Pest Spotlight: What You Should Know About Bed Bugs In Phoenix

All The Ways Bed Bugs Can Get Into Your Home

The first misconception we want to cover is the idea that bed bugs are attracted to dirty homes. Why do people have this misconception? Because bed bugs are dirty insects. It only takes a few seconds of image hunting on the internet to see that bed bugs are found in places where there is black excrement and brown stains all over the place. But you should know that those stains stay hidden at first because bed bugs hide in tight spaces and dark voids. Those images are of large infestations. More importantly, you are not seeing the catalyst of a bed bug infestation, only the symptom. Bed bugs don't get into a dirty home; they make a home dirty over time. But they'll make life a sheer misery long before you see black excrement and dried brown blood stains everywhere. The truth about bed bugs is that there is nothing that attracts them to a home. They spread passively by climbing into objects that are transported, or by laying eggs in objects. Here are a few examples:

• When you go on vacation and stay in a hotel, motel, or five-star resort, bed bugs can get into your luggage, clothing, duffel bags, pocketbooks, computers, and more. If they do this, you can carry them home.
• When you go to work and interact with coworkers, bed bugs may climb from their stuff into your stuff if given the cover of darkness, or the items touch each other.
• When you go to school and put items in a locker with the belongings of another student, bed bugs can transfer.
• When you take in a movie at the theater, bed bugs may climb into your clothing or into a pocketbook.
• When you take a ride in a taxi or bus, bed bugs may be in the tight spaces of the seats.
• When your kids have sleepovers, they may bring bed bugs home with them. 
• When you purchase a used item that has bed bugs hiding inside, you can carry them into your home. While mattresses, box springs, and bed frames are the most common vehicles for bed bugs, couches, living room chairs, office chairs, alarm clocks, pianos, and many other items can have bed bugs in them.
• If you live in an apartment or multi-family home, bed bugs may pass from your neighbor's home to yours by going through the walls.

These are only some of the many ways Phoenix residents have picked up bed bugs. The secret to preventing a bed bug infestation is to perform inspections, protect your laundry items and luggage, keep watch for bed bug warning signs, and run items through a 30-minute dryer cycle when you get home. 

The Symptoms Of A Bed Bug Infestation

The next misconception we want to look at is that bed bug infestations are easy to detect, which ties into what we've already talked about in the above section. It is a common belief that you can know that you have a bed bug infestation because you'll see the mess bed bugs create. But bed bugs don't create that mess out in the open until they have infested your home for a while. Another way you may think you'll easily detect bed bugs is that you find bites on your skin when you wake up in the morning. While it is certainly possible to detect them this way, there are a few problems with this method. If you wait until you see bed bug bites, you may allow an infestation to grow and spread in your home. Bed bug bites are often slight at first. You may not even realize the rashy bumps on your skin are insect bites. You can have bed bugs for months and not know it. So, what is the best way to detect bed bugs and stop those pests? You need to know where bed bugs hide and how to clean bed bugs up when you find them.

• Bed bugs hide in mattresses and box springs. They'll squeeze into seams, hide under labels, squeeze into the tight space around grommets, slip into ripped fabric, and more. Thoroughly inspect these items.
• Bed bugs hide in the gaps and cracks of bed frames. Check every nook and cranny.
• Bed bugs hide under the feet of beds, nightstands, and other furniture.
• Bed bugs hide in the gap of baseboards and behind crown molding. They also get into outlets and find their way into wall voids.
• Bed bugs can be in your living room. They don't have to wait until you're sleeping to bite you. They may hide in a couch, living room chair, or in some other hiding place.

As you look for bed bugs, keep in mind that you're not just looking for the bugs; you're looking for the other warning signs as well. In their hiding places, you'll find black excrement, dried brown blood stains, shed skins, and tiny white eggs.

Before you start your search, get your vacuum and put the crack and crevice attachment on it. You may get lucky and find these insects huddled together in one spot. If they have not spread through your home yet, you might have the opportunity to find them during the day and suck them up quickly. Keep in mind that it is better to get bed bug pest control service for your home, just in case there are eggs you can't remove, or bed bugs hiding in other places as well. 

Bed Bugs Are About The Size And Shape Of An Apple Seed

The last misconception regarding bed bugs is that they're microscopic. Why do people believe this? Because bed bugs are really good at hiding. But you should know that bed bugs aren't invisible to the naked eye. You can see them. In fact, knowing how to identify bed bugs is important. While somewhat helpful as you search for and try to identify bed bugs while away from home, it is even more important to detect bed bugs that come out of hiding and bite your skin while you're awake. The bed bugs that do this are baby bed bugs. What do baby bed bugs look like? We're glad you asked.

• Bed bugs start life as nymphs. They aren't maggots, caterpillars, grubs, or some other form of life common to insects. They're insects. They have six legs and three body parts.
• A newly-hatched nymph is not microscopic, but it is a mere speck at only 1 mm.
• Baby bed bugs are a pale yellowish color at first. If you see tiny, yellowish insects crawling on your arm or leg, it is likely a bed bug. If you see a tiny red insect attached to your skin, it is definitely a bed bug. The reason is that you'll see your blood in the abdomen of the nymph as it feeds.

Bed bug nymphs come out in dim light and are far more daring than adults. It is likely due to their need for a blood meal. They will readily feed on people that are fully awake. Keep this in mind no matter where you go. Catching baby bed bugs can help you prevent bed bugs and their eggs from coming home with you.

It is possible to see an adult bed bug if you uncover a hiding place. The adults look like apple seeds in shape, color, and size. They are only about 4.5 mm in length, and a dozen of these insects can fit on your thumbnail. You'll have to work hard to find them.