Bed Bugs At A Glance
Bed bugs, as you may or may not know aren’t just relegated to living in the bed. You can actually find them in a variety of soft spaces, including chairs and couches. If you’re wondering how, they got there, these pesky critters can find their way into your home in a variety of ways. How did I get bed bugs in my couch? You might be wondering, well Scott’s Turf and Pest Services, pest control in Durham, NC, are here to help.
Bed bugs travel in a variety of ways, which includes luggage, furniture boxes, backpacks, and clothing. While they probably won’t just hitch a ride on the outfit that you’re wearing, they are known to high out in piles of clothes when you’re moving, which is why they can also be found in boxes and luggage.
Bed bugs come out mainly when the day ends because they are nocturnal. If you spend your evenings relaxing on the couch or like to enjoy your morning coffee on the sofa, bed bugs can easily transfer from your bed to the couch. On top of that bed bugs can come back or be transferred if they are infesting something mobile like a backpack or purse, it is possible to accidentally move them to your sofa.
How Do I Treat My Couch For Bed Bugs?
If you think that you may have bed bugs in your couch, do a check around the cushions. Lift each section and inspect the corners for signs of these pests. If bed bugs are present, you’ll see thin black streaks, molted skins, small blood stains, or the bugs themselves.
While you could try to treat them yourself, you may find a DIY approach leads to spending a lot of money without completely eliminating the problem. Plus, the bugs can sometimes be difficult to identify for those without professional pest control experience.
What Are The Signs Of Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are small and tend to be good at hiding. Here are some of the signs you can look for that may indicate a bed bug problem:
- Rusty stains on your sheets: Even if their host is unaware of their presence, bed bugs don’t always get away unscathed. If you shift around in your sleep, you can crush a bed bug that has just fed, leaving a rust-colored stain on your sheet. If you see something that might be a bloodstain on your sheets, check to make sure you didn’t accidentally bleed on them from a cut that might be the cause. If you can’t find another explanation, start looking for other signs.
- Bites: This is many people’s first indication that something might be off, bed bugs prefer to feed off us when we sleep, thus bites can appear on skin that is exposed at night. In order to better understand the bites, you must keep in mind that everyone reacts differently. Most people tend to get small, flat, itchy, reddish welts, while others may react more severely. In extreme cases, some people can get large welts from bites, but this is rare. Most people don’t react at all.
- Eggs: Pregnant females lay 1-7 eggs per day. Eggs are about 1mm long, pearl white, and ovular. They resemble tiny grains of rice around the size of a pinhead. According to the EPA, they can be marked by an eye spot if more than five days old. Eggs are usually loosely stuck in crevices of fabric or wood, though they can really be anywhere. Females wander once pregnant, which can sometimes spread the infestation to neighboring apartments. Since they are so small, they are easy to miss. Still, a cluster of white ovals with eye spots stuck to the underside of your bed frame is a likely indication of a serious bed bug problem.
Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?
Most bed bug infestations originate from outside your home and are brought in by an unsuspecting person or pet. Travelling tends to increase the risk or run-ins with bed bugs.
Have A Bed Bug Problem? Contact Scott’s Turf And Pest Services For Help!
Has your home been invaded by ants? At Scott's Turf and Pest Services, our technicians are trained in the most effective bed bug control and removal methods to help you regain control of your home.