Just thinking about a bed bug crawling around your mattress is enough to make anyone shudder and itch. These nasty little critters hide in your bed and bite you and cause itching, skin rashes and many other health concerns. It’s no wonder that an outbreak of bed bugs is enough to give anyone nightmares!

What Is A Bed Bug?

Bed bugs are tiny insects that can hardly be seen by the human eye.  They are oval in shape and look flat when looking from the top. Their brown bodies are made from a hard skeleton. One could be mistaken for an apple pip!

These tiny insects feed on human blood. This is why they are often found in beds. They certainly love places where humans spend a lot of time. After feeding on a meal of human blood the insect can swell and even turn into a reddish brown color.

These are an insect type that do not fly but that doesn’t mean they are not fast! They can move quickly over all kinds of surfaces and females can lay hundreds of eggs which mean they also reproduce fast. You can suddenly find yourself with an infestation very quickly!

These critters can be a nuisance and cause itching and skin rashes but they are not thought to transmit diseases in general. This doesn’t make them a nuisance that you need to deal with though. Each bed bug can reproduce three times a year and a young bed bug can reach maturity in around a month. That’s a lot of bed bugs!

How To Tell If You Have A Bed Bug Problem

The first clue to a bed bug issue is most likely tiny itchy red welts appearing on your skin. Bed bugs tend to be active at night and when people are sleeping is when they tend to feed. It can be difficult to diagnose a bed bug bite from other types of insect bites but bed bugs in particular don’t have the spot in the centre typical of mosquito bites or flea bites.

The next thing you need to do is spot on and identify it to be sure it is bed bugs. So, if you are waking up with itchy spots then take a look at your bedding including your mattress and any crevices to see if you can spot some bed bugs.

Unexpected Places Bed Bugs Can Hide

Due to their name the common belief is that bed bugs can be found in your bed. This is true! They are often found in beds, mattresses, sheets, comforters and pillows but this isn’t the only place they might be hiding. Here are a few more places you might need to check.

Stuffed Toys

It might not be pleasant to think about but any item that spends a lot of time close to people can house bed bugs and stuffed toys are one of the easiest and most convenient places for them to make their home. The surfaces of stuffed bears and toys make it very easy for bed bugs to hide so make sure you pop your children’s toys in the wash fairly regularly.

Furniture

It isn’t just your bed that can be the problem. Once in your home bed bugs will find their way to any item of furniture where people tend to spend their time. This includes couches and chairs too.

Closets And Clothes

Even your clothing isn’t safe and bed bugs might find their way into your closets and dressers and onto the clothes you wear. This is the perfect home for a bed bug. They are always close to their next meal – you!

Picture Frames, Outlets And Lights

Any dark and quiet crevice is the perfect place for a bed bug to hide while they wait for you to relax and sleep.

Books

Even our reading materials are not safe! The pages of books and magazines are the perfect places for bed bugs to crawl into and this is one way they can travel from room to room, infecting your whole house.

Carpets And Baseboards

Carpets make a great home for all kinds of bugs and insects and this is true for bed bugs too. They can crawl into any crack in a baseboard or into the plush of your carpet and make themselves comfy.

Personal Items

The places a bed bug can get and use to travel is almost limitless. They can travel on purses, coats, clothing and even in things like wheelchairs!

Contact Us

With bed bugs able to live and travel in so many places and ways it is important to deal with an infestation early before it spreads too far. The easiest and fastest way to deal with this problem is to call a pest control company to come and help. They will be able to offer you some great advice and help you get rid of these pesky pests.

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