Bed bugs are tiny, elusive pests that can wreak havoc on your peace of mind and well-being.

These nocturnal insects feed on the blood of humans and animals, and while they don’t transmit diseases, their presence can lead to sleepless nights, itchy bites, and a general sense of discomfort.

Detecting a bed bug infestation early is crucial for effective eradication. Here are five telltale signs that you may have bed bugs in your home.

Unexplained Bites and Itchy Skin

One of the first signs that you might have bed bugs is waking up with unexplained bites and itchy skin. Bed bugs are expert hitchhikers and can easily find their way into your home through luggage, clothing, or used furniture.

While their bites are not always immediately noticeable, they often manifest as small, red welts that are accompanied by intense itching. Bed bug bites typically appear in clusters or lines on exposed areas of the skin, such as the face, neck, arms, and hands.

It’s important to note that not everyone reacts to bed bug bites in the same way. While some people may develop visible welts and itching, others may show no reaction at all. Therefore, it’s crucial to consider other signs alongside bites when trying to determine if bed bugs are present in your home.

Rusty or Dark Stains on Sheets and Mattresses

Bed bugs are not only bloodsuckers, but they also leave behind evidence of their presence. After feeding, bed bugs excrete tiny amounts of blood, which can appear as rusty or dark stains on your sheets, pillowcases, and mattresses. These stains are often concentrated in areas where bed bugs hide or rest, such as along seams and crevices.

To inspect for these stains, carefully examine your bedding and mattress. Dark spots or smears that resemble ink blots are potential indicators of a bed bug infestation. Keep in mind that these stains may not be limited to the bed itself; they can also be found on nearby furniture, walls, and even curtains.

Musty Odor in the Bedroom

A distinct, sweet, musty odor is another sign that bed bugs may have taken residence in your home. Bed bugs release pheromones, and when their population increases, the scent can become more noticeable. While individual bed bugs may not produce a strong odor, a large infestation can lead to an unpleasant smell in the affected area.

To identify this scent, pay attention to any unusual odors in your bedroom, especially around the bed and nearby furniture. If you notice a musty or sweet smell that you can’t attribute to any other source, it’s worth investigating further for a potential bed bug infestation.

Small, Creamy-White Eggs and Shed Skins

Bed bugs go through several life stages, including egg, nymph, and adult. If you suspect a bed bug infestation, inspect your sleeping area for signs of their reproductive activities.

Bed bug eggs are tiny, oval-shaped, and usually a pearly white color. They are often found in clusters, tucked away in cracks, crevices, or other hidden locations near the bed.

In addition to eggs, bed bugs shed their exoskeletons as they grow. These exoskeletons, or skins, are translucent and can be found near their hiding spots. Spotting these discarded skins is a clear indication that bed bugs are actively reproducing and growing in number.

Regularly inspecting the seams, folds, and other hidden areas of your mattress, box spring, and nearby furniture will increase your chances of identifying bed bug eggs and shed skins early on.

Small Reddish-Brown Bugs in Hiding Places

The most direct evidence of a bed bug infestation is, of course, finding the bugs themselves. Adult bed bugs are small, flat, and oval-shaped, with a reddish-brown color. They are approximately the size of an apple seed, making them difficult to spot with the naked eye, especially during the daytime when they prefer to hide.

To search for bed bugs, use a flashlight and carefully inspect the seams, folds, and tufts of your mattress and box spring. Check the cracks and crevices of nearby furniture, as well as the spaces behind baseboards and electrical outlets.

If you notice small, reddish-brown bugs, it’s a clear indication of a bed bug infestation.

When it comes to commercial exterminators Phoenix AZ pest control, it is best to hire professionals to take care of your commercial space and manage pest control. This opting gives you a lot of advantages.

First, it offers benefits to your time, finances and the overall quality of life that you get from enjoying your place of business to the fullest.

Instead of doing these responsibilities all by yourself, you’ll realize that it’s much more practical and smarter to hire those who already have the tools, the training, and the experience to carry out each job successfully.

There’s no place for guesswork when it comes to making sure your grass and garden stay healthy and your yard looks lush and visually appealing.

There’s definitely no way you can simply do trial-and-error when it comes to pest control. When you call in the experts, you can be sure that they will apply solutions that are specific to your problem.

