Bed Bug Identification

What Are Bed Bugs?

The best way to describe bed bugs: challenging. They are difficult to avoid and even more difficult to get rid of. Bed bugs are small, flats insects with adults growing to around a quarter of an inch in length. Bed bugs are brownish-red, have six legs, and lack wings. Before feeding, the body has an apple seed shape; after feeding, its body swells, growing larger and turning a darker color.

In order to feed, bed bugs use a proboscis, an elongated mouthpart. These pests feed on the blood of warm-blooded mammals, and human blood is their favorite food source. Blood is the bed bug’s sole source of nutrition and is needed to complete its life cycle.

Are Bed Bugs Dangerous?

Even though nobody wants bed bugs living in their New York home, they are not dangerous. The spread of disease by bed bugs is not currently a threat. Bed bugs are, however, unwanted and do cause us some problems.

Bed bugs cause damage to walls, floors, bedding, upholstered furniture, and mattresses by staining them with blood or black excrement. These pests feed on our blood as we sleep. A bed bug’s bite is quite itchy, and excessive itching may lead to secondary infections, especially for children.

Contact our team today at (201) 584-6931 or complete our online form and our team will get back to you with answers.

Why Do I Have a Bed Bug Problem?

Bed bugs do not fly or jump but move very efficiently from place to place by crawling or hitchhiking. The most common way bed bugs move into our homes is on our bags, outerwear, and other personal items.

Bed bugs also move freely inside homes or multi-unit buildings by traveling behind walls and under floors and crawling along wires and pipes. These pests may also hitchhike their way into homes inside things like used furniture, box springs, electronics, and furniture. Bed bugs are prolific breeders, so even just a couple finding a way into your home can lead to a large infestation in a reasonably short period. A single female can produce around 500 eggs in its life. 

Where Will I Find Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs only care about food, not where they live, so long as there are warm-blooded animals, preferably people, to feed on. You may contact bed bugs almost anywhere you go; examples include a friend or family’s home, school, hotel, airport, movie theaters, or a shopping center.

You can see bed bugs with the human eye, but finding them can be difficult because they are so good at hiding. Some of the bed bugs favorite hiding spots include the following:

• Seams of mattresses and box springs
• Cracks in walls or wooden furniture
• Behind trim
• Within clutter
• Behind wall voids
• In electronics

How Do I Get Rid of Bed Bugs? 

Get rid of bed bugs with the help of BHB Pest Elimination; we dedicate ourselves to helping our customers maintain bed bug-free properties. We offer a variety of bed bug control options that will meet any New York home or business owner's unique needs. Our professionals provide the services necessary to get rid of current bed bug problems and the follow-up services required to keep them away for good. Committed to not just controlling pests, but eliminating them, trust us with your pest control needs! To learn more about our bed bug control services, reach out to BHB Pest Elimination today.

How Can I Prevent Bed Bugs in the Future?

Let our professionals help you control bed bugs through our professional home pest control and commercial pest control services, and with the following bed bug prevention tips:

• Place bed bug-proof covers on all mattresses and box springs in your home.
• Maintain a clutter-free home.
• Do not purchase used mattresses, box springs, and furniture for your home.
• Regularly vacuum your home’s floors, upholstered furniture, and seams of mattresses and box springs.
• Wash and dry bedding on the highest heat setting the fabrics can handle.
• Don’t place personal belongings on the floors of public places for long periods.