Don't Let The Bed Bugs Bite: The Effective Control Solution For Your Anaheim Home

Identifying Bed Bugs: Signs And Symptoms Of An Infestation

The easiest way to tell that you have a bed bug infestation is to watch for bites, but many pests can bite you. How can you tell that you have bed bug bites? You need to evaluate your bites and consider a few characteristics that make bed bug bites a bit different.

At first, bed bug bites are often minor. They may only appear as tiny bumps, or not appear at all.

Bed bug bites can cause a reaction. An extensive rash may result.

Bed bug bites often look like a path on the skin. The reason for this path is that bed bugs feed as a group, and each bug tries to bite three times in a short area.

Along with bed bug bites, you'll need to look for other warning signs of an infestation, particularly when bite wounds are minor. Search for black fecal spotting on fabrics. These may have a rusty coloration due to blood excretions. Look for tiny white eggs and shed skins in tight spaces. Check for tiny insects that range from 1/26 to 1/5 of an inch in length and are white, tan, or rusty brown.

If you find warning signs of bed bugs while you are away from home, take steps to prevent them from returning home with you. If you are in a motel or hotel, move to a room that is not adjacent to the one you were in. Bed bugs in Anaheim can travel through walls and may infest adjacent rooms as the infestation grows. But they rarely infest an entire structure until the infestation is large. We recommend laundering all of your clothing when you return home. Soap acts as a desiccant that dries bed bugs out, and the heat of a dryer eliminates bed bugs in all stages of development.

If you find warning signs in your home, you need to evaluate your infestation, consider the threats, and select a control solution. Let's start with how bed bugs can impact your family, your lifestyle, and your health.

Bed Bug Infestation Dangers: Physical And Mental Health Risks

When these insects get into your home, there are positives and negatives to consider. We understand how disturbing these insects are to some people, so we like to start by offering some good news. At the time of this writing, there are currently no documented cases of disease transmission between bed bugs and humans. Unlike ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, roaches, or other pests, these bugs won't make you sick in the traditional sense, but they aren't exactly harmless. So, we need to share with you the dangers to consider.

• Bed bug bites can be itchy, annoying, and numerous. The longer you have an infestation, the more bites you'll get. Over time, the symptoms can worsen, and welts can form after bite events. Routine bloodletting by insects can also lead to anemia.
• Bed bug bites can open up when scratched. Open wounds can get infected.
• Bed bugs can cause sleepless nights. Sleep deprivation can lead to anxiety, depression, lower motor coordination, and more.
• A bed bug infestation can impact your social life and cause family and friends to avoid coming over.
•  The longer an infestation goes untreated, the more expensive it will become to treat.

Proactive bed bug control is the best solution for these pests. But how do you deal with bed bugs? You could immediately contact a licensed professional for fast and effective control, or you could apply trusted methods to deal with these pests on your own. Let's look at some smart, eco-friendly bed bug control techniques for your home. We'll cover DIY control methods and professional treatments.

Eliminating Bed Bugs: The Smart Solution For Your Home

There are many stages of a bed bug infestation. In the early stage, you may stop bed bugs on your own if you know what to do. We'll start with this stage and work our way to more complicated stages. Here's everything you need to know to stop these bugs in their tracks:

Stage 1: You have a few bugs hiding in your luggage.

If you return from a vacation, you can quickly inspect your luggage and look for warning signs. Do this outside your home. Use a flashlight and a butter knife to check cracks, seams, pockets, and other potential bed bug hiding places. Look for tiny insects, white eggs, shed skins, and black and rusty-colored fecal spotting. When you find bed bugs, do the following:

• Wash all of your clothing in hot soapy water and put them in the dryer for at least thirty minutes.
• Use a vacuum to remove bed bugs and eggs from your luggage.
• Leave the luggage outside until you have checked it numerous times for any warning signs of eggs hatching.

You can treat luggage but keep in mind that many treatment products don't get into the cracks or voids where bed bugs hide. The best solution is to store luggage in a walk-in freezer for four days or to have a professional treat your luggage.

Stage 2: You have bed bugs in a room within your home.

If you find bed bugs in a room and you catch them early, they may only be in the one room. You can address a small infestation at the onset if you use the following methods:

• Vacuum your carpets and floor regularly until you know that the bed bugs are gone.
• Use the crack and crevice attachment for your vacuum to get seams, cracks, and stitching of beds, couches, and other furniture. Put the bag outside after collecting bed bugs.
• Wash all sheets, bedding, and clothes.
• Check for fecal spotting on fabrics after you've washed everything.

Sustained treatment can address a bed bug infestation if it is small. Keep watch for warning signs and contact a licensed professional if symptoms persist. 

Stage 3: You have bed bugs in more than one room.

When bed bugs spread, they are extremely hard to control. They can get into wall voids as they go between rooms. The products and methods suggested for bed bug control often fall short due to a lack of knowledge. For example, you can catch bed bugs with traps, but traps don't completely eliminate bed bugs in your home. They are only one part of a control solution. It is best to contact a pest control service provider to strategically control these pests until all the bugs are gone.

Every infestation is different. Some bed bug problems are corrected with targeted control, such as surface treatments, residual materials, dust injections in voids, mattress encasements, etc. But some infestations require more drastic measures. Fumigation is considered the gold standard for bed bug control as it works to get into every tiny space, nook, and cranny within a structure.

For bed bug control in Anaheim, contact A-1 Bonded Termite. We can guide you in selecting an effective solution to address your infestation. We use a range of materials and methods to address bed bug infestations of all sizes, including infestations that require fumigation.

Long-Term Bed Bug Prevention: Tips To Prevent Reinfestation

Once the bed bugs are gone, what's next? How do you get long-term protection against bed bug infestation? Unfortunately, there is no professional solution to prevent a bed bug infestation. The best a service provider can do is perform routine inspections and address a bed bug infestation early. But there are many things you can do to prevent a bed bug infestation.

• Always perform a quick bed bug inspection when staying somewhere away from home.
• Guard your laundry items by storing them in a sealed plastic bag while away from home.
• Always wash and dry all your clothes when returning from a trip.
• Teach your kids how to check for bed bugs and launder their clothing when returning from sleepovers and other trips away from home.
• Keep watch for bed bugs when going out. Bed bugs have been found in movie theaters, libraries, daycares, office spaces, schools, taxi cabs, buses, and more. If you see them first, you can do something about them.

Any time you have questions about bed bugs in Anaheim or you need service options for bed bugs, remember that A-1 Bonded Termite uses the most advanced solutions to address bed bugs and other pests. We offer a lot more than certified and bonded termite service. We'll help you diagnose all your pest problems and guide you toward the best solution for your home and family.