Bed Bug Exterminators in Salt Lake City

Cimex lectularius

There is only one species of bed bug in Utah and that is the common bed bug Cimex lectularius. There are however other insects in the same family (cimicidae) in Utah that look similar to a bed bug like the swallow bug, bat bug, and Mexican chicken bug. Most other cimicids are associated with birds and bats.

Correct Identification is Key

Make sure your “bed bugs” are getting properly identified as treatments are very different for these insects. Bed bugs are invasive and typically much harder to control. Swallow bugs and bat bugs typically require removing or excluding the bats and birds and then a simple pest control treatment around entry points. Swallow bugs and bat bugs typically do not have the high resistance to modern pesticides like a bed bug and are fairly easy to control once their food source is gone.

Just as a disclaimer, do not treat bats and birds/nests directly with pesticides. This is not necessary and may harm the animals.

Bed bugs are very common in Utah. We treat over 500 infestations here in Utah annually. Eliminating tens of thousands of bed bugs and helping Utahns sleep better.

Public Health Threat

Bed bugs are a public health threat as they can have a major impact on your health and well-being like sleepless nights, paranoia, anemia, uncomfortable bites, and allergic reactions.

Where can they be found?

Bed bugs are more prevalent in multi-family housing but they are found in single family homes as well. Bed bugs only live indoors and have to be brought in to a space. We also find bed bugs in offices, schools, and anywhere people spend a significant amount of time. Bed bugs want to be near their food (people).

YOU!

You. They feed on blood, so they are attracted to and are very adept at living with humans. That being said they are not coming from the outdoors and must be carried or brought in to a home or business. That can be on people coming to stay with you or being brought in on something like used furniture.

Attractants!

Once they are in your home they are attracted to a few things like the CO2 that you exhale and your body heat. They use these cues to position themselves close to you in undisturbed areas like under your box spring, in your bed frame, or behind your headboard.

• Bed bugs are brought in by a houseguest that has bed bugs.
• Used furniture is brought in that has bed bugs.
• You travel and stay somewhere that has bed bugs.
• Bed bugs coming from an adjacent unit in an apartment or multi-family housing.

Bites

Not everyone is allergic and people have different reactions to bed bug bites. You cannot identify bed bugs by just bites, but they are an indication and if you think you are getting bites from bed bugs you should hire an experienced pest control expert to provide an inspection.

Black spotting on bed or furniture

Bed bugs leave a dark spot when they defecate. It is smooth and black. This black spotting is often found in cracks and crevices of a wooden headboard or bed frame, edges of a box spring, mattress, bed skirt, or the piping or edges of furniture.

Shed skins

As bed bugs grow they shed their skin. They do this 5 times before they are a full adult. These shed skins may be difficult to find but they are definitely a sign that you have bed bugs. The sheds look like a shell of a bed bug and are light tan in color.

Bugs

One of the most common ways that people identify that they have bed bugs is by finding a bug or multiple bugs. Bed bugs are very light tan when they first hatch and turn a rusty red color as adults. Adults are about the same size as an apple seed.