There is one word to describe how bed bugs manage to get into your home: hitchhiking. This is the reason hotels and motels are infamous for bed bug infestations – luggage is the perfect place for a bed bug to hide. If you think that bed bugs can only be found in hotels and motels, think again. Bed bugs have been found in restaurants, movie theaters, schools, office buildings, hospitals, army barracks, and even public transportation. That’s right, next time you are riding the L into work, you might want to be on the lookout for bed bugs. Bed bugs can live anywhere there is a food source and you are on their menu.

If any of these places you visit have an infestation of bed bugs, you risk bringing them home with you. Bed bugs are photophobic, which means they hate being in the light. If bed bugs can find a nice dark place, they will climb inside and hide. When your kids go to school their backpacks are at risk, and when you go to the office your briefcase, computer bag or purse is at risk. Even when you go on vacation and stay in a hotel or at your friend’s house, your luggage is a prime target. But before you decide to never carry a bag, backpack, luggage, purse or briefcase, you should know that bed bugs will even hitchhike on your clothing. If you sit down to order food at a restaurant, or sit back to watch a movie in a theater, bed bug can easily grab onto your clothes and take a ride home with you.

Bed bugs love to hide. An adult bed bug is about the size of an apple seed, only flat. Imagine all of the places in your room where you could hide an apple seed – that’s how many locations a bed bug could hide. At Pointe Pest Control, our technicians have found bed bugs on box springs, behind pictures, inside of electrical outlets, inside heat vents, inside of nightstands, and behind wall paper. If you ever find a bed bug wandering around in the middle of the day, you probably already have a massive infestation.

In order to catch a bed bug infestation before it gets big, you need to become a detective. You need to become familiar with the secret life of bed bugs. The very first clue if often getting bit. Remember though, bed bug bites look very similar to those from mosquitoes, fleas, and other insects. Just because you have bites does not mean bed bugs. Bed bug bites appear as little itchy red welts and are sometimes arranged in lines. This is because bed bugs are lazy and will bite you, move up a bit and bite you again and then again. They also tend to target exposed skin, so if you wear pajamas, they will target your face, arms and any other exposed areas.

Bed bugs are like little anesthesiologists. You will never feel a bed bug bite because their little needle like mouth is coated in a numbing agent. The good news is that bed bugs are not known to transmit any diseases. However, people who have suffered through a bed bug infestation often deal with acute insomnia. The knowledge that thousands of little insect are feeding off your body every night, would be enough to make anyone terrified of sleeping.

If you are getting bit each night, it is time to take your detective skills to the next level. The next sign of an infestation are reddish brown spots. Bed bugs gorge themselves on your blood and defecate at the same time. That’s right, if you have a bed bug infestation; the little critters will be drinking your blood and then doing their nasty business on your body. The first thing you need to do is inspect your bed sheets and your pajamas. Look for reddish brown spots. If you are not certain, get a bit of water on your finger and rub it across the mark. If it turns red, you are looking at your blood after it has passed through a bed bug. Finding these spots is the best indicator of a bed bug infestation.

At Pointe Pest Control, we use the proven process of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM uses a multi-pronged treatment approach. We don’t rely on one method, we use a variety. For bed bugs, that means they won’t stand a chance. For you, it means you will have a bed bug free home. Even though bed bugs are difficult to eliminate, they do have a weakness. Bed bugs and their eggs die when they are exposed to temperatures of 122 degrees. That is one of the ways we treat bed bugs. Your home will be sealed up tight and our heaters will be put to work. Our technicians monitor the internal temperature of your home and make certain that every room gets to the right temperature. Bed bugs cannot hide when everywhere in your home is like an oven. Even though the heat treatment is super effective, we will use everything at our disposal to make certain that the bed bugs are gone for good. With Pointe Pest Control on your side, you will be able to win the war against bed bugs. You will be able to reclaim your home and make it livable, and sleep-able, once again.

Our technicians are bed bug experts. We understand their lifecycle, and we know where they like to hide. Pointe Pest Control has been in the business of bed bug elimination for a long time. When you call us, you are putting our years of experience to work for you. Since we are environmentally cautious you know that our treatments will be safe for you, your family and your pets.

Even with treatment, you need to be careful. Remember that bed bugs are hitchhikers anything you bring out of your home can be hiding bed bugs. Your dryer gets hot enough to eliminate bed bugs, make certain that stuffed animals, clothing and any luggage has been inspected and treated for bed bugs. The last thing you want to do is get a new infestation in your home because you accidentally brought a happy little bed bug back inside. When you want bed bug elimination, you need to call in the professionals and Pointe Pest Control has got your back.