Bed Bug Identification Guide

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are biting pests that feed on the blood of people and animals. As their name suggests, you'll most often find them hiding in or near sleeping areas. Human blood is the bed bug's favorite food source, and if we aren't easily accessible, they will also feed on our pets in Salt Lake City and beyond.

Bed bugs are nocturnal, feeding on our blood as we sleep, attracted to our body heat and the carbon dioxide we produce as we breathe. Adult bed bugs are wingless insects and look like apple seeds with legs. They have chestnut brown bodies and measure about 1/4 inch in length. After feeding, their bodies swell, elongate, and turn a deep reddish-purple color.

Are bed bugs dangerous?

Bed bugs are associated with disease organisms, but the spread of disease to people is not a current threat. However, this does not mean we need to share our beds and homes with these biting insects. To feed on our blood, bed bugs bite us, and those allergic to bed bug bites will develop red itchy welts at the bite site. Additionally, the presence of bed bugs in any Salt Lake City home or business causes sleepless nights and worry-filled days.

Why do I have a bed bug problem?

Bed bugs don't live outside in our yards and gardens; they are indoor pests that need people or our belongings to move from location to location. Hitchhiking allows bed bugs to easily move across the street, across town, across the country, and across the world. These hitchhiking pests also get into structures inside of used items like wood or upholstered furniture, mattresses, box springs, and electronics.

Where will I find bed bugs?

Anywhere that people congregate is a place that bed bugs call home. Bed bugs live in many public places, including hotels, libraries, movie theaters, shopping centers, hospitals, dormitories, and cruise ships. After someone comes into contact with bed bugs and introduces them into your home, bed bugs will quickly take over.

Bed bugs hide in our homes in a variety of areas including:

• In the seams of or under upholstered furniture, mattresses and box springs.

• In cracks found in wooden furniture, walls, and floors.

• Under piles of dirty laundry.

• In spaces behind electrical outlets.

• Inside electronics.

• Behind clocks, pictures, and other wall hangings.

How do I get rid of bed bugs?

An bed bug infestation is a frustrating pest problem. The easiest way to get rid of bed bugs and other pests is to partner with Pest Pro Pest Control. We provide the effective pest control services needed to protect your Utah home and commercial properties from insects, rodents, and other pest.

At Pest Pro Pest Control, we are committed to helping Utah home and business owners maintain pest-free properties through our guaranteed pest control services. For more information about our bed bug control treatments, reach out to Pest Pro Pest Control today!

How can I prevent bed bugs in the future?

Keep your Utah home and yard protected from bed bugs with the help of Pest Pro Pest Control and the following prevention tips:

• When spending time in public places, be aware and vigilant of your surroundings and look for signs of bed bugs.

• Keep personal belongings away from other people's belongings and up off of the ground.

• Always inspect your hotel room for signs of bed bugs before bringing luggage inside.

• After traveling, immediately wash and dry all clothing on the highest heat settings the fabrics can handle.

• After returning home from traveling, immediately vacuum out and wipe down suitcases.

• Vacuum your home's floors, upholstery, and the seams of mattresses and box springs.

• Wash pet bedding.

• Place bed bug proof covers on all mattresses and box springs for use in your home.

• Do not buy used mattresses, box springs, or furniture for your home.