Pests Don’t Go Away in the Winter

Bed bugs are annoying bloodsucking pests that make your life a living hell. The key to keeping them out of your life is to spot an infestation in the early stages and get rid of it before it becomes a problem. After initial infestation, you likely have three months before it becomes a problem.

Infestation Is On A Breeding Time-Delay

Bed bugs aren't immediately ready to breed after they've been born. It typically takes three to four months for nymphs to mature and breed the first time. As a result, your initial infestation is likely to be quite small and manageable. It is in these early stages that time is of the essence.

Even a single pregnant female can cause a house-swarming bed bug infestation. However, the first step in getting them out of your home is to confirm that you even have them. This requires a careful inspection of your bedroom and other living areas where bed bugs may be hiding.

Spotting Them Early

Early detection of bed bugs is very difficult, especially if you brought just one pregnant female home with you. You're not very likely to spot just one bed bug, as she'll hide during the day and you may not notice any bites on your body. However, if you're worried you have a bed bug infestation and you want to catch it before it's a big problem, perform the following steps:

• Check your body every morning for bite marks
• Look around your bedroom for discarded skins or egg sacs
• Place sticky traps along the edge of your bed to catch any tell-tale adults or nymphs

Even if the pregnant female gave birth to a full group of nymphs, your infestation is still well under 100 bed bugs. This is very manageable, but it won't be if you don't kill all the nymphs in your home before they reach breeding age in three months. At that point, the problem will get out of control.

Managing The Problem Before Its Too Late

If you believe you are a month or less from a potential bed bug population explosion, you need to prevent it with some DIY bed bug control methods. Start by removing all small items from the potentially infected area and placing them in small plastic bags.

Remove all your sheets and blankets and seal them in a plastic bag. Check under your furniture, mattresses, and everywhere else near your bed to find their home. Note any small cracks in the wall where they could possibly hide.

Discard any furniture that may be hiding bed bugs, but not before treating it with bed bug pesticides. After removing all infested furniture, hire a professional, such as those found at Arab Termite and Pest Control, to spray bed bug pesticide in your home and on your infected sheets and items. You can probably do this last step on your own, but a professional ensures it is done properly.