Bed Bugs can live and thrive anywhere people can. This is because humans are the primary food source for bed bugs. Although we typically find them on beds, bed bugs can also be found on other furniture. In this article we will walk you through the process of determining does my couch have bed bugs?

What is a bed bug?

Bed bugs are blood feeding insects that feed almost exclusively on humans. They can vary in color from clear or white if they haven’t fed, to red and brown if they have fed. About the size of half a grain of rice, these insects are sometimes described as having an “apple seed” or “teardrop” shape.

According to the Pennsylvania State University Extension, bed bugs do not transmit any diseases. This is in contrast to other blood feeding pests such as mosquitoes and ticks, which can transmit disease. Bed Bugs can cause health problems such as allergic reactions to the bites, bacterial infections, anxiety, and insomnia to name a few.

Where to check a couch for bed bugs

Like we said above, bed bugs will live and hide near where people are. This means that we find bed bugs not only on beds, but on other furniture such as couches and chairs. It is important to check the couch and other living room furniture if you suspect you have bed bugs.

What am I looking for when inspecting for bed bugs?

Many people believe that bed bugs are too small to see with your eyes, but this is not true. Bed bugs and even their eggs can easily be seen with the naked eye. Looking for bed bug activity such as live bed bugs, eggs, and excrement are all confirmations of a bed bug infestation.

Check your living room couch and chairs for bed bugs

Inspecting your living room furniture for bed bugs is similar to looking at a bed for bed bugs. We want to look along the seams of the couch, behind the pillows and tags, under the couch, and any other cracks and crevices you can find. Having a bright flashlight is important to thoroughly check the couch for any bed bug activity signs listed above.

My couch has bed bugs, now what?

It’s never fun to find out that your home has bed bugs, but rest assured there are bed bug treatments that can and will eradicate the problem. For most homeowners, a professional bed bug exterminator is needed to professionally resolve the bed bug issue. This is because professional bed bug companies have the knowledge, experience, and equipment to properly treat and eradicate the problem quickly.

In general, we perform the following protocol to treat and eradicate bed bug infestations:

• Inspect the home to confirm that the issue is bed bugs. There are many pests and non-pest activity that can resemble bed bug bites. We need to be absolutely certain that you have bed bugs before we can perform a bed bug treatment.
• We will thoroughly vacuum the furniture with a special bed bug vacuum that will remove the live bed bugs and their eggs.
• After vacuuming, we apply a bed bug powder or dust to the wall voids, and crevices. This dust works quickly and provides lasting protection and treatment for those hard-to-reach areas where the bed bugs like to hide.
• A liquid bed bug product is then applied that will eradicate the bed bugs. This product works quickly and also lasts for a few weeks at least to provide lasting protection and treatment.
• After the dust and liquid treatment is applied, we will use our bed bug vacuum again to remove any adult bed bugs that have emerged during our treatment process. Many times, the dust and liquid treatment will get the adult bed bugs moving and we want to physically remove as many as possible.
• All of the above steps are performed on the initial visit. We then schedule a follow-up service and use different bed bug products so that we minimize that chance that the bed bugs become resistant to the products we use.

Need a bed bug exterminator?

Prudential Pest Solutions are the experts at identifying and eliminating bed bug problems and infestations. We always have the safety of the homeowners, tenants, pets, and the environment as our top priority. Having bed bugs can be stressful and we know that all too well. Our bed bug treatments will restore the peace back into your home by eradicating the bed bugs.

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