Bed bugs are a nightmare pest for many homeowners – and with good reason. It's easy to get them, almost impossible to get rid of them, and though they're technically not dangerous, they can still somehow tank your property value and upend your whole life. This is why they need to be a big part of your New Braunfels pest control plan.
The Lifecycle Of The New Braunfels Bed Bug
Bed bugs go through several life stages before becoming breeding adults, but they feed on you throughout their development. This is why you'll be getting bed bug bites from the outset of a bed bug infestation.
Bed bugs start out as eggs that look like tiny grains of rice but are about the size of a single grain of course salt. When they hatch, the nymphs go through several molts before reaching adulthood. Nymphs look like miniature adults and must get a blood meal before every molt to reach sexual maturity. Generally, this happens at around five to six weeks, and the entire bed bug lifespan is around six months, though, in the right circumstances, they can live up to a year.
A single female bed bug will lay around 500 eggs in her lifetime. She will stuff these eggs in clusters in tight cracks and crevices that are often impossible for humans to spot – especially because the eggs are so tiny. This is one of the main reasons bed bug infestations are so tough to eliminate.
How Can I Tell If I Have A Bed Bug Infestation?
Bed bug control is a lot easier if you catch the infestation early. The longer bed bug infestations have to become established throughout your house, the harder and more expensive bed bug fumigation and heat treatments will be. Catching an infestation early can mean the difference between having a professional treat one room and tenting your whole house.
This is why you need to watch out for the subtle signs of a bed bug issue before it turns into a problem that overtakes your whole house. Signs of bed bug infestation include:
- Small brown bloodstains on the sheets.
- Eggs that look like tiny rice grains.
- Bites that appear in lines or clusters where your body contacts the bed.
Remember, bed bugs are so good at hiding that you may never actually see one, even if you have a major infestation.
Five Tips For Bed Bug Prevention
The best method for bed bug control in New Braunfels is prevention. And the best ways to prevent bed bug infestations are to be careful when you shop and travel:
- Check hotel furniture for signs of bed bugs before settling in for the night.
- Wash clothes and dry them on the highest setting as soon as you get home from traveling.
- Never lay luggage on beds or sofas in hotels.
- Avoid secondhand shopping.
- If you must secondhand shop, check purchases for signs of bugs before bringing them inside your home.
Taking these precautions can help ensure you don't wind up with a bed bug infestation.
How To Keep Bed Bugs Away From Your Home
If you do end up with a bed bug infestation, don't waste your time with store-bought solutions. Instead, contact the best local pest control for bed bugs around: Gold Star Exterminators. We're the Lone Star State's premier bed bug authority. If you've got a bed bug problem, we've got you covered with affordable solutions that can eliminate your infestation for good. So don't wait until the infestation has spread throughout your house. Give us a call or visit our contact page to get started today.