What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are indoor pests that no one wants to discover inside of their Las Vegas area home or business. These pests feed solely on blood. Human blood is their favorite, and if we are available, they will ignore all other sources of food, such as the blood of pets and other animals. To pierce the skin of their host to feed, they use a proboscis (an elongated mouthpart). When not feeding, they store the proboscis underneath their body.
Adult bed bugs are brownish-red, have six legs, and lack wings. Before feeding, the body has an apple seed shape, after feeding their body expands into a more capsule-like shape. After feeding, their color will also change and turn a deeper reddish-purple color. They are prolific breeders, with each female laying about 350 eggs in her lifetime.
Are bed bugs dangerous?
When it comes to blood-feeding bed bugs, the good news is that the spread of disease by these insects is not currently a big concern. But, bed bug infestations are often linked to increased stress, interrupted sleep, and worry.
Bed bugs bite us to feed. Some people do not react at all to their bites, while others will experience itchy rashes or even more severe reactions. Secondary infections are common because of excessive itching around the bite sites. Also, bed bugs can be considered damaging pests. As they feed, they leave behind droplets of blood and dark streaks of excrement that stains bedding, pillowcases, mattresses, walls, and clothing.
Why do I have a bed bug problem?
Bed bugs are notorious hitchhikers and move from place to place on people or their belongings. In our area, bed bugs are a major problem because of the large number of people moving in and out of our cities each day. Bed bugs will crawl onto things like bags, purses, coats, and other personal belongings placed on the ground. They move to and hide within folds or crevices of the items and into your home without you noticing.
Once inside, they seek out dark, cracks, and crevices where they will hide during the day and emerge at night to feed. Since they are nocturnal, it can take a bit of time before you know they're there, giving them a chance to breed and increase the size of the infestation.
Where will I find bed bugs?
Due to their indoor lifestyle, bed bugs are a year-round problem. Bed bugs will live anywhere there are people to feed on. Hotels, motels, gyms, restaurants, offices, shopping centers, movie theaters, airports, and other public places are places people come into contact with bed bugs.
While most people think they will only find bed bugs in and around mattresses and box springs, the truth is they hide and live in a variety of places. Upholstered furniture, wood furniture, cracks in walls, wall hangings, gaps behind wood trim, and cluttered areas are common hideouts. These pests also hide in electronics and behind electrical outlets.
How do I get rid of bed bugs?
The best way to get rid of bed bugs from your Las Vegas, Nevada area property, is to partner with the local pest control experts at Pest Control Solutions, Inc. We have a deep understanding of the pests that live in our area and how to control and eliminate them.
Our dedicated professionals use "out of the box" thinking to solve current pest problems, and prevent future ones. We take the time to work with our customers and tailor all of our pest control services to meet the unique needs of every home and business we serve.
How can I prevent bed bugs in the future?
The following list of prevention tips will help you to avoid problems with bed bugs:
- When traveling or when you're out and about in public places, never leave bags and other personal belongings on the ground.
- Regularly vacuum your flooring, the seams of upholstered furniture, mattresses, and box springs.
- Wash and dry all bedding on high heat settings.
- Wash and dry newly purchased clothing on the highest heat settings the fabrics can handle.
- Avoid purchasing used mattresses, box springs, or furniture for your home.
- Use protective bed bug-proof covers on mattresses in your home.
- Clean up any clutter in your home to reduce hiding spots.
- Seal any cracks around baseboards, under doors, and other gaps to prevent bed bugs from moving between units in multi-unit buildings.
For more information about our proactive residential or commercial bed bug control services, contact us at Pest Control Solutions, Inc. today!
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