How Can I Tell If It's Bed Bugs In My Cincinnati Home?
Bed bugs are sweeping the nation. They're everywhere: in our homes, our libraries, our churches, and our public transportation. Anywhere people congregate, you may find bed bugs lurking. If you suspect you have these unwanted roommates, you should call a Cincinnati pest control company immediately to eradicate them.
Why Some Bed Bug Infestations Go Undetected
You may wonder, "How do I know if I have bed bugs?" Bed bugs are often hard to detect. They're masters of hide-and-seek. Bed bugs sneak into your Cincinnati home on your shoes, clothing, purse, pants, skirt, or luggage. They can't fly, so they have to hitchhike.
Since bed bugs are so small, only ¼ inch wide and flat, they can hide in the narrowest cracks and crevices. They fit into spaces no thicker than your credit card.
How Can I Tell If It's A Bed Bug Bite?
Bed bug bites are often grouped together. You'll find three or four bites in a row or closely grouped together. Other bugs just don't do that. Bed bug bites may itch or not, depending on your sensitivity to bed bug saliva. If you have a severe reaction, you may develop hives and have trouble breathing. If that's the case, call 911 immediately. You may be having a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylactic shock. Medical personnel can treat you appropriately with heavy-duty antihistamines and steroids to reduce inflammation and swelling.
It can take several days for bed bug bites to appear after bed bugs have fed on you, making it harder to detect an infestation. You may also be among the 30% of people who aren't allergic to bed bug saliva and have no swelling, redness, or itching at all.
Signs Of A Bed Bug Infestation In Your Cincinnati Home
In addition to the sweet, musty smell, there are several signs that you have a bed bug infestation. They're hard to detect, but if you know how to find bed bugs, you can determine whether you have an infestation or not.
Reddish brown to black smears on your mattress, box spring, and walls are bed bug feces.
Small red dots on your sheets occur when you keep bleeding after a bed bug has bitten and fed on you.
Bed bug eggs are about 1/16 inch long and pearly cream-colored.
Exoskeletons are bed bug skin they've outgrown – bed bugs molt five times between birth and adulthood, leaving behind the skin that no longer fits them.
Bed bugs are oval, reddish-brown bugs. After feeding, they're longer, rounder, and darker in color. Some people say they look like apple seeds.
If you find signs of an infestation, you need to call for professional bed bug control in Cincinnati as soon as possible to get rid of them. 76% of pest control professionals say that bed bugs are the hardest Cincinnati pest to get rid of. Make it a little easier on the pros by calling as soon as you see signs of bed bugs.
Bed Bug Control Made Easy For Cincinnati Homeowners
Knowing how to treat bed bugs in Cincinnati can help you mitigate the colony's growth and impact on your skin. There are a few steps you can take to slow bed bugs down, including:
Wash your bedding in the hottest water possible, then dry everything on high heat. Bed bugs can't tolerate temperatures above 122 °, so even if you have things that can't be washed, you can still toss them in the dryer for 30 minutes or so on the highest heat setting.
Use mattress encasements to completely seal in the bed bugs that are already on your mattress and box springs. You'll have to leave them on for several months to starve out the bed bugs inside.
Pull your bed away from the wall, don't let your bedding touch the floor, and put bed bug interceptors under the legs of your bed to keep bed bugs from climbing back up to your bedding.
The best option to get rid of all the bed bugs is to call 1 Stop Pest Control. Our technicians are trained to find where the bed bugs are hiding. We also have a secret weapon: a bed bug-sniffing hound named Pixel. Pixel will show our technicians exactly where the bed bugs are hiding in your home so we can treat all those areas. Call us today to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Cincinnati.