Black Bed Bugs: Identifying, Treating, and Preventing Infestations
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If you spot black bugs on your mattress, you may assume they are bed bugs. However, these tiny black bugs don’t actually mean there’s a bed bug infestation.
Bed bugs are a pressing concern for many people. These nasty little critters hide inside cushions, peeling wallpaper, box springs, mattresses, and behind furniture. They may not be dangerous, but they can cause allergic reactions that require medical attention.
Since 2004, bed bug infestation in the United States has rapidly increased. It is because of international immigration where foreigners carry bed bugs and the decreased use of pesticides.
Furthermore, bed bugs are not the only tiny bugs you can find in your home. Therefore, it is crucial to identify what bugs you find and take the best actions to prevent severe damage to your home and health.
Key Takeaways
Many tiny black bugs in your bed linen are not bed bugs. Different types of black bugs may infest your home.
Identifying bed bugs and other bugs can help determine the ideal solution for your problem.
Most bug infestations can be solved by using home remedies.
What is insect infestation?
Insect infestation is categorized as a biological hazard. The pervasive influx, hatching, or swarming of insects affects humans, animals, goods, and crops.
Insects, such as carpenter ants and termites, are responsible for several structural damages in homes and buildings. Some can also cause diseases in humans.
Before you call a professional exterminator, it would be best to identify which insect you are seeing in your home. Some bugs can be eliminated using home remedies.
Types of Black Bugs You Can See in Your Home
Bed bugs are often brown or reddish-brown and also oval-shaped. Other insects also have the same appearance, making people confused and think they are bed bugs. Due to their size, their differences may not be easy to detect with the naked eye.
Here are some black bugs you may see in your home.
Spider beetles
Spider beetles have bigger bodies than bed bugs. However, they aren’t bed inhabitants. Instead, they are pantry invaders, but they land anywhere if there’s a food source. Also, they show signs of infestations if they find a place to lay eggs.
These bugs are reddish-brown or reddish-black, which you may confuse with bed bugs. But spider beetles are reddish and shiny and look more like spiders as they have three pairs of legs and antennae.
Furthermore, spider beetles have humps, while bed bugs are flat. They prefer crumbs and dry food, and they don’t leave bites.
Fleas
Fleas are wingless parasites that look black because of their size. But their color is actually brown, and they survive by sucking human and animal blood. Several flea species feed from one host species only, but some can survive on several hosts.
Fleas are a growing problem as the number of household pets is increasing. They enter your home through your pet. So if your pet scratches a lot, it could indicate you have fleas in your home.
Additionally, fleas are known for diseases such as murine typhus and tapeworm. They also transmit bubonic plague from rodents to humans. Therefore, it is best to eliminate them immediately. Bring your pet to a veterinarian if your pet has a severe flea issue. Otherwise, ensure that their anti-flea and tick maintenance is up to date.
Did you know?
Fleas can suck blood 15 times their own weight. If not properly treated, they can cause anemia in pets as they suck copious amounts of blood.
The black carpet beetle is black or brown and may have spots on their back. They lay their eggs on fabrics and materials from animal products, such as silk, wool, leather, and feathers.
It is one of the most destructive species of carpet beetles in the US. It can damage household products that contain keratin, often found in animals’ hair and feathers. However, they also attack some plant products, such as grains and cereals.
These bugs find their way to your bed in a lot of infestations. They hide in small gaps between the mattress and headboard, and bed frames.
You may find them crawling on blankets and sheets even in the daytime because they aren’t nocturnal like bed bugs.
Cockroach nymphs
People mistake cockroach nymphs for bed bugs because they are tiny and can be seen in your bed.
However, unlike bed bugs, cockroaches can be seen anywhere, especially in dark places. They constantly search for food sources and end up everywhere around the house.
If you spot cockroach nymphs, your home is more likely infested. Cockroaches are quick to colonize places that are dark, warm, and have food to eat.
Bat bugs
Bat bugs look similar to bed bugs: oval in shape and the size of an apple seed. They have wing pads, but they don’t fly. Unlike bed bugs, bat bugs have long hair.
Bat bugs typically feed on bats. So how do they get into your home? Bats can live in dark places like attics and chimneys.
If a bat relocates or dies, bat bugs will feed on other animals and human blood. The good news is that bat bugs can’t reproduce without bats to feed on. Therefore, bat bug infestations only last briefly, especially if you promptly remove them.
Springtails
These bugs are usually around 6mm and have a distinctive tail-like appendage called a “furcula.” They use their furcula to propel forward in a jump-like motion.
Many springtail species are black but can also be yellow, white, or blue. They feed on decaying organic matter. You can find them in compost piles, rotting leaves, damp soil beds, and stacks of firewood.
They love eating mold and fungi. So when it is too dry outside, they enter your home to search for moisture. That is why they are often found on bathroom and kitchen windows.
Springtails don’t carry diseases or bite, but their presence can attract predators like spiders, which can cause risks to people.
Signs of Black Bug Infestation
Bug infestations often give hints. Look for these signs to know if your home has a pest infestation.
Musty, damp smell
A musty, damp smell in your bedroom can signify little black bug cravings. Many of these black bugs like moisture, and the damp smell is an indication that there’s moisture in your space.
Additionally, some insects produce different types of smells, and most often, they are unpleasant. These strange smells typically come from odd consumption of some materials, body odor, and musty urine.
Spotting tiny eggs on crevices of bed frames, around the bed, and on mattresses is a sign of bugs in your space. Once these eggs hatch, they may lead to a severe infestation.
