Can I Get Rid Of Bed Bugs By Myself In Chesapeake?

Signs Of Bed Bugs In Your Home

Adult bed bugs are only 1/4 inch long and are viewable by the naked eye. On the other hand, immature bed bugs (nymphs) are colorless and practically invisible without a magnifying glass. Another challenge in searching for bed bugs is their ability to hide in crevices no wider than a credit card. These insects conceal themselves in cracks in wood flooring, between baseboards and the wall, mattress seams, upholstery, behind bed and picture frames, and inside electrical outlets. 

Due to their size and ability to hide in the tiniest of cracks, detection of early signs of bed bugs can be a challenge but not impossible. As you work to solve the mystery of the infestation in your home, these indicators will help you determine if bed bugs are the problem in your Chesapeake home:

• Stains: Like all living creatures, bed bugs produce feces which often causes reddish-brown stains. Look for these blemishes on the walls, mattresses, linens, and upholstery. 
• Eggs: Investigate the cream-colored eggs behind bed frames, wood floor crevices, mattress seams, wallpaper, electrical outlets, and creases on nightstands. 
• Eggshells: Once the nymphs emerge from the eggs, they relocate and leave their former homes behind. Using a magnifying glass, search the areas where bed bugs deposit eggs for discarded eggshells. 
• Exoskeletons: Bed bugs are insects, and one characteristic is that their skeleton is on the outside of the body. Once a nymph hatches, it progresses through five growth stages (instars); during each phase, it must shed its outer shell through a process known as molting to enable it to grow. Look for these discarded skeletons in bed bug hiding places. 
• Odor: Bed bugs emit an oily liquid producing a musty, sweet smell. The greater the concentration of bed bugs in an area of your Chesapeake home, the more noticeable the aroma. 
• Bites: Bed bug bites are not immediately noticeable and will not awaken you as they enjoy a blood meal at your expense. The appearance of red, slightly swollen wounds that are random or in a straight line, similar to those of mosquitoes or fleas on your arms and legs, may be signs of bed bugs. 
• Bugs: Sightings of the actual bugs is an indication of an infestation. The body of an unfed bed bug is oval, flat, and mahogany; the body of a fed bed bug is elongated and red-brown.

When you see these signs, it is time to get rid of bed bugs by calling Hawk Mosquito & Pest. Our highly trained technicians know where to look for signs of bed bugs to determine the extent of a possible infestation. 

The Problem With Having Bed Bugs In Your Home

Some insects, like cockroaches, are a health risk to family members because they spread bacteria, viruses, and parasitic worms as they travel through homes foraging for food. Bed bugs do not carry disease-causing organisms on their bodies like cockroaches, but cockroaches are predators of bed bugs. In other words, an infestation of bed bugs may encourage an invasion of nearby cockroaches. 

Although bed bugs consume blood by piercing the host's skin, they do not infect the host with diseases like other blood-consuming insects (e.g., mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks). However, like mosquitoes and fleas, bites from bed bugs create swollen, red, and itchy bumps that may become infected from constant scratching. Of course, the blemishes on your body are a nuisance. 

Another problem with bed bugs is their rapid reproduction rate. A female bed bug lays one to five eggs daily, and if it lives for one year, which is a typical lifespan under normal conditions, it can produce over 500 eggs during its lifetime. Once the nymphs emerge from the eggs, they mature into adulthood in only 21 days. Can you imagine how many bed bugs dozens of female bed bugs are delivering daily? It only takes a short time before you have a bed bug infestation in your Chesapeake home.

Because Hawk Mosquito & Pest offers bed bug pest control near you, we can respond quickly to your call for help to stop a bed bug infestation. 

Why It's Impossible To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs On Your Own

It is one thing to sleuth for bed bugs and follow the signs to determine if they are the culprit behind the mysterious bites and stains, but bed bug removal is another issue entirely. It is tempting to go to the local store and purchase a product that promises successful bed bug removal, but you will soon discover that such products are inadequate. 

Pest control to kill bed bugs is one of the most challenging undertakings a homeowner will face. According to a survey by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), 76% of pest control experts ranked bed bugs as the most problematic insect to remove from homes. If bed bug removal presents a challenge to pest control professionals, imagine how much more difficult it is for the homeowner without the tools and training.

These are some of the reasons bed bug elimination is challenging:

• Bed bugs are impervious to many insecticides. Effective treatment products from the past no longer work against bed bugs because the insects have developed thicker skins and enzymes that break down former useful treatment products. 
• Bed bugs can detect chemical odors and may avoid treated areas.
• Bed bugs multiply quickly; an entire population can double every 16 days. 
• Bed bugs often hide in inaccessible areas or locations easily overlooked.
• Bed bugs live in a variety of locations.
• Bed bugs are hard to kill. Removing bed bugs involves attacking them in multiple ways.

We do not want you to think you are powerless in the fight against bed bugs in your Chesapeake house. One easy way to reduce bed bugs is by regularly sweeping the house and suctioning out cracks. Another effective means of bed bug control is washing and drying clothes on the highest heat the fabrics will tolerate. 

If you travel on public transportation or spend time in hotels, theatres, and other high-traffic venues, inspect your clothing and luggage upon returning home for bed bugs. If you purchase used furniture, investigate whether or not the seller has not had a previous bed bug infestation. If the item is from a previously infected location, do not purchase it. Even if the furniture is from a supposed bed bug-free environment, inspect it with a magnifying glass before bringing it into your Chesapeake home. 

These practical steps will reduce a bed bug infestation, but elimination will require a bed bug pest control service for your home like Hawk Mosquito & Pest. We have the tools, training, and technology to stop bed bug infestations in the twenty-first century.