Bedbugs are not just fictitious creatures our parents warned us about when we were little. They can present a serious issue. Bedbugs are tiny, reddish-brown in color, and nocturnal. That means while you sleep the night away, they’re up and running around, looking for a good meal.
Since most of the pesticides which prevent bedbugs have adverse effects on humans, we don’t often make it a point to spray our beds with them. Learning how to tell if you have bedbugs is the key to knowing when you need to implement the typical prevention methods.
How To Tell If You Have Bedbugs:
Is your bed stained?
Bedbugs leave behind secretions, similar to human sweat, which may stain your sheets, headboard, and baseboard reddish-brown. These secretions can stain pretty much every part of your bed. The stains aren’t always large and noticeable, like spilling grape juice on the sheets. You should inspect the bed carefully to look for even miniscule reddish-brown stain spots.
Do you smell something abnormally sweet?
The same secretions which leave those reddish-brown stains also produce an odor that has become telltale for bedbugs. This odor is typically musty and sweet, comparable to over-ripened raspberries. Even the slightest smell can be a sign that you have bedbugs. If the smell is incredibly strong, that means you have a rather large infestation.
Have you noticed rashes on your body?
Although you can’t feel when a bedbug bites you because it anesthetizes the area like mosquitoes do, you can certainly feel the after-effects. The small rashes surrounding the bites look like hives, are red, and are very itchy. The itch can be alleviated with topical creams available over the counter, but the rashes themselves take a few days to heal.
Can You See Them?
Bedbugs are small and often hide when you are on the lookout for them during the day. Check the creases of your mattress. They often hide there. Spotting a bedbug puts the mystery to rest.
Where To Find Professional Help
If you used these tricks on how to tell if you have bedbugs and determined you do have an infestation, it’s time to get rid of them. Pest control specialists have this down to a science and can be a huge asset. To find one locally, visit TalkLocal and put in a request for service. We do all the work while you sit back and wait for help.
