Think you know bed bugs? You certainly will after reading this two-minute article. You will be able to know their characteristics, their habits, how they made their way to your home, the key tell-tale signs and most importantly, what to do if you think you have a bed bug infestation.
Key things to know about bed bugs
Size: bed bugs are 4mm-5mm long
Colour: reddish/brown
Food: blood, human but also domestic animals
Habitat: mattresses, other soft-furnishings, electrical sockets, and wall cavities
Breeding: more than rabbits i.e., females lay up to 250 eggs in a lifetime
Active: when the bedroom light goes out, 365 days a year
OK, so now you know the basics about these grim little critters that have been dining on human blood for the last three thousand years. However, it is a lot harder to figure out if your home or business premise has a bed bug infestation as they are small and largely nocturnal. Worry not, we will come on to that.
How do bed bugs even make their way into your home?
Bed bugs may be small and not particularly quick on their tiny feet, but crucially, and here is the bad news, they are more expert at travelling than a gap-year student and put the most mischievous seven-year-old ‘go hide and seeker’ to shame with their ability to remain undetected.
In simple terms, they hitchhike. They crawl into bags, luggage, or items of clothing and disembark when you reach your final destination, namely, your home.
So, the more vacations, mini-breaks, or business trips you take, the greater the chances of bringing home unwanted micro pets.
There are a number of ways to mitigate the risk of bringing bed bugs home with you, these are highlighted this article we posted last summer.
Spotting the telltale signs of an infestation The most likely sign will be bites. These bites can appear anywhere on your body. They are small red spots which are either flat or slightly raised. Often, they will have a darker spot in the centre. They can appear as standalone bites on one part of your body, show up in a zigzag, a straight line, or in a bunched-up formation.
It really does depend upon how many bugs you have, how much of your skin is exposed, or the timeframe you have been sharing your bed or seating with them. If you look closely enough, you may see little blood stains on your sheets or pillowcases.
What to do if you suspect you have bed bugs?
If you suspect you are sharing your home with bed bugs, it is important to take positive steps straight away – a female lays on average ten eggs per day.
Read any article on ‘dealing with bed bugs’ and it will tell you that you can lay traps yourself, but that they are notoriously inefficient and unreliable. All useful articles will advise that the best course of action is to contact a professional bed bug pest control operator so that they can undertake a thorough bed bug inspection.
The ultimate inspection is via a K9 bed bug detector such as Spot On’s very own Rio. Canine bed bug inspectors are specially trained over several months to pick up on the unique scent a bed bug excretes. Rio’s nose is so sensitive that she can detect one single bed bug in a large home.
To book for a canine bed bug inspection, simply call Marcos in the Lower Mainland 778-855-6768 or send him a message.
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