Summer is almost everyone’s favorite travel season. Aside from the warm weather, the kids are out of school, colleges are on break, and many people’s jobs slow down enough for them to take a breather. Unfortunately, the summer travel season can often mean a fall bed bug season in Salt Lake City.
Many people hit the beach or the big city and pick up bed bugs in their hotels, rental cars, or public transportation. Often, these bugs can be mistaken for something else, especially in the beginning. You might think they’re fleas, mosquitoes, or even scabies. But there are several ways you can tell the difference. Let’s talk about them.
How Can I Tell If It's A Bed Bug?
Bed bugs are easy to recognize once you see them. They’re light brown to tan in color. They’re usually no more than a few millimeters long. They’re flat and oval-shaped with a body that's about the size and shape of an apple seed when they are unfed but longer and cylindrical when fed.
How Many Beds Can A Bed Bug Infest?
The main thing that leads to confusion when you have a bed bug infestation is their bites. Bed bug bites can look like a lot of other insect bites. Many people think the red, itchy welts they have on their skin came from mosquitoes or fleas. If you have pets or spend much time outside, you may have reason to suspect this is the case. The difference is often in the pattern of the bites.
Bed bug bites usually come in clusters, and they tend to be most concentrated in the spots where your body makes contact with the bed. Meanwhile, flea and mosquito bites tend to be spread out and can be anywhere on the body. Another clue you might want to start looking for is the timing of the bites. If you wake up with new bites that weren’t there the night before, it’s reason to be suspicious.
If you think the bites you’re getting might be from bed bugs, check in the common places they hide. These places include the folds and creases of your mattress, as well as under the buttons. Bed bugs may also hide in less conventional places like between carpet fibers, inside furniture cushions, and even inside electronics like laptop keyboards and appliances. Bed bugs are easy to recognize once you see them. They’re light brown to tan in color. They’re usually no more than a few millimeters long. And they’re flat and oval-shaped when unfed but longer and cylindrical when fed.
Unlike fleas or mosquitoes, bed bugs can’t get around very easily. They have to wait for you to come to them. That’s why their favorite places to hide are your bed or other pieces of furniture that you sit on frequently, like a lounge chair or sofa. That means there may be other visual signs of their presence, such as:
- Small, round bloodstains on sheets or upholstery
- Exoskeletons or bed bug bodies
- Eggs (look like tiny sesame seeds)
- Feces (look like tiny coffee grounds)
What To Do About Bed Bugs
Many people think natural remedies or over-the-counter (OTC) insecticides like baits and foggers can work on bed bugs. However, this is not the case. The first problem is that bed bugs have developed resistance to many different chemical pesticides.
The second problem is that bed bugs can hide all over your house. We’ve already talked about the crazy places bed bugs can squeeze themselves. So, of course, if you steam your couch and mattress or treat them with a common bed bug remedy like diatomaceous earth (DE), that’s not going to get rid of the bugs hiding out in your carpet or computer.
Here at Pest Pro Pest Control, we know how to get rid of every bed bug in every corner of your home and make sure they never come back. So give us a call or visit our contact page to schedule your inspection today.