Serving Memphis, Cordova, Germantown & Collierville TN
Bed bugs are small pests that live in bedding and sneak up on humans to feed while they are sleeping. Although they are tiny and difficult to see with the naked eye, they are not completely undetectable. Unfortunately, bed bugs can quickly spread to other surfaces in your home and go undetected for a long time due to their size. Your bed bug professionals in Memphis at AAA Termite and Pest Control has experience in detecting and eradicating bed bugs, and is sharing how to tell if you have bed bugs in your Cordova home.
What are the characteristics of bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small pests with a body close to the size of an apple seed and oval in shape. Their bodies flatten from top to bottom and have a brownish-red coloring until they feed on human blood. Once they use their elongated mouth to suck the blood from hosts, their appearance changes, and they swell up, turn a reddish-purple color, and get longer. Your pest control specialists in Cordova at AAA Termite and Pest Control find bed bugs hiding in tight crevices as they are nocturnal pests. However, during the night, they emerge from soft, comfortable areas like closets, carpets, furniture, mattresses, and bedding to feed on humans.
How do I know when a bed bug has bitten me?
At night, bed bugs emerge to feed. Varying between three and ten minutes, these parasites feed on humans and leave a line of small, red bumps when finished. The bites could grow into large, itchy welts similar to a mosquito bite. If the welts are scratched too much, they could increase your risk for a secondary infection. Bed bugs could cause discomfort and anemia in a host due to too much blood loss, but your professional pest control company in Memphis, AAA Termite and Pest Control has not found a connection to the spread of disease or bacteria.
How can I tell if I have bed bugs?
Waking up with red, itchy bumps that were not there before bed could be the first sign of the presence of bed bugs. Bed bugs could also leave dark, rusty spots on your bedsheets, walls, clothing, and especially your mattress and bedding as they typically infest sleeping areas before spreading to other areas in your home. Your bed bug control company in Cordova, AAA Termite and Pest Control often finds shed skins or eggshells where bed bugs are hiding.
When searching for bed bugs, check the following areas as these are the most prevalent places where groups of them hide.
- Beds—Check all bedding, from sheets to pillowcases, including blankets and mattress covers. Inspect your mattress, box springs, and even headboards and bed frames.
- Structural Areas – Inspect walls, floors, and small crevices in wood molding as bed bugs like to fit their flattened bodies into tiny areas.
- Electronics and Electrical Sources – Electronics and electrical sources are not immune to the presence of bed bugs. Inspect your computer, keyboard, switch plates, and outlets for signs of these tiny pests.
- Furniture – Spreading from the bedroom to the living room is a simple task for these tiny nocturnal pests, so make sure to inspect couches, covered chairs, and bean bags.
How did bed bugs get into my home?
Bed bugs love to be where high levels of human activity occur. Therefore, they could catch a ride from visitors that come to your home or deliveries. Also, bed bugs could attach themselves to your clothing or luggage in a hotel room or on an airplane. Bed bugs also can be found in movie theaters, hotels, and other public areas where lots of people congregate and share cloth surfaces. In some cases, bed bugs could enter your home through a household pet. Therefore, when you notice signs of bed bugs in your home, contact a certified pest control technician in Memphis from AAA Termite and Pest Control to conduct an inspection and treat your home, so you do not pass these parasites to other locations.
Bed Bug Treatment in Cordova and Memphis, Tennessee
Discovering an infestation of bed bugs in your home could be surprising. Save the aggravation and exhaustion of self-treatment methods and hire a trained bed bug technician in Cordova at AAA Termite and Pest Control to exterminate these parasitic pests. Simply call (901) 737-7378 or request a free inspection online, and AAA Termite and Pest Control will help you get your home bed bug free.