The last thing anyone wants to worry about when they lay their heads down at night is whether pests are feeding on them while they sleep. Bed bugs are just such pests: they are nocturnal parasites that gorge themselves on human blood. While the health concerns involved in an infestation aren’t nearly as dangerous as how vampiric that sounds, you probably don’t want the unsavory consequences of bed bugs in your New York City home.

AN OVERVIEW OF BED BUGS

Bed bugs are essentially bloodsucking hitchhikers. Rather than move around themselves, they get from Point A to Point B by hitching rides on people or inside of items. Once they are close enough to a place where they can feed on unsuspecting people or animals, bed bugs will nest near their feeding areas.

They are very small bugs that hide in corners or folds to avoid detection, so spotting bed bugs is a difficult proposition. However, they have the following identifiers:

• Size: Typically only about the size of an apple seed, bed bugs often appear as tiny, pepper-like dots lodged within infested items.
• Color: Typically brown in color, these tiny bugs are harder to spot on dark-colored furniture or fabrics. When gorged, bed bugs’ bodies enlarge and turn much redder.
• Behavior: Since they hide and usually only come out at night, you’re not likely to just happen upon bed bugs. Rather, you might notice other signs of their activity, like the small red welts that result from their bites. These are often found in lines or clusters on the body.

BED BUG HOT SPOTS

As their name and behavior suggest, bed bugs are often found on or around mattresses and box springs. High-traffic areas with lots of furniture act as beacons for these pests. The following are places to be on alert for the signs of bed bugs:

• Hospitals: Despite their penchant for sterility and cleanliness, hospitals and doctor’s offices can frequently get bed bug infestations. Ask your care providers what they do to prevent bed bugs and whether they’ve recently passed an inspection.
• Hotels: A tall building full of mattresses where people go to sleep? Sounds like a bed bug’s idea of paradise. Hotels are another place where anything short of diligent pest prevention can result in a bed bug infestation.
• High-traffic areas: When visiting any of these areas, check your bedding thoroughly, particularly near the corners and on the undersides of the mattress and box spring.

CONTAMINATED ITEMS

Bed bugs don’t just hang out near the places people sleep. The other populated areas with bed bugs are second-hand markets and stores — places where old furniture and clothing items or containers have sat for long periods of time. Old bags, jackets, curtains — just about anything with ample fabric or cloth that bed bugs can burrow into could potentially be infested.

Purchasing second-hand items should be done with caution, and you should thoroughly inspect all items prior to buying. Look not only for bed bugs themselves but also their small, light-colored eggs. Wash these items thoroughly when you get home and then wash, paying careful attention to folds of skin where bed bugs might be hiding after crawling off of contaminated items.

BED BUGS SQUATTING IN YOUR HOME? CALL THE PROS!

Even the most diligent homeowners or businesses can wind up with a bed bug infestation. But there’s no need to fret! Your local pest experts at Broadway Pest Services have experience eliminating and preventing future bed bug populations. Whether you know you already have these bugs inside your home, or if you just want a thorough inspection for peace of mind, our trained technicians can answer questions and get started on prevention measures that meet your schedule and budget.

Don’t let bed bugs turn your dreams into nightmares, call Broadway Pest Services at the first signs of an infestation (or before!).