Often mistaken for carpet beetles, ticks, or even fleas, it’s not always easy to tell bed bugs apart from similar-looking pests. However, most people can recognize bed bugs by their tiny, oval-shaped bodies that grow to be about the size and shape of an apple seed, dark, reddish-brown coloring, and their six legs.
Even if it’s hard to distinguish them physically, there are other signs that indicate you may have a bed bug problem in your Mooresville home, such as:
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Musty, unpleasant odor: Bed bugs produce a musty, unpleasant odor from their scent glands, which can linger around your home. You may not notice the odor with small or new infestations, but this smell intensifies with bigger infestations.
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Bloodstains and excrement: Before you see live bed bugs, you’ll often spot the stains they leave behind on sheets, mattresses, and pillows. This includes bloodstains from crushed bed bugs or dark spots from their excrement.
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Discarded skin and eggshells: Along with stains, bed bugs shed their skin and eggshells as they grow. You can find the evidence of eggshells or even their discarded skin piled around areas of high bed bug activity, like underneath mattresses or sheets.
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Itchy welts: One of the most obvious signs of a bed bug problem is waking up with itchy, red welts every morning. Reactions to bed bug bites can vary from person to person, but itchy, red welts on exposed areas of skin are a common reaction.
Once you’ve spotted the signs of a bed bug problem, then it’s time to get rid of them. Here’s what Mooresville homeowners should know about how bed bug infestations begin and why they’re so hard to get rid of, how professional bed bug treatments work, and what to do if you’re spotting some of the signs listed above.
How Do Bed Bug Infestations Start & Are They Hard To Get Rid Of?
Most bed bug infestations start because you’ve traveled to somewhere there’s already a bed bug infestation – like an infested hotel, airport, train, or even a friend’s house. If you’ve gone somewhere that already has bed bugs, these parasitical hitchhikers may latch onto your personal belongings or luggage and come home with you.
Unfortunately, bed bug “hot spots” can include almost any location with regular human activity, making these pests extremely difficult to prevent. Even if you don’t travel to a place where there are already bed bugs, you may catch these critters through used appliances and furniture. Second-hand furniture and appliances can all house bed bug colonies, so it’s important to inspect used items before you buy them and bring them back into your home.
Why Professional Bed Bug Treatments Are Better Than DIY Solutions
Getting rid of bed bugs on your own may seem like it might save you a little time and money, but this is rarely the case. Not only are bed bugs difficult to prevent, but they’re even harder to eliminate. Their small size means that bed bugs can hide out in the tiniest cracks and crevices of your home, and they can go months between meals.
The most effective way to deal with bed bugs is with professional help. Unlike DIY treatments, where you’ve got to find and eliminate every bed bug yourself, professional treatments always begin with an inspection of your home. The pros will inspect your house thoroughly to discover the extent and the root of the infestation.
From there, they’ll come up with a customized treatment plan designed for the severity of your bed bug infestation. Depending on how widespread the infestation is, professional treatments may take multiple visits – but you’ll always have a satisfaction guarantee that the job isn’t done until your home is bug-free.
How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs Today In Mooresville, NC
Dealing with bed bugs can be extremely stressful both physically and mentally – but contacting the pros at Lake Norman Pest Control can bring you peace of mind. Not only can you count on us to provide reliable, effective treatments designed to completely eliminate bed bugs from your home, but our services also come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
If you’re spotting the signs of bed bugs in your Mooresville home and suspect you’ve got an infestation, don’t wait for these pests to wreak more havoc. Call us at Lake Norman Pest Control today for complete and total bed bug elimination.
