Fact vs. Myths: Bed Bugs In Washington D.C.
01/20/2022
Bed bugs are small parasitic pests that often resemble an apple seed to the naked eye. They have a wingless, oval-shaped body with a reddish-brown ...
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Welcome to Bed Bug Awareness Week, brought to you by the Professional Pest Management Alliance. This week has been set aside to help people be more knowledgeable about the ever growing population of bed bugs in the United States. Here you will find some information to help you know where to look for bed bugs, how to identify them, and what to do if you have an infestation.
Where do bed bugs hide?
You may think that bed bugs (because of their name) live only in beds. Well, that’s just not true! You can find them in many seemingly obscure places such as in the seats of public transportation (buses, trains, planes, cabs etc.), in a hospital room, theater, or library. They can also be found in hotels and private homes. Bed bugs like to take rides on shoes, clothing, luggage, and other items just to be near people because they feed on their blood. Hitchhiking is the bed bugs preferred method of travel and it is how they are inadvertently carried into residential homes and commercial businesses alike.
Are they Dangerous? What do they look like?
The good news is that bed bugs are not known to spread or carry disease. Some people may have a reaction to their bite that consists of small, red, itchy welts that resemble a mosquito bite. This is one of the signs that you may have a bed bug infestation. Other signs of an infestation are small blood dots on mattresses, bed clothes, and bed sheets. Also, shed exoskeletons and small brown feces stains are a good indication of an infestation. You may even see live or deceased bed bugs in areas around bed frames, mattresses, sofas, and other furniture as well as behind picture frames or wall clocks. Be sure to look for little oval bugs that are 1/4 inch long, are reddish-brown, have 6 legs, and have flat bodies.
How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
To get rid of a bed bug infestation, you will need to find a professional pest control company since bed bugs are very good at hiding and usually only come out at night to get their blood meal. Also, do-it-yourself programs are not very effective at eliminating these tiny elusive nuisance pests. They may kill the few bugs that happen to wander into the areas that you sprayed, but these remedies do nothing to eliminate the bugs that are hiding deep inside wall voids and other unreachable areas.
As the threat to residences and commercial businesses increases each year, the professionals at American Pest have developed an array of bed bug services to help property owners in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia combat their bed bug problems. No infestation is too big or too small for American Pest to treat. We offer effective treatment options including K-9 detection, heat treatments, mattress encasement, and conventional liquid applications. We have 6 full-time entomologists and a highly trained staff of pest control experts that are ready to help you eliminate your bed bug infestation. We will customize a program that suits your needs and treat not only infested areas but surrounding areas efficiently and effectively and can usually be with you the same or next day. When bed bugs bite, rely on American Pest for all of your bed bug solutions.
