How comfortable have you grown with pests? Do you ignore flies when they buzz around you at the dinner table? Does the occasional cockroach not scare you anymore? Are you learning to live with the sounds rodents make in your wall voids? As bad as all of these things are, we don’t think they stand up to the discomfort of knowing bugs are sharing your bed with you at night, especially ones that want to drink your blood. To help you keep bed bugs out of your Monterey Bay Area home, here is a secret you should know.
The Truth About Bed Bugs
There are many misconceptions about bed bugs. The two most common misconceptions are that bed bugs are too small to see and only infest dirty homes. We are here to set the record straight. Bed bugs are not too small to see; they are roughly the size of an apple seed. The reason homeowners rarely see these pests is because they are fantastic at staying out of sight. If bed bugs are in your home, they are most likely hiding right now. It won’t be until after you have gone to sleep that they will emerge to feed. As for bed bugs only infesting dirty homes, this could not be further from the truth. Bed bugs only need two things to survive, places to hide, and a regular source of blood to eat. As long as your home has cracks and crevices and you sleep in it, bed bugs will want to be around.
How Bed Bug Infestations Start
Bed bug infestations do not start without a person’s help. Just like fleas and ticks ride into homes on pets, bed bugs find their way inside on items we carry around daily. Bed bug infestations most commonly start after homeowners return from time spent away from their property. This could be anything from a trip to see a movie or a vacation to Paris. Fun fact: a bed bug only needs 20 minutes to transfer from one item to another. Place your bag down in public for too long, and you could bring home these invasive blood-feeding pests. Sometimes bed bug infestations start with the purchase of used furniture. Items like couches, lounge chairs, and beds provide these small pests with several ways to stay out of sight.
How To Prevent Bed Bugs
The first step to preventing bed bugs is knowing where these pests hide. The second step is knowing what signs they leave behind. Here are some signs to keep your eyes out for and some quality prevention methods to help you avoid an infestation.
- Thoroughly inspect your sleeping area for bloodstains.
- Inspect baseboards, outlets, and along the edges of carpets and furniture for dots of reddish-black fecal matter.
- Use a flashlight to check cracks and crevices around your home for clear, almost see-through eggs and egg casings.
- When traveling, thoroughly inspect rooms you plan on staying in for signs of bed bugs.
- Store used clothing in a sealable plastic bag before coming home from vacation. Wash it immediately when you get home at high heat.
- Thoroughly look overused furniture, clothing, and electronics for live bed bugs and the signs they leave behind before purchasing.
- Teach your children, extended family, and friends about bed bugs, so they can avoid bringing these pests into your home.
How To Remove A Bed Bug Infestation
Do you think bed bugs have already invaded your Monterey Bay Area home? We have a solution for you at Smith’s Gopher Trapping Services. Using only industry-leading products and advanced pest elimination strategies, the bed bugs in your home won’t stand a chance.
Reach out to our team today through our website or by phone to schedule your home for a service visit.
