Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to detect in and eliminate from your San Tan Valley home. They’re hard to control, find, live with, and get rid of. Nothing is pleasant or tolerable about them. They bite humans and pets, suck their blood, and leave unsightly, itchy welts as a parting gift. It’s unsettling enough to know that you could be sleeping on top of them. To realize it’s nearly impossible to eliminate bed bugs is even worse.

“Do it yourself” bed bug methods aren’t effective for several reasons. First, you’d have to locate and kill every single bed bug egg, larvae, and adult to achieve success. Second, these pests can withstand the majority of retail insecticides. Third, trying to starve them does nothing, because they can go months without feeding. If you have a bed bug problem, you need professional help. Learn more about how to detect and prevent an infestation to protect your San Tan Valley home from these unwanted intruders.

How Do You Know When You Have a Bed Bug Infestation?

The most common bed bugs have three body segments and six legs. They have two antennas on their round heads, with a strangely shaped midsection. Their bottoms are big and circular. The largest they’ll ever be is about ¼ of an inch long, about the size of an apple seed. Their pearly white eggs are even smaller. Adult bed bugs are reddish-brown, while the babies are translucent. After a feeding, adult bed bugs become engorged.    Since bed bugs survive on blood alone, these parasitic bugs will seek out places where they can cohabitate with mammals. Humans and their pets are ideal targets. With that in mind, know that you can pick them up from heavily populated spaces, like transportation stations, hotels, offices, and schools. They’ll sneak into your personal bags, briefcases, electronics, and clothes and hitchhike into living space. Once inside your home or business, they’ll inhabit fabrics, furniture, upholstery, and mattresses. They will also hide in paneling, picture frames, and appliances. This dispels the myth that dirt is the reason bed bugs show up. However, it helps to practice cleanliness.   Now that you know what bed bugs look like and how they enter properties, here’s how you know if you have an infestation:

• Seeing blood drops or reddish-brown marks under linens.
• Noticing brown or black fecal stains on sheets or surfaces.
• The appearance of red bites in clusters on your face, neck, hands, arms, and legs.

What Can You Do to Prevent Bed Bugs?

It may seem like bed bugs are unavoidable, especially because they enter your home undetected from public spaces and reproduce quickly. You can’t give up school, work, or methods of public transportation. Spending the night somewhere or staying in a hotel is necessary if you wish to be out of town. Fortunately, being human and active doesn’t mean bed bugs are in your future. Preventing them will require being watchful and diligent, but it’s doable:

• Inspect box springs, head and footboards, mattress seams, and below beds. Do this regularly and use a flashlight.
• Look inside and through drawers, laundry, bags, and purses.
• Examine furniture like couches, lamps, and picture frames.
• Inform lodging maintenance if you see bed bugs where you’re staying and request to be moved to another room or even hotel.
• Get a protective cover or plastic bag for your luggage.
• When returning from a trip, wash all clothes in hot water. Use high heat to dry them for at least 20 minutes.
• Carefully check second-hand items for signs of bed bug activity.

How Can Ozone Pest Control Help With Bed Bugs?

We’ve kept San Tan Valley properties bed bug-free for decades. Our expert technicians will inspect your home or business for bed bug activity. Then, they will come up with a customized plan aimed to eliminate all bed bugs. We use exceptional environmentally safe products that are both safe and effective. Don’t let bed bugs infiltrate your San Tan Valley property. Contact us today with all of your bed bug questions. We will make your bed bug worries a thing of the past!