Bed Bugs Info & Facts
Bed bugs tend to be small. They do not fly. They get their nutrients from the blood of humans and/or animal hosts.
They enter the home in different ways. Often, they can come in with your luggage from traveling, especially in Europe.
Once in, they live inside the tiny cracks in the walls, floors, and furniture of your home. They can also house themselves in the materials of furniture (such as the bed) and clothing. They dwell in bedding because they can feed on humans there without them noticing right away.
Most of the time, the bite marks from bed bugs are the first sign of an issue.
Other than bed bug bites, though, there are many other ways they show themselves earlier.
Top warning signs of bed bugs
You can find bed bugs at home in a few ways. Most often, the bites are the first sign. They show themselves by their shell casings, fecal matter, and scent.
Bed Bug Bites
The best-known sign of bed bugs in their bites. They can be hard to differentiate from other insect bites.
With just a bite or two, you can tell the difference between that and a common mosquito bite:
What do bed bug bites look like?
- Red and itchy bite marks. bites itch and swell if scratched. Scratching leads to red, blotchy skin.
- Clustered together. bites from these little guys usually are found in small clusters on the skin. The back is a common place to find bites.
- Bed bug bites can also be found in zig-zag lines or straight rows less often.
Trouble sleeping
Bed bugs make their home in your bedding because it is where they can feed while you sleep. If you wake up more than usual with an itchy feeling, check your bedding for these warning signs.
Skin bumps on arms and shoulders
Exposed skin is a good target for bed bugs because they don’t have to leave the bed to make their kill. Places you tend to leave uncovered are prime targets for feeding.
Notably, this is unlike other insects, which reside on the ground and bite low on the body (ankles, feet).
Dark, spotty marks on the bed
After being present for a short time, bed bugs will begin to leave behind reminders that they are there.
After bed bugs feed on humans, they leave behind blood spots. Rust colored and small, they’re about the size of a freckle. Blood spots appear around corners of the bed and places like zippers where a mattress protector might be.
Bed bugs will also shed skin and molt. You can find their small brown exoskeletons present as well.
The “buggy” smell
Another common identification signal is a strong, musty odor. Something like you might smell in a damp cellar. If you find your room smelling like the locker room at the Y, you should consider checking for bed bugs.
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Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Get in touch with bed bug exterminators – Staten Island >>
Annihilator Extermination specializes in bed bug extermination. Staten Island, New Jersey, and Brooklyn are our service areas.
The bed bug is a tricky and dangerous pest, even for exterminators. In Staten Island, it is hard to exterminate bed bugs completely. More often than not, a bed bug problem is out of hand before it is first identified.
Seeing bed bug bites on your skin is way too late to seek bed bug exterminators! In Staten Island, Annihilator Extermination specializes in bed bug infestations.
History of bed bugs in NYC
When it comes to bed bug extermination, Staten Island and New York City as a whole are challenging to exterminators.
The close proximity of neighbors in buildings and in suburban environments promotes
Bed bug extermination timeline
From the time you first suspect you have an issue, bed bug treatment can be long overdue. Infestation starts to affect you once it gets into your bed, which is often days after bed bugs are in your home or apartment.
Having a Staten Island bed bug inspector come in and scan the room for signs is the only way to know for sure.
When you start to identify bed bug bites on the skin, you have an issue and should get in touch with an emergency exterminator as soon as possible!
Annihilator Extermination has a team of emergency bed bug exterminators on call when needed to get to the problem fast.
Inspecting your home for bed bugs
There are a few places you should always check first for signs of bed bugs. Check your place thoroughly.
Aside from checking the bed itself, take some time to check on the places where you keep your linens and ESPECIALLY your luggage!
Bed bugs often come from traveling and can reside in the luggage where you kept infected clothing. You could end up having them in your closet!
Checking the bed for bed bugs
Obviously, you should always check the bed.
Strip down the mattress and box spring. Inspect all of the corners and seams of the bed and mattress protector.
Use a magnifying glass and a flashlight to increase the contrast and zoom in a bit. They are small and need to be looked at very closely to be identified.
You are looking for small, rust-colored blood spots and small brown dots. Those dots would be the molted skin from when they shed.
Inspecting the room
After searching the bed, you should move on to the rest of the room. Though less often, bed bugs can stay in other areas of the room.
Check anything upholstered with fabric. Chairs, couches, bean bags, sleeping bags, etc. All of these places are potential homes for bed bugs.
Check the closet and luggage storage
***Make sure you check luggage. If you have been traveling recently (especially in multiple places) you are at risk. Make sure the luggage and closet are checked thoroughly.
Aside from that, bed bugs can be found on clothing too. If they are able to spread to all of your clothing, you will have to pay for special cleaning. It isn’t cheap!
Bed bug exterminators | Staten Island
If you still need help or think you might have a problem, make sure to get in touch with us. We are always happy to talk it over or help with extermination when needed.
We are specialized and licensed in the removal of all forms of bed bugs.
