Where The Bed Bugs In Covington Could Be Hiding

Bed Bugs Can Be Hard To Identify

Bed bugs are small, around a quarter of an inch long, and dark brown. This means they’re very good at hiding, and you might not see them around your home. Bed bugs are also easily confused for other small, biting bugs, like ticks and fleas. Just remember that fleas have strong hind legs and can jump, while bed bugs only crawl. Ticks will latch onto a host for hours at a time, while bed bugs feed much more quickly. 
 
Because bed bugs can be hard to find, it’s important that you know other signs to look out for. Bed bugs will often leave behind rusty-colored stains from being squished. You may also see reddish-brown fecal staining on surfaces near where bed bugs hide. Bed bug eggs and molted skins might be present, but these are also hard to see.
 
Bed bug bites typically appear as small, itchy, red welts. They may be in small lines or clusters on the skin. The actual bite isn’t painful, so most people don’t realize they’ve been bitten until the next day when the welt appears. Be aware that many bug bites can look similar to bed bug bites; you don’t need to stress about a bed bug infestation if the only sign is a couple of bug bites. Keep an eye out for other evidence and consider scheduling an inspection. 

Bed Bugs Can Be Found In More Than Just Beds

Although beds are a common hiding spot for bed bugs – that is how they got their name, after all – these pests will lurk just about anywhere they can find a place to hide. In beds, this includes around mattress seams and tags, box springs, and within the bedding. But bed bugs will spread out through a house, finding all the nooks and crannies they can. Bed bugs are very small and flat, which means there aren’t many spaces too small for them. If a gap is wide enough to hold a credit card, it can fit a bed bug. 
 
There are many places around the home where bed bugs will hide. Some of these include

• Seams in furniture and on cushions
• Drawer joints
• Around appliances
• Under loose wallpaper
• Underneath wall hangings
• The corner where walls meet the ceiling
• Around electrical outlets 

Because bed bugs are such effective hiders, it’s vital that any bed bug inspection or treatment gets into all these little spaces. Otherwise, you risk missing some bugs and leaving them behind, which will lead to the infestation coming back again. 

Five Bed Bug Prevention Tips

Naturally, you’ll want to keep bed bugs from even entering your home in the first place. This usually involves limiting potential contact with bed bug-infested items and then making sure you don’t bring any into your house. To prevent bed bug infestations, be sure to:

1. Carefully check any secondhand items (including furniture and clothing) for signs of bed bugs before bringing them into your home.
2. Keep your personal belongings separate in shared spaces, such as communal coatrooms and public transit.
3. Avoid placing luggage on carpets and soft furniture when away from home.
4. Vacuum out all luggage after traveling.
5. Wash and your clothing on high heat after traveling.

Whenever you purchase used furniture or clothing, look for the same signs of bed bugs as you would around your home: fecal staining, rusty smears, eggs and eggshells, and the bugs themselves. Remember that these can be really subtle, so make sure your inspection is thorough.
 
Bed bugs are notorious hitchhikers, which means they’ll climb from one bag to another as quickly as they can. When you travel or are in public spaces, do your best to keep your belongings away from other people’s. The same is true for where you place your bags and outerwear. Public carpets and furniture (including in hotel rooms) can house bed bugs, so try to keep everything on hard surfaces, such as tables. 
 
When you return home (or bring in secondhand items), vacuum everything out. This will remove any bed bugs that may be present so you can avoid bringing them into your house. Washing items on high heat will also kill any bed bugs that are there.
 
It doesn’t take long for a bed bug infestation to grow out of control. When that happens, you’ll want to rely on professional bed bug control to take care of it. 

The Best Bed Bug Control Method For Covington Homes

Bed bugs are one pest you don’t want sticking around in your home. Havard Pest Control offers comprehensive bed bug treatments to make sure bed bugs stay away for good. Our inspections are thorough, looking for any place these pests could be hiding. We then work with you to figure out what type of treatment will be right for your home and family. Once that’s finished, we even install bed bug monitors to make sure these pests don’t come back. If you’re seeing signs of a bed bug infestation around your Covington home, don’t hesitate to call Havard Pest Control. We’ll get the job done so you can rest easy.