What You Are Looking For
If you suspect you have bed bugs, the first thing to do is confirm it, because a lot of other household pests get blamed for bites that were never theirs. Given we have fought bed bugs for years, we know how to check for them and identify them by their signs and their habits. Let us run through what to look for, so you can work out whether you have a bed bug problem or another pest to contend with.
You will often notice the evidence before you notice a live bug. Spotting bed bugs involves knowing what they look like, but it also revolves around being able to spot their patterns, such as the stains they leave, and looking out for molted skins and eggshells. As bed bugs age from being a nymph into an adult, they leave behind their old casings, so you might start noticing some unsightly translucent casings lying around. Alongside those, look for small rusty or reddish blood stains on the sheets and clusters of tiny dark spots, which are the droppings the bugs leave where they gather.
Where To Look
Bed bugs give themselves away by where they choose to sit. When they are not feeding, bed bugs usually congregate near or at the bed of their hosts, on the mattress itself, and on the box springs. Start there, along the mattress seams and piping, then work outwards to the bed frame, the headboard, and any nearby crack or crevice. It is worth checking the home regularly, especially the beds, furniture, closets, carpet, and blankets, since the earlier you catch them the smaller the job is.
What To Do If You Find Them
If your search turns up live bugs or their signs, there are a couple of home steps worth taking straight away while you arrange proper treatment. Make a habit of carrying out a weekly vacuuming session around your bed, and run your bedding and nearby clothing through a hot wash and a high-temperature dryer. These steps lower the numbers, though they will not reach the source on their own, which is where professional treatment comes in.
Now that you know how to identify bed bugs, it should be easier to tell whether you have them. If you do, our Florida specialists can handle them for you, so you can contact us today for a free consultation.
From our recorded calls
These are real calls. The answers are word for word. The questions are our summary of what was asked, because callers do not record as clearly as we do. We never publish a caller's surname, address, phone number or price.
How do they end up in my luggage?
They usually would come out when the people are sleeping because they can sense your CO2, your body heat, and they'll come out and feed and hide back away. And they might choose that day to hide back away in your suitcase or in your backpack or something, because they like softness. They might crawl back behind the bed, or they might crawl somewhere else, and then you bring them home.
Answered by Julie on a call,
Could you pick them up on a plane?
I don't hear about that a lot, because somebody is sitting there for a while and there are bags. I hear about movie theaters occasionally, dentist office, dialysis, but mostly it's from travel, or people that have home health care or have somebody come to their house and take care of them.
Answered by Julie on a call,
In our own words
This is our own crew, on recorded calls. Word for word. Each one says who was talking and when.
Somebody came to visit, or you went to visit somebody, or somebody bought a used t-shirt. I mean, I thrift shop all the time. I didn't realize how risky it can be, like a chair or something, stayed in the hotel, stayed overnight with a friend, that kind of thing.
You can get them from going to the doctor's office, from riding in a taxi, from going to a restaurant and sitting on a booth.
If they're in the room that you're in, they can crawl into your luggage and you can unknowingly bring them back.
Try not to leave the house with any backpacks or luggage or bags.
