Bed bugs are a danger that can destroy your home or business and make your day to day life seem unbearable. Bed bugs like to make themselves at home in mattresses, cushions, clothing, drapery, pillows, seats, electrical outlets, and behind picture frames. The good news is that you can dispose of bed bugs and keep them away by taking a couple of necessary steps. In Texas, the key is to be proactive—don’t wait until the problem becomes more difficult before making a call and looking for the help of licensed pest control specialists. To protect your home or business from bed bugs, first learn about these pests, their behaviors, steps for prevention, and contact Stellar Pest & Wildlife should an infestation occur.

Bed bugs live on average for 10 months; however, this can be extended to years if the environment and food source are optimal. If bedbugs are deprived of the blood that they need to feed on to survive, they can still live for up to five months to a year. During that time, however, a female bed bug can lay hundreds of eggs in her lifetime. After egg hatches, the bed bug is ready to start laying eggs in approximately five weeks. The eggs take between 7 to 12 days to hatch, and the juvenile bugs start biting almost immediately. Bed bugs are an extraordinarily stubborn infestation as they spread rapidly and can require multiple treatments to remove. If you see signs of bed bugs in or around your home or business, it’s best to take action right away.

Even though bed bugs are extremely small, the easiest way to identify them is to know what they look like. Bed bugs have the following characteristics:

Chances are, you picked up bed bugs from somewhere or someone else. You can also get them from a pet that has been exposed. Bed bugs are common in high traffic areas such as hotels, theaters, airports, subways, and buses, or anywhere else a large number of people pass through daily. These are higher risk areas as each area exposed to various people is also exposed to their environment and the bugs that may be living there. Every home or business in Texas is a potential environment for these tiny insects.

From Someone Else’s House

You may have encountered and brought home bed bugs while visiting someone that you know, such as a friend or neighbor. Unfortunately, many people do not realize that they have an infestation and can unwittingly pass it on to those who visit their homes. If any piece of your clothing comes into contact with clothing or furniture harboring an infestation of your friends, coworkers, or classmates, some bugs may be transported into your home or business.

From an Adjoining House or Apartment

Your neighbors may be the issue, inadvertently sharing their bed bug infestation with you. If you live in a multi-family dwelling or a high rise condominium, check all possible entrances to your home such as cracks and crevices that could allow the pests to enter from your neighbor’s home to yours.

Bed bugs are opportunistic travelers; they will take any chance they have to catch a ride into your home or business. The easiest way to protect your home or business is to prevent these bugs from attaching themselves to your clothing or hiding in your luggage. It isn’t just vacations that we have to worry about, there are other ways these bugs can try to move into your home or business. Here are some prevention tips that can help save you from dealing with an infestation.

You can expect us to enter your home or business on the day of treatment and use a liquid spray treatment that eliminates bed bugs on contact, on your furniture, mattresses, box springs and any areas needing treatment,

To prepare for our visit, please move all furniture about 2ft from the walls, stand up any mattresses and boxsprings, close any windows, and turn off all A/C and heating units. If you have any items that may be affected by spray, such as electronics, place them in tightly sealed bags.