If you’re dealing with Polk county bed bugs, do not hesitate. This is a serious pest and infestations spread quickly. Contact us as soon as possible either by telephone at 1-800-634-1313 or via our website insectfree.com by filling out the pop-up document on the home page. Let us show you why Earth’s Best has been in business in the Tampa area for thirty years!
In Florida, bed bugs are a real issue. There’s just no escaping it. And with the boom in new homes and new residents, it’s only getting worse. So today, let’s talk about the bed bug issues in Polk County and what you can do to protect your home.
Polk County Bed Bugs: Are bed bugs bad in the area?
Bed bugs are a notorious and creepy pest. These insects crawl into your bed and night and drink your blood while you sleep. And if that doesn’t get your skin crawling, I don’t know what will. In fact, people with bed bug infestations in their homes, even ones they don’t explicitly know about, tend to have psychological effects like anxiety. This is all to say that while this pest isn’t inherently dangerous, it’s a very serious issue to have in your home.
And unfortunately, these guys are all over Florida. Our state’s warm and humid climate proves to be very welcoming to them. And our mild winters and long summers mean that there are very small periods of the year where they can’t actively hunt and grow their populations. And these pests aren’t limited to beds alone. They’ll infest cars, restaurants, and any other human habitation that has suitable shelter for them.
On top of that, you have Florida’s booming travel industry. People come from all corners of the world to stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants, and visit our amusement parks. And while this is the major contributor to our states roaring economy, bed bugs are one of the many drawbacks of being a travel state. Now let’s get into identifying these pests.
bed bugs: what do they look like?
If you live in Florida, it’s essential to know what a bed bug looks like. These are small and sneaky pests, so having this knowledge can save you a massive headache after some travel or extended stays in hotels. You don’t want a case of mistaken identity when it comes to spotting one of these in the carpets or bed-frames of a room.
The adults of this species can be seen easily with the naked eye if you catch them out with the lights on. The adults are reddish-brown in coloration, have no wings, translucent shells, and are roughly the size of an apple seed. The immature stage can also be seen with the naked eye. However, they are smaller, and whitish-yellow in color, making them invisible against certain backdrops.
These pests can look a little different depending on if they’ve recently fed or not. If an adult bed bug has not fed, it’s oval in shape. In fact, unfed bed bugs are almost completely flat. But if they’ve eaten, they look much more dramatic. Their bodies blow up like a balloon, and they turn right red thanks to their bloodmeal inside. Over the next few days, the bug will digest the meal and return to normal size.
Polk County Bed Bugs: Infestation Signs
When it comes to these pests in particular, an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure. So being able to identify an infestation early is key. Let’s touch on a few of the most obvious signs.
Of course, number one with a bullet is seeing the bed bugs themselves. However, this is easier said than done. This is a nocturnal insect, and they only come out when it’s dark to get their blood meal. Of course you may catch them on a late night bathroom run, but there’s a good chance you also just won’t notice the tiny things.
Molted skins are another common sign of bed bug issues. Immature members of the species have to eat to grow to the next phase of life. After this, they molt their skin. Each bed bug has five stages of growth that they grow through. This means that a true infestation can leave large piles of insect shedding. Check-in places like carpet corners or electrical sockets. The shells look similar to the insects themselves and are usually duller in color.
Fecal spots are the last sign we’ll cover. The fecal spot is tracked behind the bugs as they digest the blood meal they drink from you. Places to check can be:
- Along mattress covers
- behind headboards
- in ceiling and wall junctions
- along baseboards
- and stuck to personal belongings.
How do I keep bed bugs out of my home?
Once again, prevention is key with this pest species. So, let’s touch on a few ways you can avoid tracking this parasitic pest into your home in the first place.
For starters, anything bought second hand should be treated with caution. You don’t want to get your Polk county bed bug infestation from the local goodwill. Secondhand furniture, beds, couches, and even electronics can all house these pests. Give them a thorough inspection before buying them or bringing them into your home.
Be careful when you use shared laundry facilities. Items that you need to transport should be kept in sealed vacuum bags. When you finish drying your clothes, place them directly into those bags to avoid contamination.
Reducing clutter is a great way to keep bed bugs from establishing in your home as well. If they can’t find a baseboard or corner to get into, they’ll often house themselves in things like boxes and piles of paper material. Cleanliness is next to bed-bug-freeness.
And when you reach a hotel room, inspect it from top to bottom before you arrive. The luggage rack, the closets, the beds and sheets themselves. Hotels are a hot spot for bed bug infestations spreading, so be aware when you travel and you’ll greatly reduce your chance of being infested.
