Dark and dingy hotel rooms. The prime breeding ground for bed bugs. Why did you pick this hotel? Read the reviews. Because now you could have hitchhiking bed bugs on your luggage or clothes. They’ll come back with you and start reproducing in your home. Giving your bedroom the same uneasy feeling as the infested hotel room.

What are bed bugs?

Spotting bed bugs can be difficult. They’re nocturnal. They’re small. Most evidence of bed bugs can be found in sheets or on mattresses. When sleeping people will squash bed bugs making blood stains on the sheets. Living bed bugs leave dark brown or black spots of dried excrement after feeding. Also, they release a subtle sweet and musty odour.

Bed bugs mainly feast on blood. After a meal they will appear to be dark red. Bed bugs are small and flat with oval shaped bodies. They have six legs and two antennae. Bed bugs don’t fly. They have golden coloured body hair creating stripes on their body. Adult bed bugs are approximately 5 to 6 mm long. After feeding they can swell up to 10mm and get fatter. Females can lay hundreds of eggs each about the size of a speck of dust. Nymphs are about 1 to 4 mm long and appear white in colour until they feed. The light colour makes them camouflage with mattresses and carpets.

Where bed bugs are found.

Their name suggest it all. Mainly bed bugs are found on mattresses or in sheets. But, they’re not limited to your sleeping quarters. They can travel to nearby fabrics and carpets. Sofa seams are another common area bed bugs are found. Bed bugs can enter your home undetected. They cling onto luggage and clothing. Their small flat bodies give them the capabilities to sneak under cracks the width of a credit card. Other common hiding spots are picture frames, box springs and head boards. Pretty much anywhere they can easily chomp on people at night.

Signs of bed bug infestation.

• • • Used beds are common places for bed bug encounters.
    • Blood stains on your sheets after bed bugs have bitten you.
    • Dark or rusty spots of bed bug excrement on sheets, mattresses, bed, clothes and walls.
    • Fecal spots.
    • Egg shells or nymphal skins.
    • An offensive musty odour secreting from the bug’s scent glands.
    • Bed bug sighting. Maybe difficult, but it’s possible. Check mattress seams.
    • Waking up with itchy bites and marks you didn’t have before.

What to do if you suspect infestation.

If you discover any of the signs of bed bug infestation make sure to immediately remove any fabric from the area. Remove all bedding and put them in the laundry machine. Be diligent in scanning the area for other signs. Wash all clothing that might be infested. Keep track of when and where you have seen signs of bed bugs. Place luggage in black garbage bags for a few days. Most likely bed bugs have hitched on zippers of suitcases. To prevent this put your luggage in the bathroom of your hotel room. Bed bugs are unlikely to be living on tile or hard surfaces. Inspect the bed and surrounding area. Infestation can get out of control. Bed bugs will multiply and the problem will get worse. At the earliest discovery contact a professional pest removal service.

Port Elgin bed bug removal.

One of the first signs of bed bugs is waking up with small red bites on your skin. If you discover this make sure to inspect your bed. Any other signs of bed bugs contact Truly Nolen Pest Control.