Bed Bug Inspection: The First Step

Doing a bed bug inspection on your own involves a lot of work and a lot of time. A proper bed bug inspection requires patience. A bed bug inspection, especially if you decide to do it on your own, will require diligent effort on your part.

There is a more convenient option. You can hire a licensed bed bug inspector to come to your home. A properly trained bed bug inspector will know where to look and will notice details that may be overlooked or ignored by a less experienced inspector. Rest assured, a quality inspection done by a quality bed bug inspector can give you accurate information and will let you know if you’re dealing with an infestation of bed bugs or an infestation of another pest. You can also hire a well-trained K9 bed bug inspector to identify if bed bugs have truly invaded your home. We’ll discuss these types of bed bug inspection in the sections below to help you decide which option would be the best for you.

However, before we begin, if you’re looking for a bed bug exterminator, we want you to know that HeatRx offers free professional bed bug inspections. Call us today to get a free scheduling or consultation.

Understanding Bed Bugs

Before looking for bed bugs, we must be clear about what we are looking for. Understanding what bed bugs are is important when searching for them. The type of bed bugs that we commonly encounter in the United States is of the Cimex Lectolarius family. In a simplified description, they are small and oval in size and shape. Adult bed bugs can grow up to only 5 millimeters long and 3 millimeters wide. They are copper and reddish in color. Eggs are usually very tiny and white in color and nymphs are translucent, becoming more brownish in color as they mature.

Bed bugs would commonly dwell in places and furniture where people are idle for an extended period of time. Bed bugs get their name because they are typically found where humans sleep, but they can also be found at work, in movie theaters, and in cars. Long haul truckers or ride-share drivers are usually sitting in one spot for extended periods of time and a bed bug infestation can occur in their vehicles. When bed bugs are neglected and are not treated immediately, their population will increase exponentially in just a few months. As the population continues to grow bed bugs may eventually start spreading to different areas of your home. It is important to avoid using over-the-counter sprays, “bug bombs”, or homemade essential oil concoctions. We have seen time and time again that these treatments push bed bugs to other areas of the home/building.

For more basic information about bed bugs, we recommend that you read these article from the California Department of Public Health

Bed Bug Calculator

We have developed a bed bug calculator which will help give you an idea of how quickly a bed bug infestation can occur. The resulting numbers are an estimate of how many eggs, nymphs, and adult bed bugs may exist over a period of time. Our calculations are based on the fact that 1) a female adult bed bug can produce 200-250 eggs in her lifetime and that 2) eggs can hatch in 10 days or fewer and lay eggs after their first blood meal.

For example, if you leave two female bed bugs unchecked, then by 3 months you might be dealing with thousands of eggs and nymphs, and more than a hundred of adult bed bugs which will continue to reproduce.

How do I inspect for bed bugs? (DIY bed bug inspection) 

With the bed bug calculator, it’s easy to see how a population of bed bugs can become out of control. Now, because of their very small sizes, bed bugs are difficult to detect. Some of the hiding places may even be difficult to gain access to. Bed bugs can sneak and fit into very tight and small places, even in wall cracks as thin as a credit card. So if you’re doing a bed bug inspection yourself, it’s important to know where the bed bugs can be found. Remember to use flashlight and gloves during your own bed bug inspection.

Here is a good reminder of the steps that you might want to do before inspecting for bed bugs.

The most common hiding places for bed bugs is the bed, the interiors of the mattress and box spring, couches, between seat cushions, recliners, office chairs, curtains, baseboards, cracks and crevices in the furniture. Bed bugs can usually be found in the place where fabric meets the legs of the bed or of the furniture.

You may also want to check your window and door frames, corners of the ceiling, behind outlet covers, inside of picture frames, underneath the carpet and lamps as these are lesser common hiding places for bed bugs.If you’re the one who travels a lot, you may want to inspect your clothes, closet, luggage and travel bags and accessories.

But what if you can’t find a bed bug even when you’re highly suspicious and you’re feeling certain of their presence? There are signs that bed bugs leave near their hiding places. Evidences may include:

1.     Bed bug fecal materials which are often a sure sign that bed bugs are somewhere near. You can easily identify bed bug feces because of their dark brown to black color and these fecal materials are mostly tiny spots that you’ll be able to see when they’re on your mattresses, sheets, clothes or furniture.

2.     Exoskeletons of bed bugs are also a sure indication that bed bugs are near.

3.     If you wake up in the morning and you notice red patches on your pillows, or bed sheets, that can also mean that bed bugs are feeding on you while you sleep. This is a less reliable evidence since other insects can be the cause of those red patches such as mosquitoes.

