Identifying whether you have bed bugs in your home is not always easy. They are very good at hiding within the cracks and crevices of your furniture during the day and are mostly active at night whilst you sleep. Bed bugs can be a nightmare for anyone who does not get their bed bug infestation removed by professionals such as AMS Pest Control.
Bed bugs are no bigger than an apple seed, they can not fly but they are very quick with the ability to climb walls and across ceilings. This can make them particularly tricky to spot. Bed bugs bite humans at night during their sleep and cause minor to major itchiness of the skin. Fortunately, they do not cause any more health issues than the initial itchiness and they do not transmit diseases.
However, the itchiness should be enough to drive anybody mad and you will want to get rid of those bed bugs as soon as possible. The females can lay hundreds of eggs over a lifetime adding to the nightmare so removing them quickly is important.
How can I tell if I have bed bugs?
So, let’s look at ways we can help identify if we have bed bugs in our home. The bites alone are not always able to confirm the presence of bed bugs so it’s important to look at the following:
- Dark stains on your mattress or bedding, this is caused by the bugs excretion.
- Faecal Pellets, these are small dark blood spots on your bedding.
- Can you smell a sweet but sickly and unpleasant scent in the room?
- Can you see any bed bugs? Whilst small, you can still see them if you look close enough.
Where are they?
If you believe you have bed bugs using the signs above then it’s now time to consider where they could be living. Bed bugs tend to seek refuge in the bed frame itself. However, they also like to live in the mattress seams, carpet, skirting boards, broken plaster, electrical sockets, drawers, cupboards and bedside cabinets. This can make bed bugs incredibly difficult to locate with so many places they could be hiding in your bedroom. They opt for these locations as they are near their food source at night, your blood.
How do I get rid of them?
To help control the infestation you can take the following measures:
- Thoroughly clean bedding, linens and all clothing.
- Clean shoes
- Scrub your mattress seams
- Vacuum the entire room in every little space and crevice
- Encase your mattress with tight zippered cover to prevent the bed bugs escaping.
- Repair any cracks in your plaster or skirting boards.
Whilst all this will not remove the bugs completely it will help limit the issue temporarily. Next, the room will need to be treated with chemicals that are suitable for use on bedding and mattresses. It is advised not to take this task on by yourself.
Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to remove so it’s best to hire the professional services of AMS Pest Control. We are LANTRA qualified in professional bed bug control giving our team the experience and knowledge to deal with your bed bug infestation successfully the first time around. We will also be able to advise you on future prevention of a similar infestation for your specific home type and size.
If you think you have a bed bug infestation in your home it’s important to act right away and start the process of extermination. Contact us now on 02476 265067 or email us at admin@ams-wm.uk.
