three bed bugs on a bed Sleepless nights are an all-too-common plague on humanity with a multitude of culprits to cause them. Trying to get a good night's rest during an undiscovered bed bug infestation, though, is a nearly impossible feat altogether. Sleep-deprived homeowners from all over the country are often shocked to discover their lack of restful sleep is attributed to the strange welts that materialize overnight. They may not be dangerous to your health, but there are other reasons don't want bed bugs infiltrating your Central New York home.

How To Identify A Bed Bug Infestation In Your Central New York Home

Bed bugs are small, brown, wingless, oval-shaped insects that are rarely spotted during daylight hours. They can grow up to ¼ of an inch long and are often mistaken for apple seeds or miscellaneous debris. While a good indicator of an infestation is a lack of restful sleep, there are many other ways to identify the presence of bed bugs in your Central New York home:

Patterned bite marks, often straight rows or zig-zag lines
Reddish-brown stains on linen, mattress, clothing, and furniture
Remnants of shed skin, eggs, and egg casings, and brown particles between the seams of mattresses and furniture
Discovery of live or dead bugs within common dwelling areas

Bed bugs are often found in small, tight crevices. Hotspots for infestations are within the seams of bedding and furniture, cracks between the wall and carpeting, underneath wallpaper, under rugs, between baseboards and wall sockets, and if an infestation is bad enough they can even be spotted clinging to curtains. Sitting down or brushing up against anything infested for even a moment could lead to an eventual bed bug infestation in your own Central New York home.

Since they don't transmit any diseases to their unsuspecting hosts, bed bugs aren't classified as a dangerous pest. Even so, with their innate tendency towards midnight snacking and the itchy welts, they leave behind, the damage they cause is mostly psychological, give or take the occasional infected bug bite from too much scratching. While the bites themselves are relatively harmless, it never hurts to get them checked by a healthcare professional.

How Could Bed Bugs Infest My Central New York Home?

Most people assume that bed bugs are a sign of a poorly cleaned home, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Aptly named “nature's hitchhikers,” these critters can and will infest anyone's home. They're often brought home on luggage, purses, clothing, and even pets that are exposed to an infected area. These areas are usually where a multitude of hosts can be found, such as hotels, airports, bus stations, shopping centers, and even public schools.

While these are the most common areas to find them, people have also been known to snag a bed bug from second-hand stores, used furniture on the side of the road, or even just by visiting a friend's home who's unaware of an existing infestation. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent them from invading your home:

Thoroughly inspect hotel rooms before getting settled in
Avoid taking home roadside furniture, and inspect all furniture and clothing at secondhand stores before purchasing
Keep luggage and purses off of the ground and floors if possible
Vacuum carpets and floorboards often
Thoroughly wash clothes and dry on high heat after vacations; bed bugs are susceptible to extreme heat
Reduce the clutter in your home to minimize hiding spots

DIY Extermination Versus Professional Pest Control

There may be plenty of pests you could utilize your at-home pest control skills on, but bed bugs aren't among them. These pests are resilient, expert hiders, and incredibly difficult to eradicate. The necessary products and equipment alone would cost over one thousand dollars to purchase, and that's not including the amount of time and energy you'd have to invest in cleaning, treatment, quarantining infested furniture, and re-treatment. This bug is best left to the professionals.

When it comes to outstanding pest control, Pestmaster® Services has you covered. With free inspections, eco-friendly pest control products, and a certified entomologist among our ranks, we're more than confident in our ability to resolve all of your pest control problems. We not only make sure your current pest problems are resolved, but we also take steps to ensure your home stays safe and protected even after treatment. Get in contact with us today so that you can rest easy tomorrow.