What is a Bed Bug?
Bed bugs get their name from one thing: they love hiding in beds. And when we’re fast asleep? That’s when they come out to feed.
They only eat blood — no other food. To live, grow, and multiply, Edmonton bed Bugs need regular blood meals. Skip a few? They’ll start to struggle.
Sure, humans are their favourite snack. But they’re not picky. Birds, pets, even other warm-blooded animals will do. In fact, they’ve been known to bite all kinds of creatures.
And where do they show up? Everywhere people go. Hotels, shops, homes, schools, offices, buses — you name it. They travel easily, often unnoticed, just waiting for their next meal.
Here’s the thing about Edmonton bed bugs: they’re expert travellers. They hitch rides on our belongings without us knowing. That’s how they end up in new places, sometimes really far away from where they started.
They latch onto suitcases, clothes, and linens and can end up wherever you go. This is why bed bugs spread so easily. It’s often difficult to identify bed bug bites, and they can easily be misdiagnosed as a different pest, making early infestations difficult to detect and allowing their colonies to grow.
How to Identify Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are oval-shaped and only grow to about the size of an apple seed.
Before feeding, they are brownish-red and flat. After feeding, bed bugs become redder in colour, swollen, and elongated.
Bed bugs have 6 legs and 2 antennae. Despite their appearance, bed bugs do not have wings and cannot fly.
Adult bed bugs are more visible to the naked eye and can be detected by sight, especially within lighter coloured mattress seams and box springs. Bed bug nymphs can be harder to identify, as they are much smaller in size and paler in colour.
Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation
Spotting bed bugs early is your best defence. Here’s what to look for:
- Dark spots on your bed: These are bed bug droppings. They’re small and reddish-brown. Check your mattress, pillows, and walls. If you see them, chances are the infestation is already growing.
- Itchy bites on your skin: Red, swollen bumps are a classic sign. They might start small, but they usually swell up and get really itchy.
- The timing trick: Here’s the frustrating part: bites can take 2 to 3 days to show up. This gives bed bugs plenty of time to multiply before you even realize they’re there.
- Don’t rely on bites alone: Just because you have bites doesn’t always mean you have bed bugs. You need more evidence to be sure.
- Shed skins: Bed bugs leave behind empty shells that look whitish or translucent. Check the seams of your mattress and furniture.
- Tiny white eggs: Look for small white eggs in cracks and crevices. They’re easy to miss but visible if you search carefully.
- The bugs themselves: Sometimes you’ll spot the actual bugs, especially at night when they’re most active. They’re about the size of an apple seed.
Bed Bug Prevention
Bed bug prevention is a lot easier than controlling an existing infestation. Depending on the severity of an infestation and the type of treatment used by a pest control professional, it can take several treatments to control bed bugs completely. Fortunately, there are several things that one can do to prevent bed bugs from spreading in the home.
Using caution is the key to bed bug prevention. When out in public – whether at a hotel,
store, movie theatre, or workplace – it is important to be wary of all surroundings.
As we’ve become more aware of the bed bug presence, focus on bed bug control has also
grown.
Many Canadians are modifying their behaviours to reduce their risk of an infestation.
This can be checking luggage and hotel rooms, second-hand furniture, and self-treating their
laundry out of the assumption of bedbug presence.
Regular to quarterly bed bug inspections by a pest control professional are the best method of prevention to avoid bed bug infestations.
If you believe there is an infestation in your home, there are a few steps you can take to
reduce or prevent bed bug bites. First, you should regularly wash your bed sheets and pillow
cases using high heat. Any bed bugs that are in your bedding will be killed in the washer and
dryer.
Being careful when transporting the bedding to the washing machine is important. As
you don’t want to end up accidentally spreading bed bugs throughout the home. The best
way to prevent bites is by contacting an exterminator to help eliminate the threat of bed
bugs.
If you already have an infestation, it’s important to try to prevent bed bugs from spreading
in your home and to others. There are multiple methods for this. First, carefully check all creases and zippers within your purse, backpack, briefcase, etc.
Before leaving the house. You’ll also want to vacuum and clean these bags thoroughly to make sure bed bugs have not found their way inside.
As for your clothes, place them in the dryer, drying on high heat for about 20-30 minutes before wearing them. While you must be proactive in order to prevent bed bugs from spreading, we highly recommend finding an exterminator to help eliminate and prevent bed bugs.
How Do You Get Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs have been feeding on humans for thousands of years and continue to be one of
the top pests plaguing homes, hotels, hospitals, tourism, and even public transportation. Due
to their ability to sneak into belongings and travel long distances, bed bugs are excellent
hitchhikers.
To make matters worse, bed bugs will readily infest any type of indoor environment, just as long as there is a readily available blood meal, human, mammal, or other avian species. Once inside a new environment, they can infest many places beyond the bed, such as couches and chairs, inside picture frames, and even behind electrical panels.
One of the most common places where people may first encounter bed bugs is in a hotel
room. Travellers should inspect the place they’re staying for bed bugs as soon as they arrive
and alert the staff as soon as possible.
Another common way people bring home bed bugs is by purchasing second-hand furniture
that may already be infested. Be sure always to inspect used couches, mattresses, or box
springs and other soft goods thoroughly before bringing them inside.
What to do if you get Bed Bugs
The two ways usually used to get rid of bed bugs are heat and chemicals/steam
If an infestation occurs, call Major Pest Control immediately for assistance. Bed bugs can
breed and multiply quickly. So the earlier you can control an infestation, the better. Bed bugs
are extremely elusive creatures, so professional help should be sought out when dealing with
an infestation. We are available at any time, 24/7, when you need us.