Nestled in our homes, we want to feel safe from crime, storms, and pests. We want to go to bed in comfy clothes, enjoy a restful night's sleep, and wake rejuvenated and ready to face another day. No one wants to wake up to find red bed bug bites on their back, arms, legs, and torso. Being a food source for bed bugs while you sleep is unnerving.
If you find red bites on your body, they could be from bed bugs. If you suspect bed bugs in your house, you need the New Haven County pest control experts from Rescue 1 Pest & Termite Control. Our team has over 30 years of experience in the pest control industry; we know how to free your home from a bed bug infestation.
The Lifecycle Of The New Haven County Bed Bug
A bed bug infestation begins when bed bugs hitchhike into your home via luggage, used furniture, clothing, shoes, and other items. Once the bugs are in a room nearby a host, they start feeding. After a blood meal, a fertilized female bed bug produces five to twenty eggs for the next ten days; she will release up to 113 eggs throughout her one-year lifetime. Over the next nine days, over 97% of the eggs will hatch, and nymphs will emerge.
Like all insects, bed bugs have their skeleton on the outside of the body (exoskeletons). After feeding, the nymph will shed its exoskeleton as it grows. It takes five moltings (instars) for a bed bug to become an adult, and under favorable conditions, the process from nymph to adult takes about 37 days. An adult bed bug lives anywhere from 99 days to one year.
How Can I Tell If I Have A Bed Bug Infestation?
Early signs of bed bugs in your New Haven home include:
- Reddish-brown fecal stains
- Pale-white exoskeletons skins due to molting
- Cream-colored eggs or eggshells
- Mahogany or red-brown adult bed bugs
- Colorless nymphs
The signs of bed bugs will be on mattresses, walls, upholstery, behind headboards, picture frames, and baseboards. Check electrical outlets and underneath wallpaper for evidence. Bed bugs squeeze into dark hidden areas about the width of a credit card. If you have signs of bed bugs, you need local pest control for bed bugs.
Five Tips For Bed Bug Prevention
The best way to stop a bed bug infestation is to prevent it from starting. Here are five tips to discourage bed bugs from taking over your home:
- Examine clothing and items upon returning from a public place
- Inspect used furniture before bringing it into the house
- Seal mattresses in plastic
- Vacuum the home regularly and suction out cracks and crevices
- Remove piles of clothing from the floor
If you suspect bed bugs, wash clothing and bedding in detergent in the hottest water possible and dry in the highest heat. A steam cleaner is effective if the heat is over 130℉. When you vacuum, use a wand attachment to get into cracks and mattress seams. Empty the vacuumed contents into a sealed garbage bag and immediately place the bag in an outside, closed container. These tips, along with the expertise and specialized equipment of bed bug exterminators, will stop bed bugs from overtaking your New Haven home.
Professional Bed Bug Control In New Haven County
In a survey by the National Pest Management Association, the overwhelming majority of pest experts said bed bugs were the most difficult pest to eradicate from homes. Because of their reproduction rate, ability to hide in cracks, and small size, you need the best bed bug control near you, Rescue 1 Pest & Termite Control. We specialize in bed bug removal. Contact us today to set up a bed bug inspection. Don't spend another night with bed bugs using your body as a dinner buffet!