Bed bugs aren’t just frequent invaders of dirty motels or overcrowded apartments. These blood-sucking, sleep-robbing pests are a growing issue in residential neighborhoods throughout Illinois and the United States. Because of their reputation and the stereotypes surrounding where they are found, they are often misidentified, leading to delayed or incorrect treatment. When you wake up covered in small, red, itchy bites, your first thought is usually a pest like fleas, not bed bugs.
At Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators, we specialize in bed bug control. Read on to learn about bed bugs, how to identify them, and what to do to make sure they aren’t an issue in your home.
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
Bed bugs can be difficult to spot, but they are not invisible to the human eye. They are around a quarter of an inch in size, with a dark reddish-brown color. If they have just fed, they will be a deeper shade of red. For reference, bed bugs are similar in size and shape to an apple seed.
Immature bed bugs can be more difficult to see. Bed bug eggs are white and less than a millimeter long. Bed bug larvae start white and develop their dark brown color as they mature, a process that takes around 21 days. At the beginning, larvae are no larger than a pinhead.
How Do I Know If I Have Bed Bugs?
Because of how small they are, especially in the larval stage, you may not notice bed bugs unless you are looking for them. That is why it is important to know the signs of a bed bug infestation. These signs include:
Fecal spots: These small red or brown spots are commonly found on bedding, upholstery, walls, and furniture like couches or chairs. Fecal spots are one of the most common signs of a bed bug infestation.
Signs of larva: Molted bed bug skins, sticky eggs, or empty eggshells are all signs that you may have a growing bed bug infestation in your home.
Bites: Bed bug bites are red and itchy. They are typically found on areas of your skin that are exposed while sleeping. Reactions to bed bug bites can develop immediately or take two to three days to develop. Bed bug bites are sometimes confused for mosquito or flea bites.
Smell: If your bed bug infestation is large enough, you may notice a sweet odor in areas with a heavy bed bug population.
If you see any of these signs or suspect a bed bug infestation in your Moline home for any reason, call for professional help immediately.
What Can I Do About Bed Bugs?
The best way to deal with a bed bug infestation is with help from a professional pest control company. At Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators, we are a nationally recognized leader in bed bug control. If you are dealing with an infestation, our treatment plans are proven to eliminate bed bugs quickly and completely.
We will start by inspecting your home to determine the extent and location of your bed bug issues. Our technicians will walk you through how to prep your home for treatment and then use a combination of steam and conventional treatments to make sure all the bed bugs in your home are taken care of. We will follow up after two weeks to reinspect your home, make sure all bed bugs are gone, and re-treat if necessary.
Don’t let bed bugs rob you of your much-needed sleep or make you feel uncomfortable in your Moline home. Call us today and let the specialists at Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators take care of your bed bug problem and get you back to sleeping comfortably.