Bed Bug Removal: Bed Bugs Can Cause Harm, Even In Winter!

Bed bugs. They have a reputation for being especially busy during the summer months. But, did you know they can also be quite busy during the winter, too? Even though we have had a rather mild winter in Maryland/Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia area. You will still have pest removal needs. Bed bugs immediately come to mind.  

As we have discussed in a previous blog on bed bugs, bed bugs are small oval-shaped, rust-colored bugs that are 3/16 – 1/4 inch long and fully grown. (The size of an apple seed). They can’t fly or jump. However, they can climb walls quickly and easily. They can be found behind wall hangings and inside shades and curtains. 

Bed bugs in our Central Maryland area can be found in so many places in your home during the winter. They live in tight cracks and corners in your bathroom or kitchen. You will also find them in box springs, bed frames, and behind light socket plates. They leave humans as hosts so they can feed. Once they have fed, they return to the cracks and crevices. ***

They will die at 0°F and below. However, they need four straight days to finally die. Those days have not happened this winter. The unusually warm Maryland temperatures this winter have helped the bed bug population to increase. The best way to get rid of bed bugs in your home this winter? Hire a professional home pest control company to do it. There is truly nothing you can do to get rid of them. Spraying them with bug killer will only eliminate a few of them. Also, throwing your mattress out in the sun will not do it as the temperatures are too warm and the sun is out. 

Bed bugs do thrive in warm environments. A female bed bug produces around seven eggs per day following a human blood meal. That means that the bed bug population can double every 16 days. Since it has been warmer this winter, our homes have also been warmer. At night, bed bugs will infest your blankets, comforters, and other layers.

Infestations occur quite easily when the bug crawls on a human and then drops into the locations where the human goes. They get into purses, grocery bags, backpacks, luggage, pillows, wallets, and even phones. The bed bugs may even lay eggs in these items. When the human host moves, the bed bug eggs fall off and hatch. They do this by latching onto the host and the infestation begins.

Bed bug pest removal begins at home. Even after inspecting your bags, clothing, walls, and other locations, bed bugs may still have infested your home. Vacuuming and steaming your clothes may help. However, they may have already infested your home. Before it gets worse, consider hiring a professional home pest control company. Get it done thoroughly and safely. 

If you are interested in an inspection, removal, and prevention of bed bugs in your home, call Pest Shield, Inc. we offer pest removal solutions for the client and the environment in mind. Call us at (301) 829-0060 for a free inspection.

We serve Mt. Airy, MD, Central Maryland, and the counties of Montgomery, Carroll, Frederick, and Howard.

*** For more information about bed bugs, visit the Maryland Extension website

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Posted in bed bugs, home pest control