There’s nothing more discomforting than the thought of a bed bug infestation in your home. The idea that in the nighttime, vampirous insects come out of hiding to drink blood sounds more like a movie plot than anything else, but this is the reality of the countless people who suffer from bed bug infestations each year. It’s a problem we see time and time again so, we’ve put together this blog post to help educate people about where these pesky critters may be hiding, and what to do if you find them in your home.

Where to Look

When examining your home for the presence of bed bugs, it’s important to remember that you shouldn’t limit your searches to the bedroom. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, bed bugs can be tucked away in virtually any room in your home.

When searching for signs of an infestation, it’s important to thoroughly check in the seams of chairs and couches, between cushions of furniture and pet peds and in the folds of curtains. Bedbugs can also be found in tight spaces like drawer joints, under loose wallpaper or wall hangings, and even in the head of a screw. In your kitchen, you should check in electrical receptacles and appliances. You should also check the junction where the walls meet the ceiling in your home and in the corners of your ceiling for evidence of bed bugs.

What to Look For

You can thoroughly search through your entire home but it won’t help you unless you know what to look for. While no two situations are identical, there are some telltale signs that you can look for in your home that may indicate the presence of bed bugs.

• An unfamiliar, musty odor in your home: Bedbugs release pheromones into the air. A strange smell can be indicative of their presence inside your home.  
• Blood stains on your bedding and sheets: Sometimes, bed bugs get squashed while feeding in the middle of the night. You may notice the stains of squashed bed bugs on your sheets, pajamas or skin.
• Dark, rusty stains on your mattress or cushions: Bed bugs often leave fecal stains in the spots they frequent. For that reason, you may notice staining on mattresses if you have an infestation. You may also see similar stains on your walls and in the carpeting of your home.
• Groups of bed bug shells: If you do stumble upon a bed bug hangout, you’re likely to find previously molted shells of growing bedbugs.
• Small white eggs on the edges of mattresses and furniture: Bed bugs like to lay their small, white eggs in the crevices and joints of furniture.
• The neighbors have a bedbug problem: If you live in an apartment or townhome community and your neighbors have a bed bug problem, it’s likely that your home may have already been exposed.
• You’ve recently bought used furniture for your home: Bedbugs are stowaways, meaning they frequently hide on used furniture or mattresses and spread from one location to another when the furniture is moved.

Some people have been able to identify a bed bug infestation by identifying the bite marks left on their bodies. This is much more difficult to do because each individual reacts differently to bed bug bites. Some people react with mosquito-bite-like marks while others show the symptoms in the form of rashes that are more consistent with eczema. For that reason, the only true way to identify a bed bug problem is with the proper identification from a pest control specialist.

How We Can Help

If you’ve searched your house high and low and suspect the presence of bed bugs, there’s little you can effectively do on your own to remove them. Do-it-yourself bed bug removal is not impossible but is less likely to succeed compared to professional services. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to exterminate. No matter how you choose to remove the uninvited pests, remember to take your time and be patient.

Bed bugs can't be eliminated with just any general, non-specific treatments. They require professional bed bug extermination services. Eagle Pest Services provides such treatments for eliminating bed bugs. We have been treating residential homes and commercial establishments in The Metro D.C. area for years.

At Eagle Pest Services, we are bed bug experts. Our team is among the first in the area to specialize in Thermal Remediation® Bed Bug Treatments. These innovative bed bug treatments use high temperatures and a system of fans to circulate the heat throughout the infested areas of your home. Our Thermal Remediation treatments introduce and recirculate heated air with a target temperature not to exceed 135°F. This process allows us to target specific areas of your home with precise, effective treatments so you can put your bed bug problem behind you. Learn more about our Thermal Remediation Bed Bug Treatments here. Contact Eagle Pest Services today to schedule your initial inspection and we’ll take it from there! Call by dialing 1-888-616-8739.