Bed Bug Identification & Prevention

Bed bugs are insects and are members of the Cimex lectularius family. All bed bugs feed on the blood of birds or mammals, and the bed bugs that infest our homes and businesses daily prefer to feed on people's blood. Blood is their sole source of nutrition. 

Bed bugs find their hosts through body heat and the carbon dioxide produced during the breathing process. These oval-shaped insects lack wings and move from location to location by hitchhiking. They have mahogany-brown bodies, and adults grow to about 1/4 of an inch long. 

These biting insects have specialized mouthparts, known as a proboscis, they use to pierce the skin of their host and feed on their blood. After consuming a blood meal, the bed bug’s body swells, increases in size, and turns a purplish-red color.

Immature bed bugs (nymphs) closely resemble adults, but are much smaller and, until they have their first blood meal, are yellowish or translucent in color. After feeding, they turn bright red. Bed bug eggs are white and are only the size of a pinhead; generally, only a professional can detect the presence of their eggs.

Use the helpful information in this guide to help prevent bed bugs in Orange County, CA from establishing themselves in your home or business.

Though described as nuisance pests, bed bugs are not pests anyone wants to share their home with. You can’t sleep soundly at night knowing you and your family are being used as a food source by biting bed bugs. 

Unlike other blood-feeding pests, when it comes to bed bugs, the spread of human pathogens by these pests is currently not a big concern in the United States. However, many people are allergic to a protein in their saliva; those allergic to bed bug bites develop raised, uncomfortable, itchy welts. Scratching the bites may lead to a secondary infection that requires medical attention.

Bed bugs do not have wings and can’t jump; their primary mode of transportation is hitchhiking on people or their things, including used mattresses, box springs, and newly purchased clothing. Bed bugs are equal opportunity creatures and will find their way into any home, no matter how clean or dirty. However, it is essential to note that households with more clutter provide bed bugs with more hiding spots.

Signs that bed bugs have found their way into your home can include:

• Discovering dark streaks or spots of blood on bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture, or walls.

• Seeing piles of bed bug’s shed skins in places like under mattresses, clutter piles, or drawers.

• Noticing a sweet, musty odor has developed in a particular area of your home. This odor is caused by the pheromones bed bugs emit to communicate with each other. 

• You or your family members have raised red insect bites, typically clustered together in a line or zig-zag pattern on exposed skin. 

If you ever spot bed bug signs in your home, immediately contact The PEST Group.

Bed bugs are most active at night, right before dawn. At night, they emerge from their daytime hiding spots to feed on the blood of their sleeping victims. 

Common bed bug hiding spots include the following:

• Behind baseboards

• In the seams of upholstered furniture

• In electronics and keyboards

• Behind wall hangings, pictures, and clocks

• Inside wall voids located behind electrical outlets

• Under piles of dirty laundry

When bed bugs first enter a home, they stay close to sleeping areas in the seams of mattresses and box springs and in cracks in footboards and headboards. As the bed bug infestation grows, the insects will travel through walls and floors and infest many rooms.

Let's face it, bed bugs are unpleasant, biting pests. Just the thought of them can make your skin crawl. Sleep easy at night knowing your family’s beds are bed bug-free; give The PEST Group a call and let one of our trained, friendly experts identify and treat your bed bug problem today!

With over 250 years of combined leadership experience, The PEST Group is the best choice to rid your Orange County, CA home or business of bed bugs. We are North America’s largest fumigation company, dedicated to our customers and providing safe and effective bed bug solutions.

Partnering with an experienced, dedicated professional is the fastest and most efficient way to get rid of bed bugs from your property; reach out to The PEST Group and request your free inspection today!

In addition to our residential pest control and commercial pest control services, use the following tips to prevent bed bug infestations:

• Newly purchased clothing should immediately be washed and dried on a high-heat cycle.

• Place bed bug-proof covers on all mattresses and box springs in your home.

• Never place your luggage on the ground or beds of your hotel room.

• Keep your home and storage areas free of clutter.

• Regularly vacuum your floors.

• After traveling, wash and dry all clothing on high heat cycles.

• Do not buy used mattresses, box springs, and furniture for your home.

• Always inspect your hotel room for signs of bed bugs before bringing luggage inside.

• In public places or while at work or school, keep personal belongings away from other people’s belongings and off of the ground.

Despite trying to keep bed bugs out of your home, they can hitchhike into any structure. If you ever need exceptional bed bug services, reach out to the knowledgeable and friendly professionals at The PEST Group!