Damaged fabrics
Tiny insects can cause damage to fabrics. For example, spider beetles and bat bugs can enter your home and eat fabrics, rendering them worthless. Look for holes or tears on your furniture, clothes, and drapes to determine if there are bugs in your home.
Dirt marks
Bugs don’t only cause damage to fabrics, but they also leave stains. It could be grime, grease, or other dirty patches. These dirt marks may be minor, but the stains are noticeable.
Droppings
One great way to detect pest infestation. Bugs don’t always have good hygiene and leave their droppings everywhere.
You will find traces of droppings in your home if there are bugs, especially near your window sills, walls, attics, kitchen, and bathroom. Also, these droppings allow you to determine what type of bugs are in your house quickly.
Dead bugs
Bugs have a shorter lifespan than most living things. Dead bugs under window ledges, furniture, and other places signify a bug infestation.
How To Manage Black Bug Infestation
It is annoying and disgusting to have small creatures crawling on your bed and around your house. Fortunately, there are several ways to deal with these tiny black bugs.
Here are three simple tricks that can help you eliminate bugs in your home.
Use baking soda or diatomaceous
There are several toxic substances in the market that you can use to eliminate black bugs in your home. However, you may use Diatomaceous earth (DE) and baking soda for safer options.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) consists of fossilized skeletons of diatoms, a tiny aquatic creature. It usually comes in a loose powder form. You may apply it to your home, garden, and pets, as it isn’t toxic.
You may apply DE in crevices, cracks, baseboards, bed frames, and other hard-to-reach places. It works better when dry, but you may mix it with water.
On the other hand, baking soda is effective in getting rid of tiny bugs as it can easily cut through the body of the insects. Sprinkle baking soda in cupboards, drawers, carpets, and under kitchen appliances.
Make a DIY trap
You may use several DIY recipes to create a trap and eliminate these bugs. Some effective DIY traps you can do at home are baking soda, sticky paper, and plastic bottle traps.
Use essential oils
Essential oils don’t exactly kill the black bugs in your home. But they can keep these little creatures away in a pleasant-smelling and natural way.
Peppermint and orange are essential oils to keep bugs away from your home, as some tiny creatures don’t like the smell of these oils. You may also make bug spray using essential oils. Mix 10 to 20 drops of your chosen essential oil with water. Shake the solution and use it as a bug spray in your home.
If you suspect a bed bug infestation, you may experience some of the following.
Itchy, reddish welts on your skin
Bed bugs attack when you sleep, and you wake up with raised or flat red welts around your body, especially on your hands, neck, chest, feet, and back. Bed bug bites usually appear in rows as bed bugs crawl around your exposed skin.
Severe bites may cause blisters, causing the area to be susceptible to bacterial infection. You can feel pain and swelling at this stage. You may take an antihistamine or apply a steroid cream to treat the itchiness.
Blood stains on your bedding
Blood stains on your bedding are telltale signs of bed bug infestation. As you move while sleeping, you may roll over and squish a bug, leaving blood stains on your clothes, pillowcases, and sheets.
Bed bug droppings
If you notice black felt tip pen-like marks on your mattress and sheets, those are stains from bed bug feces. Wipe the stains using a damp rag to ensure those marks are bed bug droppings. If they smear, it’s confirmed that your house has bed bugs.
Musty smell
When bed bugs are disturbed, they release pheromones to warn the rest of the group. The smell is repellent and musty. So if you could smell it, there is a severe bed bug infestation.
Spotting bed bugs
Seeing bed bugs on your bed is the surest sign of an infestation. However, before you call a pest control company, ensure it is a bed bug, as it could be another type of black bug.
How To Get Rid of Bed Bug Infestation
Housekeeping and high standards of hygiene are not enough to eliminate an infestation. However, keeping your house clean can help you recognize signs of bed bug infestation earlier, helping you control it easier and prevent it from spreading.
Use hot water when washing your bedding and affected clothing. Dry them on the highest heat setting
Vacuum your mattresses, seal them in dark plastic, and leave them outside under the hot sun as long as possible
Steam clean your carpets
Spray common hiding spots using a surface pesticide. Avoid using insecticides on bedding
If bed bugs are still in your home after doing all these things, it is time to contact a professional pest control company. They usually provide a free inspection, bed bug identification, and estimate.
Prevent Bug Infestation in Your Home
Many bugs look like bed bugs, and you may get confused. Therefore, it is crucial to identify different types of bugs to know the best action to solve the problem.
Also, keeping your house clean can help prevent these tiny creatures from entering your home. Lastly, if you can’t eliminate these bugs, it would be best to contact a pest control company to help you eliminate them.
Dealing with a pest infestation at home can be challenging and stressful. Visit us to learn more about dealing with pest infestation.
FAQs on Identifying, Treating, and Preventing Infestations of Black Bugs
Frequently Asked Questions
When dealing with tiny bugs, making informed decisions is vital to protect yourself and your home. Contact a pest control company when you can’t effectively eliminate these bugs or are scared to deal with them. A pest control expert will handle the infestation and ensure you and your property are safe from these tiny creatures.
Bed bugs do not indicate poor personal hygiene or a dirty home. These insects travel to new places by hiding in clothes, suitcases, furniture, and other objects that move around.
White vinegar and apple cider vinegar are great bases for insect repellent as they deter flies. And combining them with specific essential oils can help repel ticks and mosquitoes.
