Bed Bug Identification & Prevention

Bed bugs are small, flat, blood-feeding insects that have an oval shape. They are reddish-brown in color and about the size of a lentil. Other physical features include a lack of wings, short antennae, and piercing, sucking mouthparts. The bed bug's appearance changes after it has consumed a blood meal. Its body will swell and expand and turn a deeper reddish-purple color.

Bed bugs are closely associated with humans because our blood is their preferred food source. These pests live worldwide and spread from structure to structure by hitchhiking with the help of people.

These insects have adapted to living inside our homes and businesses to be near their preferred food source. If human hosts aren’t available, bed bugs feed on the blood of dogs, cats, birds, and rodents.

Bed bugs usually enter our homes without immediate notice and can quickly establish themselves and develop large populations. While we sleep, bed bugs bite through our skin and use our blood as their sole source of nutrition. Though this may sound like the plot of a horror film, it is the reality of living with bed bugs.

While not dangerous, bed bugs should always be unwelcome in our homes because of the problems they create:

• Allergic reactions to their saliva can cause red itchy rashes to develop around bite sites.
• Secondary infections can form due to scratching or picking at bed bug bites. 
• Knowingly sharing your home with bed bugs can lead to interrupted, inadequate sleep.

If there is any good news associated with bed bugs, it is that they currently do not spread disease from person to person as they feed.

Bed bugs are wingless and can't jump. They have learned to move most efficiently by crawling onto people and our belongings, moving wherever we take them. Bed bugs move from structure to structure in luggage, bags, upholstered furniture, clothing, and secondhand items. 

Bed bugs live successfully wherever we live or spend a lot of time. The bed bug’s ability to be successful and sustain large populations isn’t dependent on the home's cleanliness, just the presence of a host they can use as a food source.

Bed bugs are primarily nocturnal and hide in dark cracks and crevices near sleeping hosts. Some of their preferred hiding spots are the cracks in walls and wooden furniture like headboards and footboards. They also like to hide in the seams of mattresses, box springs, and upholstered furniture. Other favorite daytime hideouts include spaces behind pictures, clocks, and wall hangings.

At night, they emerge from their daytime hiding spots to feed. Bed bugs most commonly feed on exposed areas of skin, like the face, neck, arms, and hands. Each bed bug will feed for about three to ten minutes, crawling away from its host when full. In good environmental conditions, they will remain in their hideout for about five to ten days until they are ready to feed again.

Local pest control for bed bugs is the most effective way to eliminate bed bugs from your Brighton home. DIY bed bug control is ineffective and has the potential to be dangerous. At First Choice Pest Control, we provide homeowners with effective bed bug treatments to eliminate the infestation. To learn the details of our bed bug control solutions, please get in touch with one of our helpful professionals today.

Help to avoid problems with bed bugs with these bed bug prevention tips:

• Regularly check your sheets for blood spots and dark streaks of excrement.
• Only bring secondhand furniture, especially mattresses and box springs, into your home after thoroughly examining it for bed bugs. 
• Regularly inspect pet sleeping areas for bed bugs and their signs. 
• Routinely vacuum your home's floors and upholstered furniture. 

For bed bug and home pest control in Brighton, contact us today.