No one wants to face off with any insect in their home or business. Especially, not an insect with the reputation of a bed bug. Cockroaches would be bad enough, but bed bugs are notorious. Their stealthy and sly nature, witty mentality, and all-around durability have earned them a reputation that stands out amongst the pest community. Therefore, when you discover the presence of just a few bugs in the home, it is only natural to wonder immediately what type of situation you are dealing with.
Even Just A Few Bugs Means Problems
Being lucky enough to locate a few bed bugs in the home could mean that you found the infestation during the very early development stages. However, the odds for this are not in your favor. It is possible, but not likely! The reason this is the case goes back to the very nature and mentality of the bug. Bed bugs are unlike any enemy insect you’ve ever faced off with before. Cockroaches might be relentlessly resilient, but they are highly uneducated. This is not the case with the bed bug at all. You’d honestly be surprised at just how witty and smart a bed bug is. Get a whole community of them together, and you are only asking for problems. Therefore, if you spot just one or two-bed bugs in the home, it is best to assume that your property has been fully invaded. Either way, a mentality like this forces a quick response. And that’s what it takes to eradicate a bed bug infestation fully and successfully.Why Just A Few Bugs Mean Major Problems
Okay, so here is where we get down to the pertinent details. Right now, you are probably wondering why the presence of just a few bugs means major problems. As was stated above, if you’ve only spotted just a few bugs, you might be in luck, as you’ve probably luckily stumbled across the encroaching infestation during the very early developmental stages. However, there is one specific reason this scenario does not play in your favor. That reason is that bed bugs are non-aggressive by nature. They are more than smart enough to hide in the shadow, wait out their target, and attack when they are least likely to get caught. This is exactly why the bed bug feeds on its human hosts when they are sleeping. Bed bugs are so diverse that they will rearrange their entire nature and living habits to be opposite of yours. Say, for instance, you are a night worker and sleep while the sun is up. A bed bug infestation can adapt to these changes and start sleeping at night, so they’ll be well-rested to feed during the day when you will least likely expect it. You combine this with their non-aggressive nature and ever-evolving resiliency, and you are looking at one of the most formidable insects a homeowner could ever face off with. It’s a nightmarish scenario that would almost be as bad as learning of a huge, year-old termite infestation.Confirming Your Suspicions
Regardless of what type of insect you come across on your property, the very first thing you must do is identify it. This is something we are more than capable and happy to do for you. You can give us a call or even stop by our office with the bug in your presence on a lazy afternoon, and one of our specialists will be more than willing to try to make an on-site confirmation. Although it probably won’t help a whole lot, bed bugs are oval-shaped, range anywhere from red to brown to a mixture of the two colors, have six legs, small, segmented antennae, and usually only grow to about the size of a small apple seed. Their small body size along with their sleuth-like nature makes them one of the hardest insects to detect. That’s exactly why most homeowners don’t even realize there is a problem until it is a full-blown epidemic. Bed bugs are smart enough to know how to go out of their way to avoid detection. So, if you are lucky enough to just stumble across their presence in the home, it likely means their numbers have grown so great that they are overpopulated. The growth of their community could be pushing them out into the open. It’s a frightening scenario, but it stresses the need to act quickly when dealing with such a capable insect.What Are The Signs?
The best way to deal with any enemy is right at the start. Don’t let them get a foothold in your area, hit them hard, and hit them swiftly before their numbers go. Otherwise, they’ll outnumber you before you know it. The only way to do such a thing is by keeping your head on a swivel. If you reside in apartments, condos, or a closely-knit neighborhood, you’ll do yourself and your family a world of wonder by always keeping a potential infestation in the back of your mind. Add regular checks to your weekly or monthly maintenance tasks. There are a few key signs that will help with detection:- Bloodstains – Bed bugs are predators that survive on human blood. They need it for sustenance and can’t reproduce without it. The feeding process requires puncturing the skin, and as slight and small as the wound might be, the process can leave behind bloodstains on your sheets.
- Exoskeletons – Like many reptiles, bed bugs molt from stages of growth. As you can imagine, when this happens, the insect sheds its former skin in a clear, near-translucent manner. As small as these bugs are, it is entirely possible to spot these skins around your bedroom.
- Eggs/Egg Casings – The last thing you want to find are bed bug eggs. It means that a whole new line of bugs has just been birthed or their numbers are going to increase shortly. These eggs only measure up to about the tip of a pinpoint but mean big problems.
- Fecal Matter – Like all living creatures, bed bugs defecate. Unfortunately, this is something they do after eating, so as unappealing as it is, this is a process that will likely take place in your bed or your sleeping environment. Fecal matter is dark black like an ink blot and may even appear smeared if you happen to roll in it during the night.
- Bite Marks – Now, just because you are waking up with bite marks it doesn’t necessarily mean you are dealing with bed bugs. However, the chances are good that you are dealing with some insect. Bite marks usually itch and give a similar appearance to that of mosquito bites. The distinct difference, however, is that bed bug bites usually only appear on the face, neck, arms, and hands.
- Musty, Sweet Odors – Bed bugs also have scent glands. When you get a bunch of them together, they’ll produce a smell powerful enough to notice. It’s slightly unpleasant and should be something you notice immediately unless you smoke or use a lot of odor blockers and incents.