When we are most vulnerable, that’s when bed bugs come out to feed. When we’re asleep, they can come out of their hiding places and feed on our blood. These insects commonly hide in mattress seams around your bed and inside cracks and crevices in couches and other furniture. They like to stay close to people because humans are a preferred host.

If you think you’re having a problem with them, a good Tulsa Exterminator will be able to help you with bed bugs. But let’s take a good hard look at bed bugs and see what we can do to keep them out of our homes.

Bed bugs often find their way into homes by hitchhiking on clothing, bags, luggage, furniture, and other belongings. It’s really hard to determine exactly where an infestation starts because they can come from many different places. Public places can sometimes provide opportunities for bed bugs to be moved from one location to another, although they do not normally live on people the way fleas or lice do. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains where bed bugs hide and the signs homeowners can look for during an inspection.

Once they’re there, you may find small reddish or dark spots on sheets and pillowcases. These can be one sign of an infestation. If you inspect the mattress seams and find live insects, eggs, or shed skins, that can provide additional evidence that bed bugs are present.

Adult bed bugs are roughly the size of an apple seed and are reddish-brown in color. Their eggs are much smaller than a grain of rice, are pearly white, and can be difficult to see without a careful inspection. Young bed bugs pass through five immature stages, shedding their skins as they grow. University of Minnesota Extension provides information on bed bug identification, life stages, hiding places, and control.

If you’re seeing any of these signs, it’s time to get in contact with a good Tulsa Exterminator so that you can eliminate them. While you might find over-the-counter solutions at your local hardware store, bed bugs can be difficult to eliminate with do-it-yourself treatments alone. Bed bug populations have developed resistance to some commonly used insecticides, and successful control may require multiple methods and careful treatment of their hiding places.

Using the right treatment methods is important, and a Tulsa Exterminator can inspect the property and determine the appropriate approach. Keeping them away starts with making sure the existing infestation has actually been eliminated.

So if you think you’re having a problem with bed bugs, it’s time to call a Tulsa Exterminator. Get them out as soon as you can because the longer you wait, the more opportunity the infestation has to grow and the harder it may become to eliminate. TermMax Pest Control can help you if you’ve got a problem with these insects. Call us today.