The Easiest Way To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs In Reno

Bed bugs have been shadowing humans since the beginning of time, but until recently, it looked like we were finally winning the age-old battle. Bed bugs were almost unheard of in the United States 40 years ago. Now, however, with our increased mobility and use of public spaces, bed bugs are back with a vengeance. Hundreds of Reno residents struggle to kick bed bugs out of their homes every year.

Bed bugs are small, less than a 1/4 inch long, with a flat mahogany-colored body shaped like an apple seed. When bed bugs feed, their bodies change shape, swelling to almost three times regular size and changing color to a reddish-brown.

A bed bug's preferred food source is, well, us. They venture out at night to drink our blood while we're asleep.

Bed bugs can't fly or even move around fast and have adapted to hitchhiking on their hosts' clothing, luggage, books, etc., to reach new territory and acquire new blood supplies in the form of a new host.

Let's look at ways of identifying a bed bug infestation in your home, how to prevent bed bugs from getting in to start with, and, if prevention fails, how to find reliable pest control in the Reno area.

Is This A Bed Bug Bite?

Bed bug bites are one of the earliest signs of an infestation, but unfortunately, they often go unnoticed for days, if not weeks. When bed bug bites, they inject an anti-coagulating and anesthetizing solution, allowing them to drink your blood without waking you up. If you're noticing bites on your skin grouped in clusters or continuous lines (bed bugs bite as they move on your body), you're likely dealing with bed bugs. 

Some of the other signs of a bed bug infestation are:

• Reddish-brown fecal spots on your bedding.
• Small spots of blood(bed bugs are messy when they feed)
• Bed bug eggs. 
• Molted bed bug skins.
• A musty odor resulting from bed bug pheromones.

Bed bugs are very good at staying out of sight, often finding hiding places we would never consider possible, such as phones, alarm clocks, and cracks in bed frames.

Is It Dangerous To Have Bed Bugs In My House?

While bed bugs won't infect you with a deadly disease or inject venom into your body as they bite, the damage they inflict on our well-being is considerable. The lack of sleep people experience while living with a bed bug infestation is nothing to joke about, and the social stigma that comes with a bed bug infestation takes a toll on the homeowner.

All The Ways Bed Bugs Can Find Their Way Into Your Home

Bed bugs are master hitchhikers. They can attach themselves to a piece of clothing, a book, or a piece of furniture and patiently await delivery to a place suitable for habitation. A suitcase set down on a conveyor belt in an airport, an infested restaurant chair, or even a book containing bed bugs or their eggs burrowed from a library can be a start of a bed bug infestation in your home.

The most common source of bed bugs are secondhand clothing and used furniture. Make sure to inspect them thoroughly before bringing them into your house.

The Trick To Permanent Bed Bug Removal

If you've realized that despite being careful, bed bugs have somehow made their way into your home, it's time to get a bed bug pest control professional on the scene and let them clear your house of these disgusting little invaders. A single missed bed bug can wait patiently for over a year and a half until its next meal and begin a whole new infestation in your house.

A Celtic Pest Control, we offer free, no-obligation inspections to find out if your house has bed bugs and use eco-friendly and non-invasive bed bug control methods to clear both bed bugs and their eggs out of your home.