Bed Bug Control In Tucson: Essential Steps For Elimination

The First Step Is To Identify A Bed Bug Infestation

Bed bugs in Tucson are not the only creature that bites people. How do you know if the red bumps on your body are from spiders, fleas, or bed bugs? How do you know if the bug you saw running across the floor was a bed bug? After all, it could have been a newly-hatched cockroach or a carpet beetle that you witnessed in the kitchen. So, the first step for stopping a bed bug infestation is to know their bodily characteristics.

Bed bugs have six segmented legs, two antennae with four sections, and a three-part body. Their first body segment contains the head and the mouthparts. This part of the bug has a needle-like projection (proboscis) that stays folded until the bug finds a host. When the bug senses a host, it moves from its hiding location, crawls onto the sleeping person, and inserts the proboscis, sometimes multiple times, searching for a cluster of capillaries. Once it locates a suitable group of blood vessels, it injects an anesthetic and an anti-coagulant which numbs the area and promotes blood flow. 

The next part behind the head is the pronotum. Covered with stiff, short hairs, the hard shell-like pronotum envelops and protects the head. The rear segment, which is also the largest, is the abdomen. This crinkled-looking section has wing pads but no wings; it is also where the legs attach. 

The size and color of a bed bug depend upon whether or not it has recently had a blood meal. An unfed adult bed bug is about 1/4-inch long and has a mahogany, flat body; a bug that has consumed a blood meal has a 3/8-inch dull reddish-brown elongated body. Adult bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, but immature, developing bed bugs (nymphs) are almost impossible to spot without magnification. These bugs are nearly colorless and are about 1/16-inch when they first hatch. 

Now that we have a physical description of the problematic pests, we need to know the early signs of bed bugs. When you investigate your Tucson home, look for the following:

• Bed bugs

• Stains

• Exoskeletons

• Eggs

• Eggshells

• Odor

We've already discussed bed bugs in-depth, so let's look at the other indicators of bed bugs in a Tucson home. 

Bed bugs feed on hosts between midnight and 5 am. During their five to ten-minute feeding time, they excrete reddish-brown waste on the host. When the host rolls over, the excrement stains the bed linens. If the host changes position before the bed bugs detach, they may leave a mark on the sheets, blanket, and comforter when squished. 

A bed bug progresses through five growth stages (instars) before reaching adulthood. At each phase, they shed their exterior skeleton (exoskeleton) so their body can expand. You may not see the cream-colored exoskeletons from the initial instars, but shells from the last couple of growth spurts are visible if you know where to look. 

Female bed bugs produce white, nearly invisible eggs with a sticky coating. The female attaches the eggs to surfaces in floor cracks, furniture, and other hidden areas. After six to 17 days, if the surrounding temperature is about 70?, nymphs will emerge and search for a host leaving behind the eggshells.

Bed bugs communicate using a pheromone produced by glands in their bodies. If an infestation is significant, one might notice a sweet, musty-smelling aroma — especially if the bed bugs are disturbed.

Now that we know what to search for, we must know where to investigate. In the rooms where people sleep, inspect the mattress seams, box springs, upholstered furniture, behind headboards, picture frames, and wallpaper seams. Also, search inside electrical outlets, wood floor cracks, corners, curtains, and nightstands for bed bug signs.

The final sign is on your body. You may have bed bugs if you find tiny red bumps on your arms, legs, and other areas exposed while you sleep. Unlike mosquito bites, which often cause immediate pain, you may not notice the wounds for a few days due to the anesthetic the bugs inject. Also, the punctures often appear in lines or clusters and not randomly. 

Get bed bug control in Tucson from Green Home Pest Control when you see these indicators in your house or body. Our highly trained technicians know all the signs of a bed bug infestation, and we know the steps to remove them from your home.

Bed Bug Infestations Only Get Worse With Time

It only takes a fertilized bed bug to cause an infestation. After a blood meal, the males are ready to breed and search out the females. Once inseminated, a female can produce several eggs. Thus, a single fertilized bed bug stowed away in luggage can enter a house and begin laying eggs without another bed bug present. She can even mate with her children once they reach maturity, so she can continue producing eggs. 

The easier it is for fertilized females to access a host, and if temperatures are 70?, the more eggs she produces. After each blood meal, the female releases one to seven eggs daily for about ten days before she requires another meal. Over her six-month to one-year lifetime, a single bed bug produces about 200 eggs. Under optimal conditions, about 97% of the eggs hatch within six to 17 days. It takes six weeks for a bed bug to progress from the egg stage to a fully reproducing adult. Because bed bugs rapidly reproduce, three generations can be present within one year of the first bed bug entering your Tucson home. Thus, the longer you wait, the worse the problem becomes. 

When you see bed bug signs in your home, you need the best bed bug pest control near you from Green Home Pest Control. We treat your home and eliminate the bugs and their eggs, ending current and future populations.

Contact The Pros At The First Sign Of Bed Bugs

Get bed bug control from Green Home Pest Control to stop bed bugs from overrunning your Tucson home. When you contact Green Home Pest Control for a free estimate, we will dispatch a trained technician to your home. Our technicians know where to look and the signs of a bed bug infestation.

Many pest control companies attempt to remove bed bugs using only sprays; however, heat is a more effective way to eliminate these creatures. Bed bugs cannot live when temperatures are over 90? for an hour and a half. This process ensures that bugs hiding in clothing, cracks, and crevices die because nothing can stop heat from penetrating those areas. If heating your home using a professional heating system concerns you, we offer eco-minded solutions using low-impact products.

Green Home Pest Control offers heat and traditional bed bug control techniques for your home.