You’re worried now that you’ve found a few bedbugs roaming around your home. Although it only two bedbugs, you’re concerned that it could be the beginning of a bigger problem. Are you dealing with a bigger infestation, or was it a minor hiccup? It may be one or two bedbugs, but it could be a bigger problem.
If you were a gambler, you would want to bet big on there being more bedbugs in your home. Bedbugs rarely travel alone, so there is a good high possibility that your home contains more bedbugs, and it could be a full-blown bedbug infestation. When you find bedbugs in your home, calling a professional is a good step. Respected pest control companies in Seattle have years of experience eliminating bedbugs.
When picking a bedbug exterminator in your city, get free quotes from several companies.
Risks Associated With A Few Bedbugs
Ultimately, you might have one or two bedbugs in your home, but it could be worse than that. Again, bedbugs rarely travel along. If you’ve found a few bedbugs, it could be a sign that you have a bigger infestation, but you don’t know it yet. Finding out as soon as possible is pertinent. If you can stop the bedbugs before they reproduce, you can avoid bigger problems. Bedbugs live with many other bedbugs.
It might be one bedbug, but it could be a female bedbug and she might be pregnant. During her lifetime, she can lay as many as 500 eggs. You’ve only spotted two or three bedbugs, but you cannot ignore the possibility that more bedbugs are lurking nearby. You also cannot ignore the fact that it might be a pregnant female bedbug. Male bedbugs have pointed abdomens, but females have round abdomens. Still, bedbugs are only 7mm, so you’ll have a hard time telling the difference.
Difficulty Of Finding Bedbugs
Once you’ve become concerned that your home has bedbugs, you’ll likely begin searching your home. The only problem is that spotting bedbugs in your home is not easy. You have to search far and wide to find out if you have a problem. Bedbugs can hide better than other pests because they know that their survival depends on it. They rarely come out during the day unless they know you’re sleeping. They can adapt to the occupant’s schedule to ensure they remain hidden.
Either way, they’re going to stay hidden until you decide to go to sleep. Your body will release CO2 and heat, so the bugs will know you’re sleeping. Then, they’ll come out and bite. Although you may develop a small mark, you may not. Even if you’ve been bit, you may not develop a mark or any symptoms.
Confirming It Is A Bedbug
Before hiring a professional, make sure you’re dealing with a bedbug infestation. To accomplish this, you need to know what bedbugs look like. Bedbugs rarely grow more than 8mm. They’re oval, brown, have six legs, and two small antennas. They’re very thin, so they’ll look like a credit card. Although it might be a bedbug, it could be a carpenter beetle, fleas, or cockroach nymph. If you’re not sure, call a professional exterminator.
Bedbug Infestation Signs
If you’re worried about bedbugs in your home, you should figure out how to identify a problem. You need to look for the common signs of a bedbug infestation.
- Stains – First and foremost, you need to check for bloodstains. Stains can be found on your sheets, mattress, and furniture. If the bugs are crushed, they’ll leave a small bloodstain.
- Skins And Exoskeletons – You’ll also want to check your home for bedbug skins and exoskeletons. These bugs will shed their skin at some point, and they’re not going to clean up the mess. Check your home for exoskeletons to confirm or deny a bedbug infestation.
- Eggs & Casings – Next, check your home for eggs and casings. Once baby bedbugs have hatched, they’ll leave egg casings. If you find them in your home, you have bedbugs.
- Feces – Bedbugs tend to leave feces around infested homes. If you’re worried that you have bedbugs in your home, look for bedbug feces. Experts agree that bedbug feces resembles small ink spots.
- Smell – Bedbugs will change the smell of your home. They release a moldy smell from their scent glands. That smell is musty and smells somewhat like soda.
- Bites – Finally, look at your arms, neck, and back for bite marks. When bitten, you may develop small, red welts.
Examining Your Home For Bedbugs
You may want to search your home thoroughly before hiring a professional. If you want to be certain, start searching your home in the bedroom, and pull your bed away from your walls. Check the area where the bed was touching the wall because bedbugs might be hiding there. You’ll also want to remove the sheets and pillowcases. Once you’ve checked these things, you can flip your mattress and check all folds and cracks. Bedbugs might be hiding in your bed frame too. You’ll need to carefully check the bed frame because bedbugs tend to blend in with them.
Once you’ve finished checking the bed, bedclothes, and box springs, you need to look at your baseboards, rugs, carpets, and furniture. Don’t forget to check the nearby electric outlets. Bedbugs will hide anywhere, so you’ll need to spend a few hours looking for bedbugs in your home.
Calling A Pro
Unfortunately, you have a bedbug infestation, and you’ll want to tackle the problem swiftly. Although you could try fixing the problem on your own, it wouldn’t be a good idea. You’ll want to call a professional exterminator because they’ll offer cost-effective, reliable solutions. However, you shouldn’t rush your decision since some bedbug exterminators are better than others.
When searching for an exterminator, obtain quotes from several companies in your city. Evaluate each of these companies until you find the one that will serve you best.
Common Bedbug Questions
Is It Only One Bedbug?
You may believe that you only have one bedbug in your home. Although it could be possible, it is highly unlikely. The problem is that bedbugs live in large groups and female bedbugs can reproduce rapidly. Don’t overlook the issue because you likely have a bigger problem to worry about.
What Should I Do After Finding A Bedbug In My Home?
Once you’ve found bedbugs in your home, calling a professional exterminator is best. Whether you’ve found one, two, or three bedbugs, call a pro to fix the problem immediately.
How Many Bedbugs Make An Infestation?
There is no set number. An infestation might be 20, 100, or 500 bedbugs.
