How To Deal With Problematic Bed Bugs In Western Massachusetts

There are many reasons why you may not want bed bugs in your home. You probably don't need any convincing on this matter. But, infestations sneak up on many Western Massachusetts residents because few people know as much as they need to about bed bugs. If you want to deal quickly with bed bugs and prevent them from being a problem, you need to know how they are problematic. Let's look at the problems of bed bug detection, evaluating health concerns, control, and prevention. When you're done, you will know how to identify bed bug bites, some of the ways bed bugs may harm you, how bed bug control works, and how to keep bed bugs out of your Western Massachusetts home. If you are currently at your witts end and want immediate help with a bed bug infestation, call us. American Pest Solutions offers advanced solutions for bed bug pest control in Western Massachusetts. We can guide you over the phone and help you zero in on the right solution to address your bed bug problem. You don't have to let these problematic pests continue to bite you. Help is available.  

What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?

It is often hard to detect early signs of bed bugs. While bed bugs leave bite wounds on the skin, these bites can go undetected. If you hope to catch bed bugs early and deal with them before they spread through your home, it helps to know how bed bug bites may elude your detection.

• Bed bugs aren't the only indoor pests that can bite you. If you have a dog or a cat, it is likely you've had to deal with fleas. You can get a flea infestation whether you have a pet or not. Fleas can get into your home on mice, rats, and other animals. When you find flea bites on your skin, you may think you have bed bugs. Fleas can turn into indoor pests. You need to know how to differentiate between bed bug bites and bites caused by other indoor pests, like fleas. It is often possible to tell the difference between flea bites and bed bug bites by considering what part of the body was bitten. Bed bugs tend to bite the upper body because they're attracted to carbon dioxide. Fleas typically bite the ankles and feet.
• Bites don't immediately look like bites. The raised bump on your skin, the hot rash, and the itchy feeling you get from an insect bite are caused by an allergic reaction. It can take hours for a bug bite to appear. So, bites from outdoor pests, like mosquitoes and gnats, may cause you to think that you have bed bugs because they don't appear until you wake up in the morning. There is one helpful way to tell bed bug bites from mosquito or gnat bites. Bed bugs bite multiple times. When you see bites on your skin, consider the number. Each bed bug will bite you more than once, moving forward a short distance each time they bite, and they feed together in a group. Therefore, the bites won't look random. They will follow a path across your skin. 
• Bed bug bites are sometimes mistaken for an allergic reaction to food or clothing. When baby bed bugs bite, the wounds may only appear as tiny bumps at first. Since each baby bed bug is likely to bite you three times, it doesn't take many to create lots of little bumps surrounded by a prominent rash. Once again, look for an obvious path. An allergic reaction to food or clothing will appear more blotchy than bed bug bites.  

Do you see how problematic it is to detect bed bug bites? Use these facts to help you figure out if you have a bed bug infestation in your home, and keep watch for bed bug bites on others when you're away from home. If you see bites on someone while away from your home, you may stop those bugs from hitching a ride back home with you. 

All The Ways A Bed Bug Infestation Can Be Problematic

You know that bed bugs bite. That is definitely a problem. What you may not know is that bed bugs are not currently known to transmit diseases to humans in the real world. What do we mean? Bed bugs show an ability to transfer disease-causing organisms, like the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease to humans—but, only in laboratory studies. Outside of the lab, there are no reported cases of bed bug disease transmission. While this is certainly good news, you should know that there are other ways bed bugs are a health problem. 

• Bed bugs typically hide during the day and come out at night to bite. For some people, this is disturbing. If bed bugs disturb you, it can lead to sleepless nights. Sleep deprivation is linked to medical symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and slow motor function.
• When bed bug infestations are not addressed, repeated bite wounds can lead to anemia, which has many medical symptoms.
• Bed bug bites can itch. When wounds are scratched, they may lead to open sores that can get infected.

Bites are not the only way a bed bug infestation is problematic. There are many others factors to consider. 

• Bed bug infestations can cause family and friends to avoid coming over and they can make important gatherings, like Superbowl parties, hard to put together.
• Ongoing infestations can lead to isolation.
• Children may experience bullying at school due to a bed bug infestation. 
• Bed bugs are hard to find. We already talked about how hard it is to identify bed bugs, but finding these insects is even harder. They hide in the tightest of spaces.
• They're hard to eliminate. Bed bugs are resistant to certain control materials and also have behavior patterns that help them avoid danger.
• After getting rid of bed bugs, you can get them again if you allow your infestation to go untreated. When friends and family visit, they can bring bed bugs or bed bug eggs home with them and then bring them back at a later time.

When you find bed bugs in your home, it is best to contact a licensed pest management professional as soon as possible. Let's look at how a trained and experienced professional addresses bed bugs.

Call The Pros At The First Sign Of Bed Bugs In Your Home

Bed bugs aren't a disease threat, but they are persistent pests that can torment you with bites. The worst outcome of an infestation is paying to get rid of bed bugs only to get them again. We take measures to prevent this. When you contact American Pest Solutions for a bed bug treatment in Western Massachusetts, here are a few things you can expect.

• We use trained dogs to sniff out bed bugs quickly and efficiently.
• Our licensed pest management professionals apply targeted control methods to arrest your infestation.
• We listen to you and try to help you figure out how you got bed bugs in the first place.
• We support you with fast and effective bed bug inspections as needed.

Bed bugs are miserable pests, particularly if you try to tackle an infestation yourself. Let our highly-trained bed bug control technicians help you find the best solution for your pest problem.

How To Prevent Future Bed Bugs Infestations

Once the bugs are gone, how do you keep from getting them again? The first and most important way to prevent an infestation is to consider how you got them. Did you recently come back from a vacation? Do you have kids that do sleepovers? Do you have a college-age young adult who recently came home from their dormitory for the holidays? Do you live in an apartment or multi-family structure? It is essential to consider the many ways bed bugs could have gotten into your home. Along with piecing together the facts, there are a few bed bug prevention steps you can take.

• Protect laundry items in a sealed bag while away from home.
• Always do a quick bed bug check when staying somewhere overnight.
• Run all clothing through a hot, soapy wash, and put them in the hot dryer. Soapy water acts as a desiccant and the dryer uses heat to eliminate bed bugs.
• Always inspect used furniture, electronics, pianos, and other items that have voids. Bed bugs can use these items to hitch a ride into your home.
• Be aware that you can get bed bugs at work and school, or in public venues. Always watch for warning signs.

Keep in mind that American Pest Solutions is always available to help you when these bugs find their way into your home. Our pest management professionals know where bed bugs hide and how to clean bed bugs up in infested areas. We're here to help!