What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?

We all know that insects outdoors can sting or bite, leaving marks on people’s skin. However, that isn’t the only place you might come across biting bugs. Some of them thrive in and prefer life indoors as well, especially in bed linens and other clothing.

Bed bugs can get at any part of your body. That said, their bites are generally found on the neck, face, hands, arms, legs and shoulders, places where skin may be exposed while asleep. These bites generally show up in clusters of three to five or more and form a sort of zigzag pattern on the body. If you wake up to find little red bumps that weren’t there when you went to bed, your best bet is to call in a licensed pest control professional. They can determine what has invaded your space and get rid of them the best way possible.

Another tricky thing about … Read Full Post »

How Fast Do Bed Bugs Move?

If you notice small, itchy bites appearing on your skin or your family’s skin, you no doubt have questions about what is causing them. Maybe you have seen little brownish oval insects flitting around a bed or a couch. Surely these can’t be bed bugs, can they?

Bed bugs do not discriminate when choosing their meal. They go where the food is, and for these little bugs, blood is their food source. Having an infestation doesn’t reflect housekeeping habits. It simply means bed bugs have found their way to a new meal ticket.

Before assuming that bed bugs are your problem, it’s best to get an inspection from a licensed pest control professional. There are a couple of other insects that look similar, including some spiders, carpet beetles, booklice, cockroach nymphs, fleas and ticks. You want to be sure any treatment you undertake is effective.

One sign that your visitors might be bed … Read Full Post »

What Are Bed Bugs Attracted To?

April 29, 2022. Posted by Holt Myers in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Bryan-College Station

Homeowners all across the United States deal with the presence of bed bugs in their homes. A bed bug outbreak can happen to anyone because bed bugs are attracted to humans in a variety of ways. By learning more about bed bugs and methods of controlling them, you will be better prepared to identify the signs of bed bugs.

What Attracts Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are attracted to blood, heat and the carbon dioxide humans breath out. Because bed bugs are parasites, they feed on the blood of the people and pets in your home. These pests will bite you during the night for up to ten minutes. They prefer to live wherever they can get an easy meal, which is most often in the bedroom. Although bed bugs often bite when you are sleeping, they are not afraid of light. They may bite you, your loved ones or your household pets … Read Full Post »

How To Know if You Have Bed Bugs

April 21, 2022. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Orlando

So you’ve woken up covered in itchy, red bites. Or maybe you simply have suspicious-looking red spots on your skin that aren’t itchy—yet. Could you have a bed bug problem? Most people live in fear of bed bugs, which is understandable. Once they infest an area, these pests are notoriously hard to eliminate. Learning how to know if you have bed bugs will help you determine what’s going on. Then, if you do have a bed bug problem, you can decide on the best way to get rid of them.

The first sign of bed bugs that most people notice is small, red, itchy bites on the skin. These bites typically show up in the morning, since bed bugs are nocturnal. This means they are most active at night, under the cover of darkness. Bed bugs feed on the blood of humans and other animals. They take advantage of our nighttime … Read Full Post »

How To Identify Bed Bug Casings

February 22, 2022. Posted by Les Stobart in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Austin

bed bug casings and feces in a corner of a dresser

Bed bugs…just thinking about them is enough to make most folks itchy. Cimex lectularius, or bed bugs, are small insects, about the size of an apple seed. Typically, they are brown in color with a flat and oval shape. Like ticks, bed bugs are parasites. They feed on blood and can swell to considerably larger sizes when feeding, which can last up to ten minutes.

Part of what makes these pests difficult to eradicate is their ability to go months at a time without feeding. In the right conditions, bed bugs can go for months without a meal. Additionally, these pests have become resilient to many of the products on the market. To make matter worse, females can lay hundreds of eggs over their lifetime. And, they begin reproducing after only a month, laying eggs three or more times per year.