During your own bed bug inspection, if you happen to find evidence of bed bugs in different areas of your home, we recommend that you call a professional bed bug exterminator.

Can I get rid of bed bugs on my own? 

We would always say that bed bug extermination is not a weekend “do-it-yourself” project. It involves a lot of work, and even if you put on a lot of work to it yourself, chances are the bed bugs will not be totally exterminated. Without proper knowledge, training, and equipment, getting rid of bed bugs on your own would take so much of your time, effort, and finances. There are many myths and misinformation circulating online about how to remove bed bugs. The only way you can reliably get rid of 

bed bugs are to consult with a professional or simply let them do the job.

What is the best DIY bed bug treatment? 

There are a couple of things you can do as both a treatment and a preventive measure to kill and/or avoid bed bugs spreading across your home. After your own bed bug inspection, if you found out that bed bugs are in your bed, you may want to install a bed bug mattress cover to prevent bed bugs in the mattress and box spring from coming out. Wash the sheets, linens, and clothes and put them in the dryer on high heat. Be mindful of the pesticides and over-the-counter products you will be using to eliminate the bed bugs. Many pesticides can pose a health risk when used inappropriately or used in excess. Improper use of pesticides may also result in bed bugs becoming resistant to chemicals and residual products, which will make the situation worse than it first started. The best way to eliminate populations of bed bugs that have become resistant to chemicals is a bed bug heat treatment.

Canine Bed Bug inspection 

There are professional types of bed bug inspection that will likely save you the time, money, and energy in contrast to doing it yourself. Professional bed bug inspection provides you more accuracy with pinpointing bed bugs in your home as licensed inspectors and canine teams are well-trained and equipped to detect bed bugs.

If you have experienced doing bed bug inspection yourself, you might have known how difficult it is given that bed bugs are tiny and elusive. Failure to detect bed bugs early on may give you a sense of false security that your home is safe and free from bed bugs, which may later on result in an escalating infestation. This where a canine bed bug inspection shines brightest. Many bed bug exterminators are utilizing the dog’s keen sense for smell to detect bed bugs in all of its life stages. A properly trained canine can detect the odor of bed bug eggs, nymphs, and adult bed bugs with very high accuracy and in less time. This allows the handler and the bed bug exterminator to quickly identify which locations in the home are seeing bed bug infestations. This is a great option for commercial properties such as hotels, offices, and apartments.

Visual Bed Bug Inspection

A visual bed bug inspection involves a licensed bed bug inspector coming to your home, and searching for evidence of bed bugs. In comparison to a canine bed bug inspection, a visual inspection, may take more time since the inspector relies on visual signs that bed bugs may have left behind in the common locations where bed bugs may be found. A bed bug inspector will take time to look for bed bugs, their fecal materials, or their exoskeletons to be sure that bed bugs have in fact invaded your house. A licensed inspector knows the places where there is a high activity of bed bugs, and so once he finds evidence of bed bugs in your home, he can show you the visual proof and tell you on the spot what you need to do to get rid of them or prepare for a professional bed bug treatment.

How much does it cost for a professional bed bug inspection?

A canine bed bug inspection can cost you around $150 - $500. Meanwhile, some bug bed control companies offer visual bed bug inspections for free, although some may charge $50 to $200 for this type of service. The cost would depend on factors such as the content, the type, the distance, and the size of your home.

Professional Bed Bug Inspection Procedure

Bed bug identification and inspection is made easy by HeatRx through the use of technology. If you have seen a bug in your home but you’re unsure if it’s a bed bug, you can text us a picture and we will help confirm it for you. You can also call us for a free consultation or to schedule a professional bed bug inspection in your home. We do bed bug inspections for free.

How we do bed bug inspection and treatment

We have a very meticulous way of dealing with bed bugs because we want to make sure that after the inspection and the treatment, you will be 100% free from bed bugs and that there is no chance for them to get reintroduced in your home. This is how we’ll do it.

1.     Free Bed Bug inspection
A licensed inspector will check your property and look for evidence of bed bugs. Inspection may take 30-60 minutes.

2.     Clear Preparation Guides
We’ll give you written instruction on what you should do while preparing for a treatment. Our instructions are easy to understand and follow.

3.     Expert Treatment
Our team will spend the time required and make the effort to ensure you get the best treatment and be rid of the bed bugs for good.

If you're looking for a professional bed bug exterminator to conduct an inspection in your house or property, we'll be glad to help. Call us today to and together, we'll work it out.