As the weather eventually warms up, bed bug infestations will be on the rise in Bartlesville, OK. Bed bugs hibernate in the cold, but quickly become active once the temperatures (or your beds) warm up. If you’re planning to travel over the spring and summer, it’s important that you’re aware of how bed bugs spread. That way, you can reduce the chances of accidentally bringing home a whole host of new, infuriating visitors.

Why bed bugs are more active in warm weather

Bed bugs are indoor pests, which means they can hassle you all year long. In colder weather, they hibernate, but it doesn’t take much to wake them up. Even sleeping in your bed after a few days away is enough to bring them out of hibernation. Since more people tend to travel in the warm summer months, it’s more likely that you can bring home bed bugs at that time. This is especially important if you plan to stay at hotels that have been shuttered during COVID-19: they may not realize they have a bed bug infestation, since the bugs are likely hibernating before guests arrive.

Bed bugs typically infest your home by hiding in your clothing or suitcases. In your home, they burrow deep into mattresses, upholstered furniture and linens. They bite humans and feast on their blood, which helps these parasites reproduce at rapid rates. Once the bed bugs start reproducing, bed bug removal in Bartlesville, OK can be a fairly involved process, so you’ll want to act right away.

Signs of a bed bug infestation

Here are some of the key signs of a bed bug infestation to watch out for:

• Bug bites and bloodstains: If you wake up with a series of small, itchy red bug bites in a line, you’ve probably got bed bugs. You should also look for tiny bloodstain spots on your sheets and pillows. Bed bugs tend to be messy, and can track blood around as they burrow back into your mattress or other preferred hiding spot.
• Dead “skins”: Bed bugs shed their “skin” as they grow, so look for piles of them around your carpets, in your mattresses (especially the seams and corners) and in laundry piles.
• Eggs: Bed bug eggs are tiny, white and round, and will show up in the same areas as the dead skins—fabric, carpet and upholstery are especially appealing.
• Fecal matter: Similarly, you can look for spots of dark red or brown fecal matter in the aforementioned areas.

What to do if you spot bed bugs in your home

If you think you have a bed bug infestation, you’ll need to act fast. Call a pest control company like Excellence Pest Control first, and follow their instructions to the letter. Once you’ve arranged for extermination services, you may want to start cleaning all of your linens in ultra-hot water, vacuuming your bed thoroughly and eliminating places where bed bugs can hide.

For help with bed bug removal in Bartlesville, OK, call Excellence Pest Control. We have years of experience helping customers get rid of bed bugs for good.