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Sometimes you might wake up from a night’s sleep with a weird rash. Some people call these mystery rashes on their skin “spider bites.” The truth is, spiders would rarely if ever, bite you in your sleep. Not only would they rather be anywhere else but crawling on a giant animal, but most spiders are docile and only bite if held and/or trapped.

Luckily, much of the time that rash is just that—a random rash that’ll go away on its own. Sometimes, though, it’s one of your worst fears; a bed bug bite. Let’s dive into how to identify a bed bug infestation, understand what that means, and what you can do about it.

Bed Bug Symptoms

Bed bugs are the last thing we want in our homes. However, it’s important to acknowledge the symptoms of an infestation to act quickly enough to make control as easy as possible. Here are some symptoms:

  • Itchy red bumps that follow a path across an exposed area of your body
  • Bloodstains on your sheets and pillowcases
  • Dark spots on your sheets, mattresses, walls, and clothes (this is bed bug excrement)
  • A musty odor, which bed bugs naturally secrete

Favorite Hiding Places

Beg bugs are about the size of an apple seed (or smaller.) Worse yet, they are only about the thickness of a credit card, which means they can hide in even the tiniest crevices. It doesn’t take much to shelter a bed bug from prying eyes. However, if you know where to look and you have an infestation, you will find them. Here’s why they hide:

  • Around the piping of a mattress
  • Between seams and tags
  • Cracks and crevices in the bed frame and headboard

If you have a major infestation, you’ll find them even beyond the confines of your bed.

Bed Bug Facts

You know what they say; know thy enemy. The same is true for bed bugs. It’s best to understand them; it’ll remove some of the fear and paranoia surrounding them. Here are some quick facts:

  • Male and female bed bugs must feed at least once every 14 days
  • A female can lay up to 3 eggs per day
  • A full egg-to-egg cycle takes 4-5 weeks
  • Bed bugs can tolerate most conditions

The fact is, bed bugs are hardy insects, they reproduce quickly, and they are easily hidden until they’re a big problem. Do you fear that you have a bed bug problem?

Call Us When You Think You Have Bed Bugs 

We are bed bug control experts. We’ve been fighting bed bugs for over 50 years in the Des Moines area. We can spot an infestation from a mile away and have a proprietary mitigation strategy that will quickly and permanently remove your bed bug problem.

Don’t live in fear of your own bedroom. Call us today if you think you have bed bugs. Worst case, we work together to quickly rid you of the problem. We’ve never met a bed bug we couldn’t beat. Reach out to us today.