About Arizona Bed Bugs

Guide to Bed Bugs in Arizona

‘Don’t let the bed bugs bite’ – this has been a phrase used all around the world for generations. However, what are bed bugs? What species do we have in Arizona? And how do you deal with a bed bug infestation? We’ve got all the answers today! If you have seen signs of a bed bug infestation in your home, don’t hesitate to call us immediately for bed bug treatment and removal services in the Phoenix-Metro area. Bed bugs can go unnoticed for a very long time, so if you have just begun to see signs of them present in your home, chances are that there are more hiding in your mattress and/or other areas of the home. If you live in an apartment, you may want to contact management. You can also learn more about avoiding bed bugs in your Phoenix apartment if management is slow to respond.

What Are Bed Bugs?

As small insects, bed bugs can generally reach the size of an apple seed and are problematic all year in Arizona. Despite popular belief, they don’t fly but their bodies do change appearance; they can turn from a brown to a red. Why is this the case? Well, they feed on the blood of both animals and humans. Bed bugs are commonly transported from public dwelling spaces like hotels and motels and then unknowingly transferred to the home in luggage and clothing that have been infested during the stay. They can also become more active during monsoon season here in Arizona. It’s highly recommended that anyone traveling and staying in hotels or motels regularly should inspect the room prior to settling in. If bed bugs are present, notify the front desk immediately and request to be transferred to another room. Do not transfer to an adjoining room. You can take extra precautionary measures by keeping your luggage off of the floor, instead, you should keep your luggage and personal belongings off of the ground, on dressers or table tops. This won’t guarantee that you won’t transfer bed bugs, but it’s less likely that they infest your luggage on countertops. If you would like to learn more preventative tips, here are 7 steps to avoid bringing bed bugs home.

Download This PDF To Learn About Bed Bug Biology: Bed Bug Biology

What Types of Bed Bugs Live in Arizona?

With around 90 species of bed bugs in the world, it’s thought that as few as 15 can be found in the United States. Above all else, it’s the common bed bug and the tropical bed bug that cause the most issues in Arizona. Bed bug treatments for both species can be an intense process and may include the disposal of personal property like bed mattresses if the infestations have damaged property. Some cases of bed bug infestations in Phoenix hotels have been so severe that entire floors have needed to be treated for bed bugs. These bugs cause massive damage to property and can be a health risk to individuals that are sensitive to bites and the allergies they may cause.

How Do Bed Bugs Feed?

As mentioned previously, Phoenix bed bugs feed on blood and this isn’t a choice; they need blood to complete their life cycle. Although they can feed on your pets, they’re more likely to choose humans if given the choice. Typically, they’ll choose to feed at night time (because there’s less chance of them being disturbed!). Bed bugs will make themselves at home in the creases of a mattress, and even burrow into the mattress if there are tears or openings. There are things to look for when identifying bed bug bites, so if you think they are feeding on you, make sure you know what to look for.

On average, bed bugs tend to feed once each week but this can differ for reproducing. Interestingly, they don’t stray too far from their nest which means that if your siblings, children, or parents are also being bitten, this is likely to be a different set of bed bugs. Unfortunately, as long as the conditions are right, they can survive for five months without feeding. We should note that bed bug nymphs are more reliant on feeding so won’t survive quite so long. There are always new technologies being developed to deal with bed bugs, learning more about how they live and how they feed will help prepare you to treat the problem more efficiently.

Download This PDF To Learn More Interesting Facts About Bed Bugs: BSU EHS Bed Bug Facts

Where Do Bed Bugs Live?

Although flexible, the most likely location for bed bugs in your home will be in and around the mattress, the headboard, and in the furniture. However, that’s not to say you won’t find them in clocks, behind wallpaper, or between the floorboards. Learn preventative maintenance to avoid bed bugs. Bed bugs have also been found underneath carpeting, behind baseboards, and in the drawers of nightstands. With extreme bed bug infestations, bed bugs will become noticeable crawling on the walls in and around the bed. There are also going to be cases where they are transferred to couches and furniture outside of the bedroom, in these cases they can survive in dens, living rooms, and other high traffic locations where they can find shelter and feed. Here are some more interesting facts about bed bugs.

Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation

An infestation of bed bugs can cause real problems including infection from scratches, sleep troubles, allergic reactions, and general stress. Bed bugs can even transmit disease. Therefore, we highly recommend checking your home for infestations and, after spotting the signs, dealing with it as quickly as possible. There are plenty of ways to prevent bed bugs and plenty of ways to deal with them. If you are the DIY type, then handling your infestation yourself by setting bed bug traps, but we highly recommend that you learn more about the various treatment options to ensure that you treat your property thoroughly. There are effective options like heat treatment for bed bugs, you just need to know how to apply it effectively so that it works. As effective as some bombing agents may be for treating your home, there are definitely bed bug bombs to avoid.

Dealing with the infestation signs first, you might notice blood stains on your bed sheets/pillowcases, egg shells, shed skins, fecal spots, or you could smell their musky scent. If you spot any of these signs, carry out a thorough check because it’s always better to be safe than sorry. If it turns out to be nothing, you can breathe a sigh of relief. If you think that you may have found signs of an infestation, but aren’t entirely sure, you can contact a bed bug specialist to investigate the findings and identify if they are bed bugs or not. Some people dismiss the obvious signs because they haven’t traveled recently, but you can still get bed bugs even if you are not traveling. What if it is an infestation?

Dealing with a Bed Bug Infestation

Here are some tips for dealing with bed bugs. Although there are many horror stories of people dealing with bed bug infestations, it can be achieved if you deal with the problem methodically. After first cleaning all bedding and soaking curtains, linens, and other materials, place anything that can’t be washed in the dryer. From here, scrub the mattress and vacuum the surrounding area (always empty vacuum bags early so the problem doesn’t return again any time soon!). If the problem extends to cracks in the floorboards or plaster, be sure to address these issues. Bed bug control can be a very involved process as a thorough investigation and treatment of the room will be required to eliminate the problem.  For those living in public housing, you may benefit from understanding Arizona laws surrounding bed bugs.

If the problem is severe in a number of rooms, we recommend contacting a professional service because they’ll not only deal with the issue but also make sure it doesn’t happen again! Just be cautious of bed bug scam artists out there! With access to so much information online, it should be easy for you to access reviews and business pages to make sure that the pest control company you are hiring for bed bug removal is certified and professional.

Download This Bed Bug Starter Guide To Learn More: Bed Bug Control Starter Guide

Bed Bug Removal Services Provided In The Following Areas:

• Phoenix
• Scottsdale
• Mesa
• Tempe
• Chandler
• Ahwatukee
• Gilbert
• Glendale
• Peoria
• Surprise

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