Bed bug exterminator in Clarksville, Tennessee

How to recognise bed bugs

Bites alone are a poor guide. EPA notes they can look like other insect bites or rashes, and some people don't react at all. Look for physical signs when you change the bedding:

• Rusty or reddish stains on sheets or the mattress.
• Dark spots about the size of a period, which can bleed into fabric like a marker.
• Tiny pale eggs and shed skins, around 1 mm.
• Live bugs: flat, oval, reddish and wingless, near the piping, seams and tags of the mattress and box spring.

A crack that can hold a credit card can hide a bed bug. In a heavy case they also turn up in chair seams, drawer joints, curtain folds and behind loose wall hangings.

Why they show up here

Bed bugs travel with people and their things, so they have nothing to do with how clean a home is. Any city with apartments, hotels, a university and people moving in and out gives them plenty of rides. Clarksville has all of that.

Used furniture is a common route. EPA advises inspecting second-hand items and cleaning them before they come inside, and keeping bags off the bed when you travel.

What a bed bug visit usually involves

1. Inspection

   The company confirms it is bed bugs. Other insects, such as carpet beetles, are easily mistaken for them.

2. A preparation list

   Expect instructions on laundry and cleaning before the visit. Follow them closely, since treatment depends on it.

3. Treatment

   EPA says to expect an inspection, furniture taken apart where needed, and some mix of vacuums, heat and pesticides.

4. Follow-up

   EPA also says very few infestations are controlled with one treatment. Ask how many visits are included and how the company checks for bugs it missed.

When to call

Call once you have seen a bug or the stains, ideally early. EPA says that trying to treat it yourself first can help the infestation spread, and a small problem is much easier and less costly to treat than one that has moved through the house. UT Extension also reports widespread resistance to the insecticides sold to residents.

Renting? Tell your landlord or property manager in writing as soon as you see signs, and ask who arranges treatment. Your lease may say.

Bed bug questions