If your home is teeming with bed bugs, you’d likely jump at any opportunity to implement pest control treatment to get rid of the critters quickly. However, doing the treatment without knowing exactly where the treatment is most needed is like taking a shot in the dark. Treating a spot or area that does not have any bed bugs is a waste of effort, money, and time.
It’s important to conduct inspections prior to treatment to find out where the bed bugs are hiding. Make sure to perform these inspection steps.
Get Your Bed Bug Searching Tools Ready
Bed bugs easily squeeze into the tiniest cracks to slip out of sight. In the safety of these cracks, they have the opportunity to start nests and breed undetected. When you’re doing your inspection, make sure to search dark cracks and crevices using a strong flashlight. You may also use a magnifying glass to determine if the critters dwelling in your home are, indeed, bed bugs and not other pests like fleas or ticks.
Set a Starting Point
When searching for bed bugs, it’s essential to establish a starting point. Start looking in the spot where you last found them. Alternatively, you can start in an area people frequent. Since bed bugs are often seen in high-activity regions of the home, there’s a good chance you’ll see them there. They don’t usually stray too far from their last location either and don’t make a nest far from their source of food.
Check for Bed Bug Residue
Bed bugs leave behind residue. Follow these residues, and you’ll likely stumble upon a nest of bed bugs. Be alert for any of the following:
- Spots – Bed bug spots are the excretions of these pests. These excretions are dried blood that the critters were unable to digest and had to expel. The colors vary from dark red or maroon, which may appear black if not carefully examined.
- Shells – Bed bugs molt at least three times in their lives and leave behind shells, which are the outer skeletons of these pests. When they molt, they usually abandon their shells anywhere near their hideouts.
- Smell – Bed bugs exude a distinctive and noticeable smell. When there are many of them hunched in an area, they give out a scent that’s both sweet and musty.
Look Into the Cracks and Crevices
If you suspect a bed bug infestation, make sure to check every gap or crack in the room. Don’t forget to check the spaces between furniture parts along with the seams of curtains, pieces of cloth, or anything made of fabric. Bed bugs love to hide in these places.
When you see signs of bed bug infestation in your home, call Custom Bedbug immediately. Our effective heat treatment for bed bugs kills this type of pest, including adults, eggs, and nymphs. When we perform heat treatment, we place industry-specific heaters on strategic locations to allow us to eliminate the pests in just one session. The heat penetrates carpets, mattresses, furniture, and other cracks and crevices to make sure your home stays pest-free.
Contact us today.
