Recognizing The Signs Of A Bed Bug Infestation In Your Baldwyn Home

Whether your home is dirty or spotless, bed bugs don’t discriminate when it comes to infesting homes, but how can you recognize the signs of bed bugs? Here’s what you should know about recognizing bed bugs and whether you have them, how infestations start, do bed bugs bite pets, and how bed bug pest control in Baldwyn can help you get rid of them. 

What Are The Signs That I Have A Bed Bug Infestation?

Because bed bugs are more active at night and their bites tend to be painless at first, not everyone may realize they have a bed bug problem immediately.

Here are the signs of bed bugs and how to identify an infestation:

• You or someone in the house wakes up with itchy, red welts after sleeping.
• There’s an odd, musty odor emanating from your bedroom, living room, or other areas of high bed bug activity.
• You’re finding tiny bloodstains on your pillows, sheets, or mattress.
• You’re seeing dark, rusty spots, discarded skin, or eggshells around sleeping areas or furniture.
• You’re finding dead or live bed bugs around your home.

If you’ve spotted one or more of these signs, you can check for bed bugs by removing your bedding and looking closely at your mattress, sheets, box spring, and the seams in the wooden framing.

Even if you don’t find bed bugs in your sleeping area, these critters can hide inside books, carpets, electrical outlets, and other furniture in your home. 

And, while the itchy welts they leave behind are often one of the first indicators that you may have bed bugs, it’s important to note that not everyone may have a physical reaction to the bite – but that doesn’t mean you aren’t getting bitten. 

How Do Bed Bug Infestations Start?

While most pests enter your home through cracks and crevices, bed bugs are unique because it’s often homeowners that unknowingly bring them inside. Bed bugs are parasitical hitchhikers, and infestations usually start because you travel somewhere with an existing bed bug problem. 

Places where there are a lot of people coming and going – like hotels, motels, airports, and public transportation – all tend to be hot spots for bed bugs. If you stay at a hotel where there’s already a bed bug infestation, these critters may hitch a ride on your clothing or your luggage and head back home with you. 

Besides traveling, you also have the potential to bring these critters in because you’ve purchased used or secondhand furniture and appliances with bed bugs in them. That used couch you picked up at the thrift store could be housing a colony of bed bugs under the cushions. Even used appliances can sometimes have small colonies of bed bugs living in their cracks and crevices.

Despite their name, bed bugs can survive in more than just mattresses – and any items that provide them with a safe and secure hiding spot, like furniture, fridges, stoves, or even suitcases, can be a temporary home for bed bugs.

Will Bed Bugs Infest My Pets?

While bed bugs can’t live on your pets the same way that fleas, ticks, or other parasites do, it is possible for them to bite your dogs or cats. Bed bugs prefer human blood, but if there’s no human blood available, they may settle for taking a chomp out of your furry friend’s skin.

If you notice that your pets are scratching at their skin or they have bug bites, this could be a sign of bed bugs – or another parasite, like fleas and ticks. 

What Should I Do To Annihilate The Bed Bug Infestation In My Home?

Bed bugs aren’t easy to prevent because of how they travel, so many homeowners end up dealing with the aftermath of bed bugs versus preventing them in the first place. When it comes to getting rid of bed bugs, the best way to deal with them is by working with the professionals at McCary Pest Control.

For more than half a century, we’ve been committed to providing Baldwyn and surrounding areas with top-notch service and pest solutions, and we’re the trusted choice for combating bed bugs for local residents. If you are spotting signs of a bed bug problem in your home or have other reason to think you’ve got these pests, don’t wait – contact us today at McCary Pest Control to learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control services, including how our bed bug control program works.