Imagine a real-life house of horrors that you do not know you are even living in. A cursory glance wouldn’t reveal the true danger to you or your family. And even if you conduct a more thorough inspection, you might not be able to find what’s lurking. It’s not until you and your loved ones are at your most vulnerable, sound asleep in the darkness of your own creation that this hidden threat makes itself known, and at that moment it is at its most dangerous. What we’re referring are bedbugs, one of nature’s most notorious pests. Bedbugs are known to be some of the most persistent and aggressive insects in nature, but the dangers of living with bedbugs aren’t always known beyond the basics. At General Pest Control, we have the answers to some of the most prevailing questions, as well as solutions.
What Is A Bedbug?
Bedbugs, known scientifically as Cimex lectularius, are a particularly aggressive type of parasite. They can be found living anywhere in the modern home, but are known to most commonly live in couches, cushions, chairs, and beds which is where they get their name. Bed bugs are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night when they are less likely to be discovered by predators (i.e., you). When the lights go out and activity in the home is low, bed bugs emerge from their hiding places and begin looking for a source of food. Their preferred source of nutrition is blood – yours, your families, and your pets. Bed bugs feed by biting through the skin and sucking blood, leaving behind nasty, itchy red welts as they finish their feeding and retreat back to their hiding spot. If you don’t wake up in time to catch them in the act, the only sign you have that something is off is those little itchy red welts, and the bigger the infestation the more bumps you have.
Now bed bugs are known to be particularly annoying, but what makes them even worse is how hard they are to remove. The average homeowner might not even know they have bed bugs until they wake up covered in bites, at which point the options are very limited. Bed Bugs hide deep in cushions and mattresses within the tight creases of the fabric making them hard to spot. Typically, the easier these are the find, the greater the investigation.
Bed Bug Infestations – Is That All?
Not even close! You might think the worst thing that’ll happen when you have bed bugs is a few itchy spots and throwing out a new couch. While that is a pain, it assumes you’re dealing with what’s known as a localized infestation, meaning the bed bugs are only in one spot. However, this is rarely the case. Most of the time, when you are noticing a problem, you are only hitting the tip of the iceberg and are likely looking at a full-scale infestation. You bring in 1 piece of furniture or clothing with a few bed bugs and in a matter of days, you could be looking at a much larger problem. Bedbugs will hide anywhere – furniture, carpet, clothes, suitcases, bedding, mattresses, etc. Not a pretty picture.
At Least It Can’t Get Worse? Bedbugs Can’t Spread More Can They?
They can and they will! The way bed bugs spread is interesting, and not in a good way. Say you have bed bugs on your couch, and you don’t know it. You invite 3 friends over, and they sit on the couch. There is an extremely high chance that when they leave, somewhere on them are a couple of unwanted hitchhikers using your friends as a moving truck. When they get home, their pesky new roommates will find a new place to invade, entrench, and finally multiply. When they have enough, they repeat the cycle. An infestation unchecked has the ability to multiply and move leaving your loved ones with the same issues.
Do You Need Help
If reading this gave you the creeping sensation that those red bumps on your back and neck might not be weird mosquito bites, or if you just want to be safe with that refurbished couch your spouse picked up from an antique shop on a trip to Kansas City, we can help. General Pest Control has trained technicians, specialized tools, and the bug stomping know-how to stop a bed bug infestation in its tracks. For all your pest control needs, contact us and have your unwanted house guests evicted!