Your suspicions about bed bugs have led you here. You spotted a couple bed bugs in your sheets or furniture, and now you are not sure what to do next. You are asking yourself, “should I worry about a couple bed bugs?” The answer is always yes. Read on to find out why just a couple bed bugs are cause for greater concern.
Understanding the Bed Bug
To better understand why you should be worried about bed bugs let’s dive into the nitty gritty of bed bugs. There are three things about bed bugs you should know and why you must control them early on.
Bed bugs are small – This handy feature makes them great hiders. That’s good news for bed bugs and terrible news for you. Bed bugs can stowaway undetected, which leads to larger infestations. If you see one or two today, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a bunch more hiding.
Bed bugs can hide anywhere – You may have seen a couple bed bugs on your sheets, but there are places all over your house where they could be hiding. Don’t let the name fool you. Bed bugs don’t dwell only where you sleep. Bed bugs can hide in wallpaper, furniture, along the side of rugs, in cribs and toddler beds, in gym bags and backpacks, and in your luggage. So, when you leave with your bag on your arm, the bed bugs join you. You may unintentionally spread bed bugs to other places.
Bed bugs can live up to a year without feeding – You can’t starve out a bed bug. They can survive up to a year without feeding. Just when you think you have them under control, they show up again. This is concerning if your home is vacant for any length of time, you are staying in a hotel, or if you are pulling your luggage out of storage. Bed bugs may still be lurking after time has passed.
What to do When You See a Bed Bug
Even if it’s only one bed bug, you need to make the phone call right away. Schendel Pest Services has a bed bug solution that helps you identify bed bugs in your home, find out where they are hiding, and eliminate them with heat treatment. Not to mention that you can meet our incredible 4-legged bed bug inspection team. The sooner you call, even if you only see one or two, the easier it is to prevent a large-scale infestation and to stop bed bugs from spreading throughout your home. Call now to schedule a Schendel Pest Services inspection for bed bugs.
I Have Only Seen A Couple Bed Bugs. Should I Be Concerned? in Kansas, Missouri and Arizona
Serving Kansas, Missouri and Arizona
Wichita, KS | Lawrence, KS | Springfield, MO | Gilbert, AZ
Home » Blog » I Have Only Seen A Couple Bed Bugs. Should I Be Concerned?
Bed bugs can stowaway undetected, which leads to larger infestations
infestations
Terminology. In general, the term "infestation" refers to parasitic diseases caused by animals such as arthropods (i.e. mites, ticks, and lice) and worms, but excluding (except) conditions caused by protozoa, fungi, bacteria, and viruses, which are called infections.
. If you see one or two today, that doesn't mean there aren't a bunch more hiding. Bed bugs can hide anywhere – You may have seen a couple bed bugs on your sheets, but there are places all over your house where they could be hiding.
While spotting one or two bedbugs doesn't mean you have a bedbug infestation, it is more often than not a clear sign of an infestation. Therefore, you can't dismiss it. To be safe, you better conduct a thorough inspection or contact an exterminator to help out.
Should I Be Worried if I Found One Bed Bug? You're not going to like this, but unfortunately, the answer is yes. If you see any bed bugs in your hotel, home, or apartment – even if there are only one or two – the unit or building is virtually guaranteed to be infested.
In reality, bed bug bites can appear in any number—as a single bite, a small cluster, or a large cluster—depending on the number of bed bugs and the severity of the infestation.
Bedbugs aren't considered dangerous. There's no evidence they can spread disease to people. But their bites can be itchy and uncomfortable. If you scratch a bedbug bite enough to break the skin, it could lead to an infection.
Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed. Dark spots (about this size: ), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would. Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger.
Finding one bed bug in a home is not necessarily a sign that an infestation is present. If you found a single bed bug, killed it, and can't find another after a thorough search, wait for a few days. Bed bugs don't take time off; if there are more, they will show themselves. Be vigilant.
Bed bugs like to live in hidden areas around your bed where light doesn't reach them. That's why they most commonly live in the seams of your mattress and in crevices in the bed frame and headboard. It's rare that you'll see them crawling on the surface, especially during daylight hours.
You will rarely, if ever, find a single bed bug bite on your skin. Not only do bed bugs feed in groups, but each individual bed bug will feed more than once. Do your bites follow a path across your skin? Most of the time, a bed bug will bite, move forward, bite, move forward, and bite one more time.
You might be relieved to know that bed bugs don't actually target certain individuals in a home. These bugs aren't picky about who they bite, so you can bet that they're feeding on everyone in your home. Even though you may be the only person who seems to have bites.
Can you have bed bugs without seeing bugs? You can have bedbug bites even if you do not see the bedbugs or feel their bites. But you may be able to find signs of bedbug infestation. Bedbug bites can also look similar to other bug bites.
The presence of multiple adult bed bugs is a strong indicator of an established population. A single bed bug could have traveled on your clothing, but it could also indicate an undetected infestation. If you find just one or two bed bugs, you should inspect your home thoroughly for other signs of an infestation.
Can one bed bug cause an infestation? Well, if it's one male, there's no chance of an infestation. However, if it's an adult female, then the answer is yes - it could cause an infestation.
In practical terms, this means that a single mated female brought into a home can cause an infestation without having a male present, as long as she has access to regular blood meals. The female will eventually run out of sperm, and will have to mate again to fertilize her eggs.
The first clue suggesting that you may have a bed bug infestation is often the presence of itching bites. However, bites reactions are quite variable and may not be due to bed bugs at all. Be aware of the other signs that bed bugs leave behind: fecal spots, molted skins, and aggregations.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
