What a bed bug looks like varies. Their appearance changes depending on their life stage and whether they’ve recently fed. They start tiny and light-colored, gradually growing larger and darker with each nymphal stage until adulthood.
Adult bed bugs are about the size and shape of an apple seed. They have broad, flat, oval-shaped bodies and are brown in color when unfed. After a meal, they become swollen, engorged, and take on a reddish-brown hue.
Bed bugs are not known to spread diseases. However, they do bite. Bed bugs are parasites that require blood meals to survive. They typically bite the exposed skin of people who are sleeping. Bed bug bites often show up in uneven groupings or zigzag patterns.
Bed bugs don’t damage property like termites or rodents do. They don’t chew through wood, fabric, or wiring. However, their presence can lead to bedding, walls, and furniture stains from their fecal spots, shed skins, or crushed bodies. While they won’t destroy your belongings, the cost and effort of removing them and the stress and insomnia they may cause can feel just as disruptive.
Unlike other pests, bed bugs don’t crawl or fly inside after finding your property. Instead, they hitchhike, catching a ride on a pant leg, inside a bag, on secondhand furniture, or using other belongings or people as their vehicles.
Bed bugs can be found in any area that is frequented by people. Public buildings and transportation, hotels, schools, hospitals, and other locations can all contain bed bugs.
As their name indicates, it’s common to find bed bugs in beds. However, that’s not the only place they frequent. Bed bugs like to stay out of sight, and they may hide in a variety of places, including:
For many people, discovering their bites is the first sign of a bed bug infestation. If unexplained bug bites appear out of nowhere, they could be from bed bugs. Other signs of an infestation include:
Getting rid of bed bugs is difficult. They are good at hiding and can last several months without a blood meal. This allows them to hide if they sense danger. Furthermore, many over-the-counter bed bug control products are ineffective against bed bugs and will only worsen the problem or cause it to spread to other areas.
Trying to get rid of a bed bug infestation on your own is unlikely to solve your problem. You may notice a temporary relief, but these biting pests will likely return in the coming weeks and months.
If you’re seeing bed bugs or signs of activity in your home or business, contact Anti-Pesto right away. Our expert bed bug control experts will inspect and treat your bed bug infestation, ensuring every last pest is eradicated!
Preventing bed bugs can be difficult. Most pest control prevention methods rely on perimeter treatments to create a protective barrier around a house's exterior. Since bed bugs don’t enter homes this way, these conventional treatments are largely ineffective against them.
That doesn’t mean you have to give up hope, though. Avoiding a bed bug infestation requires diligence, but it is possible. The best thing you can do to prevent bed bugs is to get into the habit of inspecting the things you bring into your house and the areas where bed bugs might hide. You may also want to install mattress encasements on all of your beds.
If you go away overnight, inspect the place you’re staying before bringing your luggage inside. When you return home, carefully inspect your bags and wash your clothing on a hot water cycle before putting it away.
By looking for bed bugs, you can identify an infestation in its earliest stages when it’s easiest to treat. If you have any reason to believe that bed bugs have gotten into your home, contact Anti-Pesto immediately. We’ll perform an inspection and recommend the best bed bug treatment for your situation!
From the first contact call the staff was very professional, courteous and informative. We discussed the issues and set a plan with an appointment within a couple days. Shane, our technician, was very prompt and courteous. Very informative during the inspection process and strategically put a deterrent plan in place. I would highly recommend Anti-Pesto Bug Killers.
Jim J.
Largo, FL
We had a wasp infestation in our backyard shed. Anti-Pesto responded immediately and were out to our place within about two hours and took care of everything thoroughly. They will even follow-up again within two weeks to be sure that the problem does not recur. They are awesome!
Daniel Z.
Largo, FL
Amazing quality work. I’ve had a few pest control companies spray and ants would still enter our home and act as roommates. Sam Hurtado is our technician and he answers everything with knowledge and always brings quality work. Even if there was recent pest work they always arrange if I have issues. Thank you!!
Trish N.
Tampa, FL
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