The kick-off of the holiday season is just around the corner. Thanksgiving is that time of year that brings exquisite joy as we spend time with our loved ones and focus on what is truly important. Many homeowners will pack up and start heading to visit their families, with the prospect of getting away a tantalizing thought. Of course, locking all entry points, finding someone to look after the dog, and constantly wondering if you accidentally left the oven on can wear on you a bit, but you would think that as soon as you hop on that plane or start your road trip to where you are headed that you’ll be able to find relief and begin to relax. Sorry to say this…but no. Now, you have to start thinking about protecting you, your family, and your belongings from potential bed bug infestations. Whether you are staying with family or at a hotel, you never know when you will come across bed bugs, and it’s important to know what to look for and how to deal with them.
Bed bugs are most commonly found in the seams of mattresses, in the coils and frame of the box spring, and along bed framing—hence the name bed bug. It’s important, however, to remember that bed bugs can also exist in upholstered furniture, the backing of pictures, behind wallpaper, and between wooden floorboards. In extreme situations they can even be found in wall voids, along electrical wires and pipes, in attics, and more. For those that have no idea what bed bugs look like, they are oval shaped, about the size of an apple seed and usually a brown-mahogany color, except after feeding when they swell and are reddish. The number of legs can distinguish bed bugs from a tick or mite: bed bugs have 6 while the others have 8. They have antennae that are half as long as their bodies and don’t have any wings (they cannot fly). Keep an eye out for signs such as rusty or reddish stains found on bedding and mattress or walls, yellow shed skins, and any bites or rashes on your body. Bites, however, cannot be a sole indicator of an infestation as they can look like a normal bite or even hives. On the flip side, some people don’t have any reaction so lack of bites doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t an infestation present.
Bed bugs can easily infest any luggage or clothing you bring to a hotel or family’s home during your Thanksgiving travels. In turn, your house is at risk for an infestation upon arriving home. If this thought worries you, it’s best to begin prevention now. Adam’s Pest Control is Minnesota’s leading bed bug expert and can help homeowners with a range of problems from pre-infestation to total elimination. If you do happen to bring home bed bugs from your travels, Adam’s Pest specially trained and licensed professionals use the most effective industry-leading treatment techniques to kill all life stages of bed bugs. Homeowners can decide between heat treatment and the more conventional form of treatment. Heat treatment is used to control bed bugs throughout the entire home and conventional treatment includes 3 visits with the use of pesticides to eliminate small quantities of bed bugs in confined areas. Adam’s Pest will do their best to protect your furniture and belongings and get your home back to where it was before traveling. It’s their mission to provide you with a worry-free Thanksgiving holiday!
