Bed Bug Identification & Prevention

Bed bugs are parasites and feed on the blood of people or other warm-blooded mammals. Humans are their favorite hosts, but they also will feed on our pets or other animals if we aren’t available. Wingless and unable to jump, bed bugs move from place to place by hitchhiking on people or our things. They invade our beds, feed on our blood as we sleep, and are hard to eradicate.

The bed bug’s flat, oval-shaped body allows it to hide in tight cracks and crevices, out of sight. While bed bugs are small, they are visible to the naked eye, and even more so after consuming a meal. Before feeding, adult bed bugs are about the size and shape of an apple seed; after feeding, their bodies swell and expand in a more capsule-like manner.

While no one wants to deal with bed bugs living in their home, they are nuisance pests that don’t pose serious threats to people. Although they are capable of harboring disease-causing pathogens, these currently aren’t a big concern.

The two biggest concerns with bed bugs are the itchy bites they deliver and disrupted sleep they cause. Nobody can sleep well, knowing they have bed bugs living in their home. Reactions to bed bug bites can vary from no reaction at all to a severe allergic reaction that may require medical attention.

Bed bugs are a problem for home and businesses owners all year long. They are indoor pests, and so our temperature-controlled homes and buildings allow them to remain active year-round. Bed bugs can move into your home and become a problem for your family after you or a family member unknowingly came into contact with them.

• Bed bugs can be found virtually anywhere there are people. Home, airports, office buildings, shopping centers, hospitals, libraries, and movie theaters are some common places where people come into contact with bed bugs. Once bed bugs get into your home, they will find a hiding spot and begin feeding and breeding, increasing their numbers and making it difficult to eliminated them. It can take homeowners a bit of time to discover an infestation, because bed bugs are nocturnal, and only emerge from their hiding spots when we are sleeping.

It is a common misconception that bed bugs prefer to invade homes that are dirty or cluttered. The truth is, any home or business can become victim to bed bugs. Bed bugs get into our homes on people, our belongings, or on used items like furniture, mattresses, box springs, and electronics. They don’t care where they are moving to, as long as there is food available. However, it is important to understand that homes with a lot of clutter may allow a bed bug infestation to go unnoticed for a longer period than an organized home.

Bed bugs like to live in cracks and crevices that are near their food source. Bed bugs often hide in our sleeping area so they can be near their food source. Common hiding spots for bed bugs in the bedroom include the seams of mattresses and box springs, in cracks in head or footboards, cracks in wooden furniture, or behind wall hangings like pictures or clocks.

Bed bugs don’t just stay where we sleep; they will also move throughout a home as the infestation grows, crawling through walls and floors. These champion hide and seek players also hide in upholstered furniture, behind electrical outlets, behind baseboards, and wood trim.

To rid your North Carolina property of bed bugs, it is best to partner with a professional. At Ray’s Pest Control & Wildlife Removal, we work closely with our customers to learn about the specific pest problems they have been experiencing. Our pest experts provide our customers with the highest quality of service to solve their current pest problem and keep them from returning. Since 1972 our family has been helping the families in the Winston-Salem, and surrounding areas maintain pest-free properties.

If you are experiencing problems with bed bugs, reach out to Ray’s Pest Control and learn about our effective bed bug control solutions. For more information about our residential or commercial pest control programs, call us today!

Don’t leave whether or not bed bugs invade your property up to chance; partner with Ray’s Pest Control, and implement the following bed bug prevention tips:



Take care when traveling. People often come into contact with bed bugs during the travel process. When traveling, make sure to keep luggage and other personal belongings up off of the floor in airports and other public places. Inspect your hotel room for bed bugs before bringing luggage inside. Keep your luggage, bags, and coats up off of the floor of the hotel room. When packing, place all personal items in sealable plastic bags. After you wear your clothing, put all dirty clothing together inside a plastic bag. After returning home, immediately wash and dry all clothing on high heat. Before you store away your suitcase, vacuum it, and wipe it down.

Be careful when in public. People can also come into contact with bed bugs while at work, school, or running errands. Again, it is imperative that you keep your personal belongings up off of the ground and away from other people’s belongings. Frequently vacuum your home to pick up stray bed bugs. Wash any outwear that you and your family wear regularly. Since bed bugs also feed on our pets, routinely groom them and wash their bedding. It is also a good idea to reduce the clutter inside your home and put bed bug proof covers on mattresses and box springs; both will help to reduce their hiding spots inside your home.

Inspect all belongings. Help to stop bed bugs from hitchhiking their way into your house by not purchasing used furniture, mattresses, or box springs. Also, wash and dry newly purchased clothing immediately after bringing the items home.