According to Pest World, 76% of pest control technicians say bed bugs are the most difficult pest to eliminate. You shouldn't try to exterminate them on your own, as that would cost you considerable time and money. Instead, call a Rockville pest control company such as Womack Pest Control to help you eradicate these blood-thirsty little insects.
What Bed Bugs Look Like
Bed bugs are small, only about ¼ inch long. Young bed bugs, or nymphs, are around 1/16 to 3/16 inches long. Unfed bed bugs are mahogany brown, very flat, and oval-shaped. After a bed bug has fed, it turns reddish-brown and looks swollen and longer.
The Symptoms Of A Bed Bug Infestation
There are several early signs of bed bugs that you can find if you know what you're looking for. Here are the most common:
- Reddish-brown smears on your mattress, box spring, and walls – These are the smeared feces of bed bugs that have fed.
- Bed bug exoskeletons – These are the skin that bed bugs have outgrown as they mature.
- A sweet, musty odor – This smell comes from the pheromones bed bugs use to communicate.
- Bed bug bites – You may wonder, "Where do bed bugs bite?" They typically bite you on your arms and legs, leaving red bumps that may be in a line or cluster.
- Bed bugs – You can find them in the folds and seams of your mattress or hiding in your bedding, especially around the seams of pillowcases and fitted sheets.
If you notice these or other signs of bed bugs in Rockville, it's important to take action quickly.
Why It's So Hard To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs On Your Own
Getting rid of bed bugs on your own is tricky because bed bugs are experts at hiding, are immune to most pesticides, and breed quickly – females can lay over 500 eggs in their lifetime. You may wonder, then, what kills bed bugs?
There are a few pesticides that currently work against bed bugs. However, their effectiveness is lower with in-home use because bed bugs can hide in the narrowest cracks and crevices in your home, including behind baseboards, behind electrical outlets, and even in holes where screws are holding furniture together.
High heat also kills bed bugs. If they're in your bedding or clothes, wash everything in hot water, then dry on high heat. To avoid recontamination in your Rockville home, carry your things to your laundromat in garbage bags, throw the bags away outside, and take your clean, dry laundry back inside in clean garbage bags.
While your laundry is going, put mattress encasements, fabric bags that enclose your mattress and trap bed bugs inside, on both your mattress and box spring. How long do bed bugs live without feeding? They can survive several months, so you should keep those encasements in place for a long while. They also prevent more bed bugs from being able to hide since they provide a smooth surface without crevices or seams for bed bugs to nestle inside.
The Best Way To Completely Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
The best way to completely rid yourself of bed bugs is to call in local pest control for bed bugs in Rockville. Womack Pest Control's pest management specialists stand ready to help you battle bed bugs.
Womack Pest Control is a local, fourth-generation, family-owned and operated company that's been in the pest control business since 1943. We offer free estimates and specials for new customers. Call us now to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Rockville and get rid of your bed bug problem once and for all.