Bed Bugs

Bed Bug Identification

What are bed bugs?

Adult bed bugs are blood-feeding insects that have small, flat bodies resembling apple seeds. While most people can easily see adult bed bugs, their eggs and larvae are tiny and usually overlooked except by trained professionals. Adult bed bugs are reddish-brown. After feeding, their body swells, and their coloration becomes a deeper red. Nymphs are translucent, but after their first blood meal, they turn bright red, making them easier to spot in your home in Pleasanton, Tracy, Roseville, CA and Surrounding Areas.

Bed bugs feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. Their preferred food source is human blood. Blood is their only source of food and is what allows them to complete their reproductive cycle.

Are bed bugs dangerous?

Bites from hungry bed bugs cause a range of reactions, from no reaction at all to a severe allergic reaction. Those allergic to their saliva develop raised itchy areas around the bite site. Excessive itching of the bite sites may lead to secondary infections that require medical attention. While bed bugs aren’t known to spread significant diseases to people, they are known for keeping people awake at night for those whose homes they have invaded.

Why do I have a bed bug problem?

Bed bugs get into your home in clothes, luggage, bags, and other personal belongings. They like to be wherever there are people since we are their favorite food source. People contact bed bugs, usually in public places where there are large groups of people coming and going daily.

If bed bugs are in your home, they leave behind several signs of their presence, including dark streaks of excrement or blood on linens, mattresses, or walls. A large infestation may allow for a sweet, musty odor to develop in your home. Also, as bed bugs grow, they shed their skins. Piles of skins under mattresses or along the floor is another indicator of a bed bug problem.

Where will I find bed bugs?

Since bed bugs come out at night to feed, they can go unnoticed for some time. Bed bugs usually first infest the sleeping areas of a home. They hide in the seams of mattresses, cracks in wooden furniture, behind pictures, and cracks in walls.

After being in your home for some time and having the chance to breed and increase their population, they will begin to move throughout your house. Bed bugs use wires, pipes, and cables found under floors and behind walls to move from place to place either within a home or between units in a multi-unit building.

How do I get rid of bed bugs?

If you are ready to get rid of bed bugs from your property, reach out to the local pest control experts at Patriot Pest Management. Our customized services performed by our knowledgeable and friendly experts eliminate pests and stop them from coming back.

At Patriot Pest Management, we won’t hesitate to go the extra mile to ensure that our customers are happy and their properties are free of pests. For exceptional home pest control or commercial pest control services in the Greater Bay Area and surrounding counties of California, contact Patriot Pest Management today!

How can I prevent bed bugs in the future?

Below are some easy-to-follow tips that will help you keep bed bugs from taking over your home and yard:

Do not place bags, coats, and other personal belongings on the floor of any public place.
When purchasing used items, inspect them for signs of bed bugs before introducing them into your home.
If possible, never purchase used mattresses or upholstered furniture.
Inside your home, keep clutter to a minimum as much as possible to reduce hiding spots.
Place bed bug proof covers over mattresses and box springs to prevent bed bugs from using their seams as a hiding spot.
Regularly vacuum your floors to pick up stray bed bugs that have found their way into your home.
When traveling, always inspect any hotel room or rental unit that you will be staying in for signs of bed bugs.
After returning home from traveling, wash all clothing on the highest heat settings the fabrics can handle immediately.