Whether you have just got back from a trip or purchased a used piece of furniture, you may be worried about bed bugs hitching a ride. While bed bug infestations are increasing across the state, it can be difficult to tell if they have invaded your house. So, if you suspect you have bed bugs at home, you should let a reputable Boise pest control company deal with the problem for you. However, before you do anything, the following are some signs you may have bed bugs at home:
Red Marks
If you have bed bugs, you may wake up with itchy red marks. Bed bugs are parasites that feed on a human host. Since they usually feed at night, you may wake up with a red welt on your skin. The mark resembles a mosquito or a flea bite. You will know they are bed bug bites because the area around the bite might look swollen or red and is usually itchy. Bed bug bites can lead to mild to serious allergic reactions as well as secondary skin infections and mental distress.
Bed Bug Visibility
Obviously, you have a bed bug issue if you see the bugs yourself. However, do you know what to look for? You can easily spot adult bed bugs with your naked eye. They are reddish-brown and are about the size of an apple seed. Their young are smaller and whitish. Usually, bed bugs hide in the folds of a mattress, along the cracks of the floorboard, or the seams of upholstered furniture.
Cast Skin
When you look for living bed bugs, you might find their cast skin. Bed bugs shed into exoskeletons when they grow. As they mature, they will go through five stages before they become adults. A single bed bug is expected to molt five times. You can find the exoskeletons in the cracks and crevices of furniture and bedding.
Fecal Marks
Bed bugs feed and digest when they are not feeding. The digested blood is disposed of wherever the bugs go after feeding. You can find the waste on a mattress or a light-colored material. The spots are rust-colored.
Musty Odor
Bed bugs release a musty odor as a way to communicate with each other. You can compare the odor to rotten meat. A lot of professional bed bug exterminators use dogs trained to detect the order bed bugs produced.
