Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed exclusively on blood. They are very difficult pests to get rid of without professional assistance because specialized training and equipment are required to get them out of your home for good. Not to mention, these creepy crawlies can go months—even a year—between meals. Yikes! They can also survive in an array of temperatures.
Bed bugs leave behind telltale signs of infestation after feeding but can be hard to spot with an untrained eye. To find live bugs you’ll need to look in the right places. They’re often found hiding in creases, cracks, or crevices. Check your box spring, mattress, couches, headboard, baseboards, nightstand, and even behind picture frames. They are very small, not much bigger than a seed in some of their life stages, so be sure to look closely.
Other signs to look for include shed skins, small blood stains on your sheets, rusty-colored fecal stains, dark spots on your walls, eggshells, and a musty odor. If you notice any of these warning signs, it’s important to call a pest control specialist as soon as possible, even if you haven’t spotted an actual bed bug.
A number of adverse health effects may result from bed bug bites, including skin rashes, psychological effects, and even allergic reactions. Diagnosis involves both the occurrence of compatible symptoms (like bites on your body), and noticing signs of bed bugs in your living environment.
These pests are most active at night and often go unnoticed as they feed on their hosts. However, after feeding, the raised bumps on the skin of the host are usually the first sign of activity. Since bed bugs have piercing mouthparts that penetrate the skin to get to the blood underneath it, bed bug bites can lead to mild severe irritation. People cannot feel bed bugs biting them because the pests inject a natural anesthetic when they pierce through the skin. This allows the bed bug to feed without interruption. A mysterious characteristic of the whelps caused by bed bugs is that the reactions vary from person to person.
Bed bugs multiply very quickly, so early detection is crucial to preventing a larger infestation. We provide the most effective and quickest solutions to getting rid of bed bugs in Central Arkansas. Contact Clark Exterminating today to request an inspection and to eliminate your bed bug infestation.