It’s a common misconception that bed bug infestations only happen in homes that have beds. These bugs might like mattresses, but they’re drawn to anything with warmth and people, and they show up in offices or businesses more often than you’d think. Here’s what you should know about identifying bed bugs, signs of a bed bug infestation in your office, and what to do if you’ve got a bed bug problem on your hands.
How To Identify Bed Bugs
Sometimes, a bed bug infestation can go untreated because people mistake the bed bug for other insects. While they may bear a resemblance to carpet beetles, bed bugs do have a few distinct features. Bed bugs are tiny, brown, and oval-shaped, with adult bed bugs only growing to the size of an apple seed. After they feed, their bodies may swell and turn more reddish than brown.
Over the span of a lifetime, female bed bugs can lay hundreds of eggs, which look similar to white grains of rice and are no bigger than a speck of dust. Once they’ve hatched in six to ten days, growing bed bugs are called nymphs. Nymphs are smaller than full-grown bed bugs with translucent or yellow-ish coloring. Nymphs don’t stay nymphs for long. In the right conditions, bed bugs can take less than a month to fully develop, and they’ll shed their pale yellow skins five times before they reach maturity.
Signs Of A Bed Bug Infestation In Your Dallas Business
As small as they are, identifying bed bugs can be tricky, but there are plenty of other signs of an infestation that you can look out for.
- Live adult or nymph bed bugs
- Bloodstains on fabric and carpeting
- Dark brown spots of bed bug excrement may show up on the walls, carpet, or even clothing
- Bed bug eggs and eggshells, which are about 1 millimeter in size
- Pale yellow skins that nymphs have shed and left behind
- A musty odor in the air, which comes from the bed bugs’ scent glands
Since bed bugs are more active at night than during normal business hours, they may go undetected in an office setting longer than they would in a home. Unlike some pests, bed bugs do not nest, but they do tend to group together in small crevices or cracks. You may find them around chairs, under a desk, on couches or furniture, or even behind electrical outlets. Employee break rooms and lounges where people frequently congregate can also be problem areas. Bed bugs may hide in dark corners or in plush furniture that employees sit on.
What To Do If You Suspect Bed Bugs In Your Dallas Business
If you find signs of bed bugs or you suspect an infestation, you should seek professional help immediately; the longer you wait, the bigger the infestation will become. At Bullseye K-9 Detection, our commercial pest control professionals work exclusively to eliminate bed bug infestations in Dallas, Texas, and Hawaii. The way we conduct our inspections is what separates us from the competition. At Bullseye K-9 Detection, our inspections start with specially-trained dogs that will search the area of infestation before our professionals take over. If you’ve discovered an infestation in your commercial property or you’re worried about developing a bed bug problem, call us today and schedule one of our canine inspections!
