Are you worried that your itchy skin is a sign you're dealing with a bed bug infestation? Do you feel that you've been dealing with pest control issues for a few days now? If so, then you need to learn about what to do when you have a bed bug infestation issue.

The actions you take will determine whether or not the problem worsens. By following a few concrete steps, you can eliminate the problem at the source and prevent an infestation in the future.

See below for an in-depth guide of what to do if you're dealing with a bed bug problem inside your Shreveport, LA property.

1. Know the Telltale Signs

Understandably, you don't want to cause a panic for you and your family if you aren't actually dealing with bed bugs. For example, bed bug bites look a lot like mosquito bites. Therefore, the bug bites on your ankles might not be bed bug bites (although, they likely are).

Therefore, it's important to know the undeniable signs. That way, you can reach out to residential pest control services right away.

Have you ever wondered how bed bugs can bite away at people while they sleep without waking them up? Unlike other bugs, bed bug bites are painless. A few hours later, those bites will turn into itchy, swelling skin. Some people don't react to them at all, making it even harder to identify an infestation.

Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs don't just occur on the ankles. They can pop up anywhere that you have exposed skin. Another common fallacy is that they only bite at night. You might be carrying bed bugs on you while you walk into work that morning.

The only way to ensure those are bed bugs is to find physical evidence that they're in your house. That brings us to our next point...

2. Find the Evidence

As hard as it might be to bring yourself to look for evidence, you must get confirmation of bed bugs in your house. That way, you can alert the pest control services in Bossier City, LA to how bad the infestation really is.

To get proof, you'll have to take a visit to—you guessed it!—the bedroom. First, go to the corners of your mattress and lift them. Look at the underside for any dark spots, which is a sign of bed bug blood or dedication. Next, take off the covers and look for the same signs.

If you don't find any signs of bed bugs there, you aren't in the clear just yet. Be sure to inspect the bed frame and headboards as well.

You might also find dark brown flakes, which could either be excess skin from the bed bug's shell or eggs that have cracked open. Neither one is reassuring.

As soon as you find either sign of bed bugs, call a pest control company. They'll give you step-by-step instructions you can use to carefully remove yourself from the situation before they arrive.

3. Know Their Hiding Places

As we mentioned before, the term "bed bugs" can be a bit misleading. The bed isn't the only place that you'll find them gathering. Bed bugs don't nest, they just hide until nighttime when they can feed on human blood.

For that reason, you should look at them in any area of your house where something the size of 1/4 an inch long could squeeze into. That could be anything from loose wallpaper to, believe it or not, the inside of an electrical outlet.

You should also remove portraits and paintings from the wall, cushions from your furniture, and the furniture from up against the wall. These clever bugs know the places you're unlikely to look for them.

One other way to tell if you have bed bugs (or other pests) in your house is when you detect a mildewy stench. This is the bed bugs releasing a warning sign to others or inviting more inside.

4. Vacuum the Heck Out of Your House

You might not be able to obliterate the infestation in your home, but you can take measures to contain it. The best way to do this is by vacuuming any area that you see signs of bed bugs.

While you wait for professional pest control to arrive, be sure to vacuum your entire house. That means carpets, furniture, mattresses, walls, cracks in your wallpaper, and anywhere else you might see them.

Dispose of the items in the vacuum by putting them into a plastic bag and running it out to the trash can outside of your house.

5. Contact a Professional Pest Control Service

When dealing with a bed bug infestation in Stonewall, LA, there's only one way to eradicate them from your house: contact residential pest control services.

They have the resources, experience, and equipment to safely remove all traces from your house. Then, when they've removed the infestation, they can take measures to ensure it never happens again.

Contrary to what most homeowners think, pest control is meant to be a preventative service, not a reactive service. your pest control service can fill you in on treatments to keep all pests away from your residence moving forward.

Bed Bug Infestation: Contact the Experts in Shreveport, LA

Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on what to do if you have a bed bug infestation on your hands, be sure to use this information wisely.

For a bit more information, take the time to read this blog article for more information on effective bed bug control and how it can help you get rid of them once and for all.