“Good night, sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite!” How often have we said that to our children? However, bed bugs are more than just a cute saying for our kids. They’re a nuisance best dealt with by calling a Salem pest control company at the first sign of bed bugs.

Bed Bug Bites Are Usually The First Sign Of A Problem

Bed bug bites are small, red, swollen welts, usually in a straight line or a tight grouping of three or four. They typically don’t show up until three days after you’re actually bitten, making it difficult to detect an infestation.

Not everyone responds to these bites in the same way. About 30% of the population isn’t allergic to bed bug saliva, so you may have bed bugs in your home without getting these red, swollen spots.

A few people may be extra-sensitive to the bed bug bites, having trouble breathing, and going into anaphylactic shock. This type of allergy requires immediate medical assistance.

The majority of people will have a similar response to a mosquito or black fly bite.

A Bed Bug Infestation Will Only Get Worse With Time

To handle a bed bug infestation in Salem, you need to know how to find bed bugs. They’re only ¼ inch long and very flat, and experts at hiding in hard-to-access cracks and crevices. For example, bed bugs can hide in the seams of your mattress, gaps in your flooring, behind electrical outlets, inside picture frames, or any other tiny space inside your home.

The most obvious place to look for bed bugs is on and around your bed. Bed bug colonies will expand quickly since females can lay one to five eggs a day and over 540 in their lifetime. Even when you have an advanced infestation, catching these pests in the act can be difficult. You may be more likely to spot other signs of their presence.

You may see brown or black stains on your mattress, box spring, headboard, and wall, where the bed bugs have defecated. You may also see small, pearly white eggs, exoskeletons from where the bed bugs have molted as they’ve grown, or the bed bugs themselves. Bed bugs are about ¼ inch long, reddish-brown, apple seed shaped, and extremely flat before they’ve eaten.

If you find any signs of a bed bug infestation, you should call a professional for bed bug control in Salem. These infestations only get worse the longer you wait.

All The Ways Bed Bugs Sneak Their Way Into Our Homes

How do you get bed bugs? Bed bugs are the ultimate hitchhikers, and they congregate in the same places people do: churches, schools, libraries, retail stores, daycare centers, public transportation, motels, hotels, and office buildings.

Bed bugs don’t jump or fly, so they have to be sneaky. If you’re wondering, “where do bed bugs hide?” you’re not alone. They hide on your shoes, socks, pants, skirts, purses, briefcases, and luggage to travel with you back to your home, where they can set up shop.

Once they’re in your home, bed bugs hide everywhere. In your mattress, on your clothes, on your furniture, inside your electrical outlets, behind your light switch plates, and in your walls. They’re extremely resourceful since they’ve been around humans for over 3,300 years!

The Most Effective Bed Bug Control Solution For Your Home

To put it simply, the most effective bed bug control for your Salem home is professional pest control to kill bed bugs. Trying to do it yourself is going to cost you more time, money, energy, and stress than it’s worth. Besides all that, you may never find all the places where bed bugs are hiding to get rid of the entire bed bug infestation.

The pest professionals at Kanga Pest Control are trained to find all the places bed bugs are hiding in your home and to eradicate them quickly. Let us help you free your home from the infestation that’s been bugging you. Call today for a free estimate and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Salem.