They’re armed with the right equipment and tools to achieve your objectives effectively. They’re trained to follow standards and systems that ensure the best outcomes for the job.

You eliminate waste of time and money, and you avoid putting your property and health in danger when you get professionals to do it for you.

Commercial pest control maintenance can often require the use of equipment and solutions that require special handling and application and processes that, more often than not, can only be done correctly by trained and experienced specialists.

If you try to handle these chemicals and tools without sufficient knowledge, you might be putting the health and safety of your business space in danger.

When you work with pest control pros, you can be sure that they will be closely following regulations that reduce the exposure of humans and the natural environment to toxic chemicals and hazardous processes.

How To Efficiently Rid Known Commercial Pests

Rodents (mice/rats) – A thorough cleanup is in order to eliminate the factors that might draw these pests to your property. Additionally, you must ensure that all your outdoor trash bins are always tightly closed.

Bees – By default, bees are harmless and ONLY attack when disturbed.

Usually, they just stick to certain areas. But then, if you have spotted beehives being built in various parts of your property, you certainly have a huge problem.

Though they can keep to their activities and territory, your staff members might not be able to use your outdoor space a lot – which should not be the case at all.

Of course, when you have an employee who has an allergy to bee stings, you could not their safety.

Most pest control experts say that the best solution is to hire an exterminator to deal with such a problem. This expert can safely and efficiently remove beehives without harming the bees.

Termites – When dealing with these pests, know that there are already a lot of treatment solutions that are accessible in the market today. But, in case the termite infestation is almost huge, consider getting help from pest exterminators.

get the best Pest control Company in Phoenix

Watchdog Pest Control

3542 East Altadena Avenue
Phoenix, Az. 85028

(602) 842-5290

One of the lesser known places that you can harbour a bed bug infestation, is inside your car. Despite their misleading name, bed bugs can actually infest any area where they are sheltered by weather conditions and have easy, regular access to their food source: human blood. This means that they can live in your carpets, your couches, your bed and, yes, even your car.

How do they get into your car in the first place?

It’s commonplace for bed bugs to follow their food source. Human beings are the most common carrier of bed bugs, and their number one method of travel, to anywhere, not just your car. If you’ve come into contact with an infestation, bed bugs can attach to your skin, hang to your clothes, or grip your hair. From here, they can be deposited in your car. Alternatively, bed bugs can be transferred to your car via household items, such as children’s stuffed toys, or cushions.

Once they’ve made a home for themselves inside your car, you’ll be hard pressed to get them to leave, since cars in regular use can provide all the nutrition the critters need to survive, thrive and procreate- they can even survive in winter, unless you live somewhere where the air temperature is well below freezing for the whole season. 

Where should you be looking for bed bugs in your car?

Bed bugs can create nests in the seams between the seats, in cup holders and storage vessels in your car- but they can hide anywhere. More often than not, however, they’ll be taking shelter in any removable upholstery you have on the seats, or underneath, and around, the floor mats, and underneath the seats. 

How do you clean your car to get rid of bed bugs?

Since bed bugs can live pretty much anywhere in your car, you need to be pretty thorough in your efforts to remove the little blighters, otherwise they will just repopulate your vehicle- even if you only leave one or two, or miss a couple of eggs here and there. Here are the steps you can take to clean your car and hopefully get rid of your bed bug infestation for good:

1. Remove any removable fabric components, such as seat covers and floor mats, vacuum them, and wash them at a high heat to kill any bed bugs they continue to harbour.
2. Vacuum the inside of your car with a high-power vacuum. It needs to have strong suction, since you’re likely to miss some bed bugs and, more likely, their eggs, if you can’t quite reach certain areas, and your vacuum has a low suction power. Make sure to focus on your floor, in the seams between your seats, and anywhere else which is made of fabric or soft material.
3. Wash your headboard, seats, compartments and crevices with a cloth and warm soapy water.

If you want to do it yourself, the above method is your best bet. However, if you want to ensure that your car is bed bug free, it’s always best to rely on the professionals, who usually offer a warranty in case some bed bugs are missed during the first treatment.

About The Author

Rick Blackham is the owner of Mantis Pest Solutions a pest control company in Overland Park, KS.  Rick has over 20+ years of experience in pest control through owning his own companies and working for companies such as Terminix and Orkin.