When you see a bug or pest in your Auburn or Opelika home, your first reaction may be to dispose of them and try to forget that they were ever in your house in the first place. When plagued with a bed bug infestation, however, this likely will not solve your problem. 

Bed bugs very rarely travel on their own, and ignoring a bed bug sighting could give the infestation free reign to exponentially grow. 

Pest World reveals that bed bugs may be easily confused with other pests, as 84 percent of pest control professionals were initially contacted about a different type of pest before identifying them as bed bugs.

As a company that has been effectively exterminating bed bugs for decades, S&S Pest Control has a few tips for fighting bed bugs:

Checking for Bed Bugs

Though bed bugs are only about 5 millimeters across, they can cause a lot of damage to your family and home. So if you spot one, ensure that you immediately inspect your home.

Most bed bug infestations begin with just a few hitchhikers. They may latch on to your clothes in an infested hotel room or ride in on the shoes of a guest. No matter how they get there, once bed bugs make it into your home, they immediately start making it their own. 

Soon after bed bugs arrive, you and your family members will quickly become dinner to these pests. Bed bugs feed on blood, and while you may rarely feel them biting you, they cause a multitude of red itchy spots to form all over your skin after sucking your blood. 

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Deep Clean All Bedding and Other Infected Items

Check your bedding, mattresses, clothes, and rugs carefully for signs of the bugs or their excrement. Over time bed bugs may scatter throughout your bedroom, so make sure to check any potential crevice where bed bugs may lay eggs.   

Once bed bugs are fully grown, they have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. However, after feeding, their bodies swell and become a reddish color.

Once removed, clean bedding, linens, and clothing in hot water and dry them on the highest dryer setting.

Remove Any Clutter From Around or Under Furniture

While deep cleaning bedding and clothing can stop the majority of a bed bug infestation, don’t neglect to check any items under or around your home furniture–especially bedding. These have the potential to be the perfect spots for bed bugs to hide and re-infest your home. 

Vacuum Your Bed and Surrounding Area Frequently

Vacuums can be helpful in reducing the numbers of bed bugs in certain locations, especially where there are large clusters. Doing this frequently can also stop many eggs from hatching – just make sure to use a sealable bag to keep any bed bugs from getting out. 

Call Professional Bed Bug Exterminators

While cleaning up infested areas will be helpful in controlling bedbugs, getting rid of them completely usually requires professional treatment. Ultimately, it is safest and most effective to hire an experienced pest control professional for bed bug extermination. 

S&S Pest Control provides fast, safe, and environmentally friendly services to remove bed bugs from your Auburn or Opelika home. Our services can save you and your family time, money, and headache. Contact us today for bed bug extermination!

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