remain. It is a mixture of several control methods and is applied scientifically from start to finish. Our technicians are licensed and experienced professionals. While bed bugs are tricky, we know all of their best tricks. When you want to know for sure that your home is free of bed bugs, contact HomeShield Pest Control for a bed bug treatment in the Sacramento Region. If you're outside of our service area, make sure to select a company like HomeShield Pest Control, one that puts organic and eco-friendly solutions first and provides a service guarantee to protect you. 

How To Prevent Future Bed Bug Infestations

Once your bed bugs are gone, there is no way your pest management professional can keep those bugs out for good. Once again, it is important to understand that bed bugs are different. Most pests live in your yard and come into your home from the outside. Those pests are strongly deterred by spot treatments and liquid perimeter treatments, but bed bugs don't live in your yard and do not pass over your perimeter to get into your home. They hitch a ride on the items you carry. Here are a few preventative steps you can take to prevent them from doing this.

  • Always perform a bed bug inspection when staying somewhere away from home. Look for bed bugs, black fecal matter, shed skins, and white eggs. Also, use your nose to detect bed bug pheromones, which some say smell like coriander.
  • Always protect your laundry items while away from home. Bed bugs are attracted to items that have touched your skin. A trash bag and a bread tie is all that is needed to keep them from climbing into your clothes and laying eggs.
  • Always put your laundry through a thirty-minute dryer cycle when you return from a trip. High heat eliminates bed bugs in all developmental stages. It is a bit of a nuisance to do this, but well worth the effort.
  • Always check used items you purchase from others or from consignment stores. Bed bugs are found in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, couches, chairs, bed stands, luggage, electronics, pianos, and more. If an object has a void, bed bugs can use that void as a hiding place.
  • Always keep watch for bed bugs when you go to work, school, or public venues. Bed bugs are found in many places—some of them would surprise you. It pays to take your smartphone out and use the light on it to check your seat before you watch a movie, keep watch when you visit a family member in assisted living, and check hardback books you borrow from the library. 
  • Teach your kids to keep watch for bed bugs. You're not the only one who can bring bed bugs into your home by accident.
  • Keep in mind that bed bugs can get into wall voids and pass from one room to another, or from one apartment to another. If you are in an apartment complex or multi-family home, you can get bed bugs from a neighbor.

As you work to prevent a bed bug infestation in your home, remember that the HomeShield Pest Control team is always standing ready to help you quickly deal with these biting insects when you find them in your home. Our friendly technicians walk you through the process and help you get things right every step of the way. Again, if you are currently dealing with a bed bug infestation in your Sacramento Region home or business, navigate to our contact page and reach out to us. We are here to help you find solutions to all your pest concerns. We have the answers.