Are you worried that the bug bites on your ankles are more than just mosquito bites from the outdoors? Do you fear that you have a growing issue inside your property’s walls? If so, then you need to learn the telltale signs you have bed bugs in your house.
Doing so can help you remain alert. You’ll be able to identify the signs early and reach out for help before the problem worsens. Too many people shrug it off until the issue gets out of hand.
See below for an in-depth guide on the most common signs that you have bed bugs and how to get rid of them as soon as possible.
1. Bug Bites
We briefly touched on this in the intro, and for good reason. It’s one of the most obvious signs that you’re dealing with a bed bug situation in your home.
For most people, there is no discernable difference between bug bites (such as bed bug bites, fire ant bites, mosquito bites, etc.) In fact, some people don’t even get a visible bite mark from bed bugs. Therefore, your bed bug problem can’t be determined on whether you have bug bites or not.
Bed bugs share a common interest in diet: they love filling up on human blood. They’ll usually feast together, so bed bug bites are generally paired together around the same area. For example, if you have bed bug bites on your ankles, there will be three or four visible marks near each other.
Some homeowners tell themselves that since they didn’t wake up with new bite marks, it isn’t bed bugs. That’s a myth. Be bugs don’t just eat at night. They can latch on to you and feast on your blood during the day as well.
Anytime that you feel you’re dealing with bed bugs, be sure to reach out to trusted pest control services right away. Better to be safe than sorry.
2. Foul Odor
This is nothing new to homeowners. Every once and a while, you’ll catch a foreign scent in your home and then spin the wheel to determine where that odor is coming from.
However, if the scent starts to smell like a musty odor, it could be a telltale sign that you have bed bugs in your midst. The odor you’re smelling is a pheromone that the bed bugs are sending out to attract more bed bugs inside, warn them of danger, and so forth.
What those bugs don’t realize is that humans can pick up on the scent as well. The more overwhelming the scent is, the more bed bugs you’re likely battling in your home.
The second that you notice a musty smell in your house, contact an expert to inspect it. Even if the musty smell isn’t coming from a bug, it will surely invite them into your home soon.
As any pest control expert will tell you, pest control is meant to be a preventative practice (implemented before there is an infestation). The quicker you get out in front of it, the less harm they’ll do to your home.
3. Dark Spots
For many people, a bed bug check merely involves lifting the covers and searching for dead bed bugs to determine or not they have an infestation on their hands. That simply won’t get the job done.
A better representation of whether or not you have bed bugs is keeping an eye out for dark spots on your fabrics. These dark spots could either be blood from the bed bugs you’ve squished while rolling around at night or their excrement.
The second that you notice that, contact a pest control service. Getting rid of bed bugs correctly often takes resources and knowledge that the average homeowner lacks. Better to get an expert in your home to reduce the problem right away.
Otherwise, you might be fanning the flames of your infestation dilemma. The pheromones from the dead bed bugs could invite more.
4. Your Loved Ones Have Bed Bugs
If you ever have a friend or close family member tell you they’re dealing with bed bugs in their home, your next call should be to a pest control service.
Bed bugs love to travel between families, and they have many different ways of doing it. They can jump ship while your kids are playing with their friends, jump onto your shirt when you go to hug your loved one, and so on.
Never assume you’re safe. If even one bed bug catches wind of your residence, it will release those pesky pheromones to invite its friends over for dinner.
5. Flakes
Imagine the horror of uncovering your bedsheets and finding brown flakes laying around your fabrics. This is an undeniable sign that you have bed bugs in your house.
Even worse, it’s a sign that you have a growing number of bed bugs in your house. The flakes could either be skin that the bed bugs have shed from their exoskeleton or the remains of eggshells from their next of kin.
Walk away from the area you find the flakes, but be sure to make note of it. That will be the first location the pest control expert visits when they arrive at your house.
Don’t Ignore the Signs You Have Bed Bugs
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide listing the signs you have bed bugs in your home, be sure to use this information to your advantage.
Did you know that dirty floors can intrigue pests inside your home? Be sure to read this article for several carpet cleaning hacks that you can try.
For more inquiries, please be sure to reach out to us by phone at 1300 304 284 and we will be delighted to work with you further.
