Warm weather is here. The sun is shining and birds are singing again. Children play outside and motorcycles rumble down the streets. People are going to garage sales and planning their summer vacations. With the warmer weather, not only are the people and birds more active, but so are the bed bugs.
With colder temperatures, a bed bug’s metabolism slows, which means it’s activity in general tends to slow down. They feed a little less often, lay fewer eggs, and travel less. But with the warmer weather, it’s game-on!
Bed bugs are experts at hiding in tiny, inconspicuous places. They can squeeze through cracks thinner than a credit card. They can hide in nail holes, seams on fabric, and inside toys and electronics. They are also expert hitchhikers. When brushed against, they readily latch on and go for a ride, much the way ticks do.
Bed bugs have been found in just about every space imaginable, but some places can present a higher risk. Some of these are obvious, some not so much.
Of course if you visit the home of someone who has bed bugs, or they visit yours, there is a good chance of a bed bug hitching a ride to your home. And everyone has heard horror stories about bed bugs in hotels, movie theaters, medical facilities and more. And of course if you find good looking furniture on a curb somewhere, and bring your great find home, you are really begging for a bed bug infestation. Now, surely, people who have bed bugs wouldn’t sell you their infested stuff online or at a garage sale, right? Sadly, wrong. On multiple occasions I have seen people try to raise money for their bed bug treatment by having a sale. Some people just don’t care. Getting $2 for that wood shelf is more important than the thought of you taking home their bed bugs. Some people don’t actually realize that bed bugs can and will infest those items that they are selling. And many people don’t even realize that they have bed bugs. It’s estimated that as much as two-thirds of the population DOES NOT have an allergic reaction to the bites. These people may not realize they have an infestation until it grows to the point of being obvious. In fact, no one knows that they have a bed bug infestation, until they do.
Bed bugs will readily travel through walls of apartments from one unit to another. You don’t even have to take them home. They will come find you. If an apartment or hotel room is found to have bed bugs, all of the units around, above and below need to be checked and monitored for bed bug activity.
Clearly, some places and activities are a higher risk, but where all is it possible to encounter bed bugs? The answer- anywhere that people go.
All this might sound scary, but I don’t want you to develop a bed bug phobia. Instead, learn a few simple precautions, and learn what to look for.
- Learn what bed bugs look like. When they first hatch, they are tiny (1.5 mm, about the size of a pinhead), whitish or yellowish, and almost transparent. Once they begin feeding, they will turn red if full of blood, and more brown as they mature. Adults are brown or reddish-brown, and about 4-5 mm long (3/16″).
2. Look for fecal spotting. Bed bug fecal spotting can resemble spots left behind by cockroaches or houseflies, but a trained eye can tell the difference. There will be more fecal spotting in areas where the bugs are more likely to congregate. On fabrics, the spots tend to bleed into the threads of the fabric.
3. Look for shed exoskeletons. After feeding, an immature bed bug (instar) grows and sheds it’s skin. The bed bug goes through this process five times before becoming an adult. These shed skins can be found in areas where the bugs hide, rest, and digest after feeding.
4. Know where to look. Bed bugs like to stay close to their food source. Look along seams, piping and tags of the mattress and box spring. Look under the corners of the mattress, particularly at the head of the bed. If you have curtains near your bed, look behind the tops of the curtains, especially in the folds. The tops of curtains are a popular spot for bed bugs to lay eggs (eggs are tiny, white or yellowish and only about 1 mm long). If you can, remove the mattress and box spring from the bed. Look at the bottom of the box spring where it rests on the bed frame, and on the frame itself. On wood bed frames bed bugs will hide inside joints and screw holes. A flashlight and magnifying glass can be helpful. And if you can, examine the backside of the headboard. On sofas and chairs, look in seams and behind cushions. Look at the back of the furniture, particularly along the top edge and in the folds and tufts of fabric at the top corners, and behind buttons. If able, turn the furniture over and look at the bottom edges and around legs, especially at the back of the piece. Look behind the tops of curtains near this furniture as well. If you find live or dead bugs, or exoskeletons, try to save them in a sealed container for positive identification by a pest professional. Also show him/her any fecal spotting or eggs you find. Blood spots on beds can be another strong clue, because bed bugs are often crushed when a person moves in their sleep. However, blood spots can also be caused by small cuts and scrapes, acne, and many other things.
5. Know what to do and what NOT to do if you find bed bugs. If you research DIY bed bug control methods on the internet you will find a great deal of BAD information.
- DO NOT use “bug bombs”. Foggers are one of the worst things you can use against bed bugs.
- DO NOT spray your house or furniture down with rubbing alcohol, bleach, or chemical insecticides.
- DO NOT throw out your furniture, unless told to do so by a well-informed pest professional.
- DO NOT have a yard sale to raise money for treatment!
Bed bugs are unlike any other household pest. What you, or even a pest control professional might know about ants, cockroaches, fleas other insects doesn’t much apply to bed bugs.
DO find a pest control company who specializes in the elimination of bed bugs. And now comes the shameless self-promotion… In Central Kansas, GP Home Defense, LLC is The Bed Bug Authority We do free inspections, consultations and quotes for service. In some areas a mileage charge may apply. Enlist the aid of a bed bug expert by calling GP Home Defense, LLC at (785) 829-0644.