Bed Bug Control | Signature Pest Control

I THINK I HAVE BED BUGS. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Most important, don’t panic! We can get rid of your bed bugs, and in most cases it is not necessary to throw away any of your furniture or valuables. Don’t start spraying things, and don’t start hauling your beds and furniture outside. (Bug sprays are usually repellent, and can scatter bugs throughout your home.)

First, let’s try to determine whether you actually have bed bugs or not. A good flashlight will be helpful in your inspection. You may also call us to schedule a professional, no-obligation inspection.

Have you seen a bug? If possible, capture it in a sealable plastic bag or use clear tape to secure it to a piece of paper. Even if it has been smashed, keep it; our trained technicians may be able to make a positive identification. If possible, take a picture of it and email it to us. We’ll do our best to tell you what you’re dealing with.

WHAT DO BED BUGS LOOK LIKE?

Adult bed bugs are about the same size and color as an apple seed… 3/16” to 1/4” long, slightly oval, and dark brown in color. After they have fed, they plump up and become elongated. Between feedings they become very flat. As a result, they can crawl into very small cracks and crevices. If you can slide a piece of paper into a crack, a bed bug can hide there!

Eggs are small (less than 1/16” long), white, and shaped like tiny rice. Once a female bed bug has been fertilized, she can lay eggs for a month. If she has access to a host (in other words, if she can find someone to bite), she can lay 1-7 eggs each day. She may place these anywhere, but they are often found in seams or other spaces on beds, couches, recliners, and so on.

Nymphs are very small (about 1/16” long) and yellowish white when they first hatch. As they feed, they turn bright red, and over time they take on the characteristic dark reddish-brown color.

An adult bed bug; eggs and exoskeletons (read below)
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An adult bed bug inside a nightstand. Notice the fecal spotting (small black dots) below the screw hole.
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An exoskeleton and fecal spotting on the under side of a table.
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HAVE YOU SEEN EVIDENCE OF BED BUGS?

If bed bugs are living in your home, you may find evidence of their presence before you ever see a bug. Bed bug evidence may include the following:

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WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I FIND BUGS OR EVIDENCE IN MY HOME?

If you find just one or two bugs, either capture them or get a good photo of them. It is possible that this is the only evidence you may find. Then, use a vacuum to remove any bugs, eggs and exoskeletons you can find. Document this information so you can share it with us. Resist the urge to take your furniture outside or throw it away. In the vast majority of cases, we can eliminate the bugs and save your furniture.

Bring a plastic trash bag to the infested furniture. Carefully place sheets, blankets, bed skirts and any other washable items that have been on the furniture into the bag. Launder these items, making sure to dry them on High for at least thirty minutes. (Clean items can skip the washing machine and go straight into the dryer.)

Using a flashlight, carefully inspect seams, creases and folds of upholstery, as well as crevices in wood and metal elements of furniture. Screw holes are common places for bed bugs to hide.

Call us! Our trained technicians have spent thousands of hours inspecting homes like yours, and can help you decide how to proceed.

DO I REALLY NEED PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT?

Experts agree that professional treatment is best. (Check out what the EPA says about that.) However, a quick internet search for bed bug treatment will tell you that it can be expensive.