Bed Bug Identification & Prevention

Bed bugs are small insects whose sole source of nutrition comes from human blood and, if need be, the blood of other animals like cats, dogs, and birds.

Bed bugs have short antennae, specialized mouthparts for biting through the skin of their hosts and feeding on their blood, and a lack of wings. Before feeding, bed bugs are a flat oval shape like an apple seed. After feeding, their body swells and becomes more cigar or capsule-like in shape and a darker reddish-purple color.

These blood-feeding pests regularly find their way into our homes and businesses because that is where they have the easiest access to their preferred hosts — people. If you are ever concerned that bed bugs have found their way into your house, immediately seek professional bed bug control.

When bed bugs find a way into your home, their presence can cause big problems:

• Bed bug bites cause red itchy rashes around bite sites.
• Scratching at the bites can trigger secondary infections.
• The thought of bed bugs in your house can cause interrupted, restless sleep.
• Bed bugs can stain mattresses, bedding, walls, and other surfaces with excrement or blood.

Because people are the bed bug's preferred food source, these insects crawl to areas where we spend our time. Bed bugs can find their way into any of our Austin homes; their primary mode of transportation is hitchhiking. They move from place to place on people or within our belongings. Primarily active at night, bed bugs bite us and feed on our blood as we sleep.

Since bed bugs are active when we aren't, it can prolong the discovery of an infestation in our homes. The longer bed bugs are in your house without your knowledge, the bigger the infestation can become. Scheduling regular bed bug inspections for your home will help you identify and remove these pests from your house as quickly as possible.

In order to identify a bed bug infestation as quickly as possible, it is essential to know where you are most likely to run into them. Hospitals, schools, airports, and hotels are a few of the most likely places to run into bed bugs.

Bed bugs are efficient hitchhikers that climb onto people or into things like bags or luggage and move wherever we take them, including into our homes. These pests are also regularly introduced into Texas homes in secondhand items like electronics, furniture, mattresses, and bedding.

The job of getting rid of bed bugs from any home is always best left up to a professional. For the best pest control in Austin, reach out to us at Aries Pest Control. Our experienced team of experts will work with you to provide a comprehensive solution to your bed bug problem. We will ensure your home is free of biting bed bugs by completing a thorough inspection and using industry-leading treatments. For more information about local pest control for bed bugs, call today!

While preventing bed bugs is a difficult task, there are some things you can do to help avoid accidentally introducing them into your home.

• Do your best to keep personal things off the ground in public places.
• Before bringing luggage into your hotel room, inspect it for bed bugs and immediately alert hotel staff if you notice bed bugs or signs of bed bugs.
• After traveling, wash and dry your clothing.
• Always inspect secondhand items for hitchhiking bed bugs before bringing them into your home.

The best answer to the question "how to prevent problems with bed bugs" is to partner with a professional. Implementing regular pest control services is the best way to discover a bed bug infestation before it takes over your Austin home.