Struggling with a pest infestation is never fun, but it's even worse when you're their meal ticket. If you have a bed bug infestation in your Fort Worth home, you probably feel caught in a cycle of itchy days and sleepless nights, with no relief in sight. These pests aren't easy to get rid of, but we'll tell you everything you need to know about bed bugs, prevention, and how to end a nightmarish infestation.
What Do Bed Bugs In Fort Worth Look Like?
Bed bugs are easily mistaken for many things – beetles, apple seeds, cockroach nymphs, fleas, and ticks are among the most common culprits for mistaken identity. This is because not many people know what bed bugs look like in size or shape. Bed bugs are small but not as small as fleas; they're roughly 1/4 of an inch instead of the flea's modest 1/12 of an inch length. They're reddish-brown in color, wingless, and have teardrop-shaped bodies, much like the shape of an apple seed.
How Can I Tell If I Have A Bed Bug Infestation?
It's incredibly uncommon to spot bed bugs out in the open, but there is plenty of evidence they leave behind that will help to determine if you have bed bugs in your Fort Worth home. This evidence includes bite marks in a zig-zag pattern, reddish-brown stains on linens and furniture, extreme fatigue due to nightly bed bug feeding activity, and excessive grime between the seams of furniture. If you suspect you have an infestation, you can perform your investigation by focusing on these areas:
- Between and underneath couch cushions.
- Around the seams of mattresses.
- Within the cracks of bed frames.
- Underneath wallpaper.
- Behind electrical outlet covers.
- Inside electronic devices such as DVD players, gaming consoles, and computers.
- In the seams of carpeting and rugs.
Bed bugs don't carry diseases, so they're not dangerous to have as pests. Still, nuisance pests cause problems, so eradication is always necessary during an infestation.
Five Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
There's no easy way to get rid of bed bugs on your own, but if you're determined to get rid of bed bugs on your own and you have unlimited time and funds, there are a few methods you could try:
- Wait it out – book a hotel room for around five to six months. Some bed bugs live up to 400 days without food, but on average, it takes adult bed bugs around five months to starve.
- Furniture-free living – package up all infested furniture in bags, place them in the garage, and wait until the bed bugs die. This assumes that the rest of the house is clear of bed bugs, an unlikely scenario.
- Try to be a DIY pest exterminator. You will purchase all necessary equipment; a high-heat steamer, fumigator, pesticides, sticky traps, etc., which should cost you roughly $2,000. Then book a hotel room for two months and spend the next eight weeks cleaning and fumigating your home.
- Essential oils – this is by far the most dangerous method. The level of concentration necessary to treat bed bugs is also toxic for humans and pets, but it's still a potential method for extermination.
- Diatomaceous earth – you will need to powder everything, so you'll still require a hotel stay for this method as well. It's only effective if the bed bugs make contact with the powder, so with a large infestation, you'll need enough to dust your entire home.
These are all costly and time-consuming extermination methods, and none of them will guarantee complete eradication. Instead of wasting time and money on DIY projects that won't work, find a reliable Fort Worth pest control company to take care of it for you.
Professional Bed Bug Control In Fort Worth
DIY isn't the best option for bed bug exterminations, but professional pest control will always be an effective solution. Suppose you're looking for the best way to kill bed bugs in your Fort Worth home. In that case, you need Greenforest Termite & Pest Control Inc. We use the highest quality pest control products available provide emergency and same-day services during regular business hours. We stand true to our pest-free guarantee. Difficult pests require strong solutions, so get in contact with us today to learn more about our treatment plans.