Distressing, damaging, and difficult for Manhattan, NY, residents to eliminate on their own, bed bugs are an unfortunate part of life. They come from a variety of places and can affect all types of people. In fact, no matter where you live or who you are, bed bugs can make their home in your living quarters, but it may take awhile for you to notice. It isn’t always easy to know if you have a bed bug infestation right away—especially if you haven’t been traveling recently, it might not occur to you that those itchy spots on your body come from a nefarious place. Check out these tips from a bed bug exterminator for identifying bed bugs and know for yourself whether it’s time to call in the pros.
Related: 8 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Bed Bug Company in NYC
See If You Have Bed Bug Bites
On their own, bites can be a poor indication of whether or not you have a bed bug infestation, as they look similar to other types of insect bites. Some people have terrible reactions to bed bugs while others don’t seem affected at all. This is why other methods of detection, such as bed bug dogs, should be explored when you suspect you have a bed bug infestation.
Know the Physical Signs of Bed Bugs
More often than not, you will see evidence of bed bug activity before you see the actual pest itself. Look for staining on mattresses or bed sheets in places where live bed bugs may have been crushed in the night. You may also see small black spots about the size of a felt marker point, which would be the bed bugs excrement. Often, bed bugs will defecate in the same place where they recently ate, making it sometimes easy to identify spots where they have been feeding.
Bed bug eggs and eggshells may also be present, and barely noticeable to the human eye, with pale yellow skins that shed as the nymphs grow. Seeing a live bed bug can be the most obvious indicator that you have an infestation in your home. Bed bugs can look like other pests as they are small, oval-shaped, and brown, and they are often mistaken for carpet beetles, cockroach nymphs, or other insects. With the help of highly effective bed bug dogs, a trained bed bug exterminator can tell you if the live bug you are seeing is a bed bug or not.
Have These Places Inspected
Many residents mistakenly believe that bed bug infestations are confined only to the bedroom. While it is important to thoroughly inspect sheets, mattresses, bed frames, and any nearby furniture, bed bug exterminators know that bed bugs are notorious for hiding out in other parts of the home as well. An inspection can include searching in baseboard cracks, exposed wallpaper seams, laundry hampers, closets, handbags, suitcases, and other areas where bed bugs are known to hide.
Call in the Dogs
If infestations aren’t managed quickly, bed bugs can quickly spread to other parts of the home and hide out in sofas, curtains, seat cushions, and a variety of other exposed cracks and fabric items. When you call in the bed bug dogs, you no longer have to wonder if you have a bed bug problem or something else afoot. These dogs have amazing sniffing capabilities and hours and hours of training to confirm the existence of bed bugs. Then, the next step will be deciding how to eliminate the pests once and for all.
Related: Why DIY Bed Bug Control Never Works in Manhattan, NY