Bed Bugs Hitchhike
Most insects have ways to travel, whether with strong legs, wings, or other extremities that help them get around. Bed bugs are a bit different. These small pests don't have wings, can't jump, and are incredibly slow. They are also incapable of surviving outdoors for long periods. Despite all of this, they seem to have no trouble invading homes. These tiny pests do this by hitchhiking; by sneaking onto items people carry, bed bugs use our strength and mobility to get around.
Bed Bugs Need Blood
On average, a bed bug feeds every five to ten days. What do they survive on? Blood. From early nymph stages to adulthood, these pests live off of human blood and occasionally the blood of other animals. In order to feed, bed bugs wait until their prey falls asleep, crawl into their sleeping areas, and then draw as much as possible using their piercing mouthparts. A full bed bug is roughly five times bigger than its original form and takes on a dark red coloration in its bloated abdomen.
Bed Bugs Don't Just Live Around Beds
Despite their name, bed bugs do not just infest and live around beds. In order to stay hidden, these invasive pests use unused space around a home to its fullest. Places you can't reach or rarely interact with bed bugs use as places to hide. Some common areas these pests shelter while people are awake include behind outlets, around baseboards, along window and door paneling, under floorboards, and in cracks and crevices throughout homes.
Bed Bugs Aren't Dangerous
Almost all blood-feeding pests are dangerous. Bed bugs are one of the few exceptions. Unlike mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks, bed bugs aren't known to carry or spread blood-borne diseases. Severe infestations of these pests do, however, lead to insomnia and anemia.
Bed Bugs Are Hard To Prevent
The only way to stop a bed bug infestation is to catch these pests before bringing them into your home. This is easier said than done. In order to avoid bed bugs, you have to be able to identify them by the signs they leave behind, know where they hide, and understand how they think. We recommend doing some research and adapting general prevention strategies to avoid bed bugs when spending time away from home. It also helps to share what you learn with your family and friends so that they can actively avoid these pests themselves.
You Need Professional Help To Eliminate Bed Bugs From Your Home
If you keep waking up with bites on your skin, bloodstains on your bed coverings, and bags under your eyes, you could be dealing with a bed bug infestation in North Oklahoma, OK. To find out for certain, let the professionals at Guaranteed Pest Service of Oklahoma inspect your living areas. Our team has the training to spot signs of bed bug activity and has the industrial-grade equipment to track these pests around properties. We also have the advanced bed bug control methods needed to eliminate bed bugs quickly.
Contact us now to schedule your home for a detailed bed bug inspection or to answer any questions you have about pest control in Oklahoma City, OK home and property.
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