Early Signs of Bed Bug Infestation

A crack in a bed frame with a bed bug infestation.

The warm weather of New Mexico makes it a haven for insects year-round. While there are steps you can take to stop pests from taking over outside your home, preventing bed bugs is a different matter. Bed bugs can spread rapidly and take over your home quickly.

Sometimes it isn’t easy to identify bed bugs or realize you have an infestation. Ultimately, keeping an eye out for signs of an infestation can help you identify the problem before it gets out of hand. Professional services provided by Pest Defense Solutions eliminate a bed bug infestation before they are able to take over your home!

How to Identify a Bed Bug

Bed bugs are small, flat, oval-shaped insects. They are reddish-brown in color and are about the size of an appleseed. Comparatively, they appear larger after feeding. Because they are nocturnal and feed at night while you are sleeping, you may not notice bites right away.

Bed bug bites can be easily mistaken as bites from another type of insect such as mosquitoes or chiggers. Although bed bugs don’t transmit any diseases through their bites the area can become itchy and swollen. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends you contact a dermatologist if you have multiple bites, if they blister, are pus filled, or are showing other signs of infection or an allergic reaction.

Where to Check For Bed Bugs

Bed bugs can be found anywhere people reside. Since these pests are nocturnal, they feed at night and will most often hide where humans and mammals sleep. They are called bed bugs for a reason!

Common infestation signs include:

  1. Spots on Your Sheets: After feeding, bed bugs often leave behind small blood stains on bedding, mattresses, furniture, or even your pajamas. 
  2. Bed Bug Excrements: Yes, it is gross to think about! This pest leaves droppings that look like small dark spots the size of a period. These spots may be concentrated in one area or scattered across your sleeping area.
  3. Shed Skins: As a bed bug grows, they shed their skin. They often leave their skins and hide in seams and crevices of mattresses, bedding, carpet, or floorboards.This is a clear sign of an infestation.

How Do Bed Bugs Get Into Your Home

Considering bed bugs are small and hide themselves well, you can unknowingly bring them home with you. Any area frequented by the public are locations where bed bugs can occur. Some common places include: 

  • Traveling: These hitchhiking insects can easily latch onto your luggage, clothing, and other belongings when traveling. If you stay in a hotel or other lodging area that has bed bugs, you may accidentally bring them home with you.
  • Used Furniture: They love to hide in used furniture, especially mattresses and upholstered items. If you buy secondhand furniture without inspecting it thoroughly, you may carry bed bugs into your home!
  • Shared Spaces: Bed bugs can move between homes and apartments through openings like wall voids, floor cracks, and even the ventilation system.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

DIY remedies or treatments do little when it comes to eradicating a bed bug infestation from your home. At the first sign of bed bugs, call the extermination experts with Pest Defense Solutions. With over 15 years in the Albuquerque area, we are the leaders in bed bug extermination. We thoroughly inspect your home and formulate a plan that is suited to you and your family’s needs. The sooner you call a professional, the sooner you can take your home back. 

Clean Now for a Pest-Free Spring!

A basket of cleaning supplies on a windowsill

In Albuquerque NM, spring brings renewal to the desert landscape, temperatures warm and wildflowers paint the once-arid desert. This time of year also means it’s time to freshen your home and plan for a deep spring clean. Spring cleaning has many benefits such as decreasing stress, reducing clutter and improving your overall mental and physical health. In addition to improving your health, spring cleaning is the perfect time to check for signs of spring pests in your home and take preventive measures to ensure your home is not attracting any unwanted guests. 

How to Prevent Pests in your Home

While you are cleaning and organizing your home, it is important to check areas where pests commonly hide for signs of an infestation like droppings, dead pests, wood shavings and egg casings. Below are a few steps to add to your cleaning routine that will help keep pests out of your home.

Thoroughly Clean Kitchens and Bathrooms

Kitchens are often ground zero for pest infestations. It is the area in your home with the highest availability of food and warm hiding spaces that many pests find attractive. When spring cleaning your kitchen it is important to clean areas where crumbs or spills are common. Clean under large appliances and cabinets. Food often gets stuck in these hard to reach areas making it an ideal place for pests to scavenge. 

