Bed bugs can ruin your home and change the way you feel about going to bed. Learn what signs to look for that might indicate an infestation of these blood suckers.
The Most Common Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation
A single bed bug living in your mattress can go for up to a full year without feeding. This can leave you feeling like you took care of the problem and later find yourself dealing with hundreds of the little creatures. The bugs can live inside any type of upholstered furniture, on the clothing in your closet, inside your outlets and even underneath your carpet. There are some common signs you can look for that indicate a bed bug infestation.
Brown and Black Marks
Keep your eyes peeled for the presence of brown and black marks on your mattress, box spring, bed linens and upholstered furniture. Tiny black spots that are roughly the size of a pencil point, especially those clustered together, may be the eggs that the adults leave behind. If you notice darker streaks that have a brownish or reddish color, it can indicate that the bugs feed recently.
Bites on Your Skin
Bed bugs usually come out and feed late at night. This means that you can wake in the morning with red or white bite marks on your skin that you cannot explain. Those bites often cause an itchy sensation, but the itchiness may dissipate by the time you wake. As the bugs become more comfortable or familiar with your home, you may even see the insects crawling across your bed or walking across your skin. Once you actually see those bugs for yourself, call a professional exterminator in Las Vegas to find out how to treat those insects.
Exterminating Bed Bugs
Extermination of bed bugs usually requires several separate steps. You’ll want to encase your mattress and box spring in covers designed to keep those bed bugs trapped inside. You’ll also need to throw away, wash or steam clean all upholstery, curtains, bed linens and clothing as well. Exterminators use chemicals to kill adults and babies, and they make follow up appointments to keep an eye out for any additional bugs.