Some of the reasons for the increased infestations of these uninvited pests include increased international travel, incorrect identification during inspection and less use of residual pesticides.

Facts About Bed Bugs:

•Bed bugs are difficult to spot with the naked eye. Before they eat, they look like little tan specks of rice. After they feast on blood they turn red or dark brown in color and are easier to spot. They are approx. 3/16 inch, which is smaller than an apple seed. They are flat, long, and oval in shape. They give off a sweet musty odor. Bed Bugs feed on the blood of humans, birds, and rodents. Their bite is often times undetectable because proteins in their saliva cause a numbing sensation to the host as they bite. One disgusting reality is that as bedbugs bite a host they excrete blood from the previous victim onto your skin.

•At the site of a bite, a large oval-shaped inflammation or swelling of the skin may occur followed by severe itching.

Signs that You May Have a Bed Bug Infestation:

Rusty red blood stains and dark spots from fecal matter on bedding, walls, mattresses, sheets, and pillowcases are a sure sign of a bed bug infestation.

Bed bugs give off a sweet musty odor, which is another sign that you may have bed bugs.

Why are Bed Bugs Difficult to Control?

Bed Bugs are difficult to control because they often go undetected until a severe infestation has occurred. Because bed bugs are nocturnal only coming out at night, infestations can be difficult to detect. During the day, they hide in the tightest of spaces including cracks and crevices in the walls, bed frames, behind baseboards and mattress seams. Another reason that bed bugs often go undetected is that they can hibernate for months at a time going dormant and resurfacing months later. They are extremely resilient and can survive up to 1 year without food. Unreported bites give a false sense of control.

Another reason that bed bugs are hard to control is that they travel easily. They hitch a ride on backpacks, luggage, and clothing from one place to the next. Once inside a home, bed bugs can travel through wall voids spreading the infestation from room to room making control extremely difficult.

They also reproduce rapidly. A female lays 10-50 eggs at a time laying up to 500 in her lifetime.

Treatment By a Trained Bed Bug Professional

Bed bugs are very difficult to treat, and effective treatment requires a pest control professional. Heron’s bed bug expert has been treating bed bugs for over 15 years and has treated over 1,000 bed bug cases in the U.S.If you have any questions or think your home may be infested with bed bugs, please call 1-800-81-HERON for immediate assistance.