If you think you may be dealing with bed bugs, look … Read Full Post »

How To Identify Bed Bug Eggs

February 17, 2022. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Orlando

If you wake up in the morning with red bites on your body, your home may have bed bugs. Bed bugs can be a major hassle to homeowners, and this is a much more common issue than you might expect.

But how would you know if your home has bed bugs or other pest problems, like mosquitoes? By better understanding the appearance of bed bug eggs, the life cycle of bed bugs and the habits of adult bed bugs, you will be empowered to address this problem.

It’s best to get professional bed bug control help as soon as you suspect bed bugs. Experts can put a stop to bed bugs so that you and your family can sleep in peace again.

If you are asking yourself questions like, “Do bed bugs fly?” or “How do bed bugs get in my house?” keep reading.

Learning the Life Cycle of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are unique … Read Full Post »

Can Dogs Carry Bed Bugs?

January 10, 2022. Posted by Russell Jenkins in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Dallas-Fort Worth

Few creepie-crawlies in the insect world have a mental and emotional impact on us humans like bed bugs.

They come out at night…while we’re sleeping…to drink our blood…

The common bed bug is tiny, with a flat, oval body roughly the size of an apple seed. It can expand to nearly twice its normal size while feeding, turning from muddy brown to dark red in color.

Bed bugs get their name from the types of locations they prefer to infest and feed. They are most active at night and look for a ready source of blood to feed on. That’s why beds (and the humans sleeping in them) are their ideal targets.

Likewise, female bed bugs will lay eggs in the protected seams and crevices of your mattress (or your dog’s bed). This is their way of looking out for their offspring, who will have a convenient source of blood.

These eggs hatch as nymphs, … Read Full Post »

Does Heat Kill Bed Bugs?

December 28, 2021. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Houston

If you’re dealing with bed bugs in your home, you want to know how to get rid of them, fast. These pests are a frustrating problem that can feel overwhelming to solve. What’s the best way to treat them? Does heat kill bed bugs? The good news is, high temperatures do kill off bed bugs in all stages of the life cycle.

High heat is actually the most effective way to kill off bed bugs. This is partly because these pests are highly resistant to insecticide products. Insecticides don’t even reach bed bugs or their offspring well, because the insects hide in tiny cracks that most products can’t penetrate.

Bed bugs are vulnerable to high temperatures, but how hot does it need to be for them to die off? And what can you do to prevent them from returning?

Sustained temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will kill bed bug eggs and … Read Full Post »

How To Identify Spider Bites Versus Bed Bug Bites

July 20, 2021. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Houston

Most of the time, we do not see the bugs that bite us. In fact, we might not even know we have bites until long afterward. At this point, it is too late to catch the pest in action. What makes things more complicated is that many different kinds of bug bites look alike. If you do not know when you were bitten or where you were when it happened, it’s difficult to know what bug bit you.

Two of the most common offenders are spiders and bed bugs. These bug bites can make you itch in the same kind of way as flea or mosquito bites can. They can also make you itch like hives or chickenpox. Their bites might look similar, but there are some things you can look out for to help figure out what kind of pest bit you.

One sign to watch for is the pattern of … Read Full Post »

Can Bed Bugs Climb Metal?

June 15, 2021. Posted by Russell Jenkins in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Dallas-Fort Worth

If even the thought of bed bugs makes you cringe, you aren’t alone. Most people live in fear of encountering these pests because they are notoriously hard to get rid of. Many are eager to learn easy ways they can prevent these pests. For example, some people wonder whether bed bugs can climb metal. The thinking here is that a metal bed frame might offer protection if these bugs have a hard time climbing the slick surface of the frame. Although bed bugs do find it easier to climb more textured surfaces like fabric or wood, they can climb metal. Unfortunately, this means beds on metal frames can harbor these pests just as well as any other type of bed. However, by learning the early signs of bed bugs, you can help prevent a full-blown infestation.

Bed bugs can be creative about how they reach you in … Read Full Post »