Hillsborough county has its share of pest control problems. Termites, cockroaches, mosquitoes, you name it. However, few things are quite as disturbing as a bug who sneaks into your bed at night and drinks your blood. That’s why today, we’re going to touch on the problem of Hillsborough County Bed Bugs.
Hillsborough County Bed Bugs: What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small, apple-seed sized parasitic insects. They mainly feed on human blood. However, they’re not unknown to vets. These parasitic pests will take a bite out of your dog or cat as well. These bugs cost the country about three hundred million dollars a year to control, with an average cost per home of a thousand. And bed bugs aren’t a new pest. They’ve been clinging to us and our ancestors for thousands of years, as they’ve been tracked to even ancient Greece. They made their way to the American continent in roughly 1700 after being introduced by European colonizers.
Bed bugs were well controlled through the 1950s until chemicals like DDT were banned. Now, however, they have made a comeback and can be found throughout Florida and the entire United States. Their resurgence is due to a number of factors, including more international travel, lack of public awareness, and the bedbug’s resistance to pesticides.
are bed bugs dangerous?
Bed bugs aren’t known to be carries or transmitters of blood borne diseases, thankfully. But bed bugs have painful, irritating bites. These bites usually swell up with a white head and a raised circle of skin. However, some people don’t even show a reaction to bed bug bites. So they can feed on you in your sleep and there’s a chance you would never know.
There’s also the possibility of allergic reaction to Hillsborough county bed bugs and their bites. And an allergic reaction to several bites could cause anaphylactic shock. So they can lead to someone needing medical aid if they’re predisposed to allergies.
How to reduce the chance for bed bugs
And since we’re in such a warm state, we don’t get a winter break from these bugs. Normally some of the bed bug traffic in the northern hemisphere slows down during the winter. The ones living outdoors or stowed in travel bags exposed to freezing temperatures would die. However, Hillsborough County bed bugs don’t have to worry about that. So you need to always be looking out for these pests. And my first tip on the list is going to make a lot of people unhappy but it’s true.
Cut out thrift shopping. If you buy anything from a thrift store, pawn shop, or goodwill is at risk of a former owner’s bed bug infection moving into your home. However, if you do buy any cloth materials, you have to run them through a dryer for at least thirty minutes on high. This should kill any bed bugs that were hiding inside.
Inspect hotel rooms when you go into one. Leave your luggage in the car while you inspect the room to avoid a chance of infestation. Check headboards, curtains, framed artwork, and dresser drawers. These are all bed bug hotspots.
Also, move away from storing things under your bed. Bed bugs love clutter, and if you give them an environment near where your sleep that’s cluttered up they will immediately set up shop.
Bed bug infestation signs
Alright, let’s touch on a few signs that they’re in your home. Number one with a bullet, unfortunately, is seeing them. However, these are stealthy, nocturnal insects so that’s unlike. Bed bug bites are usually the second way you find them. The appearance of flat, red welts in zigzag lines, straight rows, or small clusters may be an early sign that bed bugs have been having a blood meal at the expense of their human hosts.
And when they feed, there’s usually a little bit of spillage. After bed bugs feed on humans, blood stains resembling small rust spots may be found on bedding and clothing. They feed between five to seven days whenever a host is present, so if you see signs of bloodstains on your sheets or pajamas, it may be one of the early signs of bed bugs.
If you suspect you know the location of the bed bug infestation, you can always check for spent egg casings. . Female bed bugs can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime and up to five eggs each day. Their eggs are small and pearly white– almost as thick as a dime. When looking for bed bug eggs, check in tight cracks or crevices for clusters of these eggs before they hatch. It can take two weeks for eggs to hatch and the immature bed bugs to start immediately feeding.
And finally, molted skin is another surefire way to realize that these pests are in your home. Bed bugs grow by shedding their exoskeletons, or shells, to grow larger through five nymphic stages on the way to maturity. This process is called molting. A blood meal is required in each stage for the insect to molt. The molting process (called ecdysis) leaves this telltale bed bug sign behind.
Hillsborough County Bed Bugs: What to do if I’m infested?
Well, there’s a few at home control methods you can try that will certainly reduce their numbers. Such as more vacuuming and sheet cleaning, for example. However, if you find yourself with a bed bug infestation you should contact us at Earth’s Best. Visit our website insectfree.com and on the home page either dial up our phone number or fill out the online popup for a free consultation today.
