Homeowners are likely concerned that a bedbug infestation could be in their future. On average, 20% of all US households get bedbugs each year. These pests can be found in every state in the United States. It is estimated that one in five Americans have or know someone who has dealt with bedbugs at some point.
33% of people with infestations discourage others from entering their residences. How can you be positive that you’re dealing with an infestation? Use the signs below to pinpoint the problem before it’s too late.
Check Your Body
If you’re worried that bedbugs have infested your home, you should start by looking at yourself. Bedbugs love feeding so there’s a good chance that you’ve already been bitten multiple times. Therefore, you have likely already noticed itchy welts on your skin. Usually, bedbug bites are going to occur on the victim’s back and the back of their neck.
You can also find red welts on the back of your arms, legs, and knees. Always check the parts of your body that touch the mattress when you sleep. If you see these rashes, you likely have bedbugs.
Use Your Nose
Despite being small, bedbugs can still create a musty odor. The thing to remember is that bedbugs breed rapidly and they usually hide in the same places. Therefore, thousands of bedbugs could be hiding on your furniture and on your mattress. As a result, they’re going to create a musty odor in each room.
Use your nose to determine whether bedbugs could be hiding in your bedroom. If you detect a musty odor, it is smart to move in for a closer inspection.
Check Your Mattress
Bedbugs try to stay as close to their food source as possible. Therefore, most of them will hide on your mattress. If you want to detect bedbugs in your home, you just need to look at your mattress. Grab a flashlight and ask for help. Your friend should lift the mattress on one side so you can check the crevices. Use your flashlight and look for small black bugs. You can also look for small red marks and black excrement marks.
If you have bedbugs, you’ll know it immediately.
Bloodstains And Excrement Marks
Besides checking your mattress, you’ll also want to carefully check the other furniture in your home. When doing so, you should look for bloodstains and excrement marks. You’ll also want to look for these things when checking your mattress. Bedbugs can leave small bloodstains when they’re crushed.
They’ll also use the bathroom everywhere. If you find bloodstains and feces, you’re probably dealing with a bedbug infestation. Be sure to check couches, rockers, and other furniture in your residence.
Eggs
Finally, you should scour your house for bedbug eggs. These pests reproduce rapidly meaning the infestation is going to worsen. They’ll also leave their eggs all over your home. Besides finding eggs on your mattress, you’ll also find them around your window frames, electrical outlets, and other furniture. Early on, they may be more difficult to see.
As the infestation worsens, the signs will become more obvious. The egg clusters will grow larger making them easier to identify.
Hire A Professional
Finally, you have the option of hiring a professional. It is generally a good idea to do this at the first sign of trouble. After all, a professional will be able to detect bedbugs and eliminate them. They’ll start with a thorough inspection so they’ll know where the bugs are hiding in your residence.
Then, the professional will develop a plan to target and remedy the problem at the source.
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