Bed bugs are parasites that are commonly found in sleeping areas of homes or hotels and can be easily transported in clothing or luggage. Typically, they feed off their human hosts during the night and then stay hidden around sleeping areas during the day. Bed bugs can be difficult to eradicate because they can hide anywhere in your home. They can be in closets, walls, clothes, stuffed animals, games, furniture, carpeting, and, of course, your mattress. Although they typically feed on blood every five to ten days, they can survive several months without feeding.  

Bed Bug Identification

• Size: 1/4 – 1/2 inch (about the size of an apple seed)
• Color: Bed bugs range in color from brown to red, depending on when they last fed.  Right after feeding, the bug is a bright red color which gradually fades to brown as it digests the human blood
• Appearance: Flat bodies and six legs

Signs of Bed Bug Infestation

Knowing what to look for is the first step in identifying and controlling bed bugs. They are experts at hiding. Their slim, flattened bodies make it possible for them to fit into tiny spaces, about the width of a credit card. Bed bugs are typically found hiding in mattress seams, pillow top tufts, and around buttons. Without treatment, the population can rapidly grow and move into cracks and crevices near the bed, like those found in the headboard and side tables. Under favorable conditions, immature bed bugs can fully develop in as little as one month and produce three or more generations per year. 

The best way to determine if you have bed bugs is, of course, by finding and identifying a live bug.  Other clues include:

• Telltale red, itchy bite marks on the face, neck, arms, hands, or any other body part while sleeping. However, these bite marks, in some people, can take as long as 14 days to develop and can easily be confused with mosquito or flea bites.
• Dark red blood stains on linens and pajamas.
• Dried feces that appear as small black or brown spots.
• The bed bugs' shed skins (exoskeletons) after molting.
• An unusual smell – a sweet and musty, yet offensive odor. The insects' scent glands on the lower side of the body emit this fluid, which attracts other bed bugs.

Our Bed Bug Guarantee

After a thorough inspection, our pest professionals will provide you with a customized assessment and individualized treatment plan. We can help you get rid of bed bugs regardless of your home's construction type, material, or age.

Bed bugs are introduced into an environment by humans rather than pressures from outside, like other insects, so no pest control company can guarantee that you will not have a re-infestation of bed bugs. We do, however, guarantee that we will eliminate your current infestation.

Bed bugs reproduce quickly, so it's important to begin treatment at the first sign of an infestation. Contact Truly Nolen of Daytona Beach today to schedule your free bed bug inspection.

Contact us today to schedule your complimentary bed bug inspection.