Spring is also the perfect time to clean out your cabinets and throw away any expired or unwanted food. Pests such as rodents and ants are known to invade cluttered cabinets and get into your food. Ensure open food products are stored in airtight containers and keep an eye out for any holes or cracks where pests could enter.

Bathrooms are another area where pests are common. They are often attracted to easily available sources of water and are able to enter your home through drains or windows. While cleaning window sills and cabinets, check for holes around your windows and leaking pipes or faucets. Some pests will enter through drain pipes. Pouring bleach down your drain regularly will help deter any pests from entering.

Reduce Clutter

Clutter is the perfect hiding place for pests such as spiders, rodents or ants. They will use clutter as a place to hide or build their nests. Reducing clutter within your home not only makes your house look cleaner and decreases stress but it will also make your home less hospitable to a variety of pests. 

In addition to reducing clutter within your home, you should also clean any clutter around the outside of your home as well. Some pests will be attracted to piles of leaves or grass clippings you may have in your yard. Make sure to dispose of any unwanted organic matter in your yard as you landscape in preparation for summer.

Mosquitos thrive in a cluttered yard. They are attracted to standing water that can form in places like buckets, tarps and kid’s toys. Emptying and tidying any areas with standing water will help keep mosquitoes from swarming your yard in the spring and summer.

Inspect the Exterior of Your Home

Pests often enter through small holes or cracks in the exterior of your home. Examine your foundation and walls for any possible entrance points before vegetation begins to grow in the spring and possibly hide any defects. Make sure to seal any holes or cracks with a sealant. This is also the best time to look for signs of termite or carpenter ants on the exterior of your home.

Spring Preventative Pest Maintenance 

Pests become more active during the spring as the outside temperatures rise. While spring cleaning can help keep pests at bay the best way to ensure pests do not invade your home is by calling the experts at Pest Defense Solutions. With over 10 years of experience, our technicians are able to expertly identify areas where pests may enter your home and help create a plan to keep your home pest free all year long. Get started with your free quote today!

A Guide to Termite-Free Firewood

Round logs stacked in a woodpile - a common habitat for termites in winter

When winter hits in New Mexico, there’s nothing like a roaring fire to keep you warm. But the last thing you want is to welcome wood-boring pests in as you bring in your kindling. Termites can be a major problem for homeowners, both in your firewood and the wood of your home. Pest Defense Solutions specializes in termite control for homes around El Paso, but we’d like to keep problems from forming in the first place. That’s why we offer several steps you can take to protect your woodpile from termites and all manner of other pests.

Keep Your Firewood Dry

Termites thrive in moist environments, so it’s important to keep your firewood as dry as possible. Stack your firewood off the ground and away from any sources of moisture, such as gutters or sprinklers. You should also cover the top of the stack with a tarp to protect it from rain and snow. Doing this will not only help deter passing insects, but it’ll also make sure the wood burns as well as possible.

Store Firewood Smart

It comes as no surprise to say that termites are attracted to wood. So if you store your firewood next to the home, if termites get into it they’ll have easy access to spread to your property. That’s why we suggest that you keep your firewood at least 20 feet away from your house to reduce the risk of an infestation.

Use Treated Wood

Some types of firewood, such as pressure-treated lumber, are treated with chemicals that can repel or kill termites. While this type of wood may be more expensive, it can provide an extra layer of protection against termites.

Inspect Your Firewood Regularly

Regularly inspect your firewood pile for signs of termites, such as small holes in the wood or sawdust-like material. If you notice any of these signs, take action immediately to remove the infested wood and prevent the termites from spreading.

Pest Defense Solutions for the Best Termite Professionals

Termites are incredibly destructive, and they can spread at a prodigious rate. That’s why, if you suspect a termite infestation, it’s best to hire a professional exterminator to inspect your property and recommend a treatment plan. And if you live in Albuquerque or Santa Fe NM, Pest Defense Solutions has the knowledge, experience, and equipment to properly identify, locate and eliminate termites. We can put in the work you need to enjoy a cozy night in without the fear of termites or other pests. To learn more, contact us today!