How Long Does it Take for a Bed Bug Infestation to Develop?

Bed bugs are master infiltrators. They could be taking over your home right now and you wouldn’t even know it until it was too late. Don’t sleep on bed bugs! Stay protected and get a good night’s rest every night.
How Long Can You Have Bed Bugs and Not Know It?
It is easy to disregard itching at night or waking up with a few red bumps on your skin, but there might be an infestation right under your nose. Bed bug infestations can take up to several weeks to fully develop, and in the meantime they are enjoying you as their nightly meal! One or two bed bugs can go unnoticed until the infestation grows, especially if you start out with only a few young bed bugs early in their life cycle.
How Long Does It Take to Develop a Bed Bug Infestation?
Bed bugs generally mature in as little as 21 days, or 7 weeks. In that time they could have laid up to hundreds of eggs. As the weeks go by, the infestation will grow exponentially. Usually around the 5th week is when signs of infestation become obvious.
How Quickly Do Bed Bugs Spread?

When a bed bug infestation establishes itself in your home, it is likely to spread to as many rooms as possible. Bed bugs travel fairly quickly for their size, at about 3 to 4 feet per minute. If the infestation is large enough, they could be everywhere in a matter of days.

Bed Bug Infestation: Where to Start?

Once you’ve got the suspicion that bed bugs are infesting your home, it’s best to start with a meticulous inspection of the area. Search every inch of your home. Look for signs of infestation such as bed bug droppings or shells, blood stains, and a foul, musty odor lingering nearby. You should also look for bed bugs on the walls. If your wall has crevices and cracks, then it is also a potential home for a bed bug.

Common Places Where Bed Bugs Hide

Bed  bugs will commonly set up shop in the seams of your mattress, underneath your couch cushions, and your clothing – basically anywhere close to you where the bed bugs can easily feast and remain hidden. They also like hiding in clutter, behind wallpaper or picture frames, and in larger infestations they can even be hidden behind cracks in the walls.

What To Do After Finding Where Bed Bugs Hide?
    1. Pack your bags. Don’t worry, you don’t have to abandon your home and move out, but you do have to eliminate as many hiding places as possible and that means bagging up all of your stuff. Using clear plastic bags also helps to track the infestation inside. This is also a great way to force bed bugs out of hiding.
    2. Spray the area. Once you’ve determined the location of the infestation, it’s time to treat the area with a non-toxic bed bug spray. You’ll want to treat the rest of your home, too, inch by inch for the best results.
    3. Wash and re-bag. Cleaning your machine-safe items with bed bug laundry detergent can quickly eliminate a large amount of bed bugs that may be hiding in your things. Make sure to put your bed bug free laundry into new, unused, clear plastic bags to keep them safe and avoid re-infestation.
    4. Steam clean. Don’t be superficial. Bed bug sprays are a great surface treatment, but the heat from steam can penetrate layers far underneath what sprays and detergents can reach. For thick mattresses, or cracks in walls that cannot be reached by hand, high temperature steam from an industrial steamer is best.
    5. Get help. There is no shame in calling in the experts and getting a hand. The professional bed bug extermination services at BedBug911 are prepared to fight bed bug infestations around the clock to help you sleep pest-free at night.
Contacting the Professionals

BedBug911’s innovative 3 Step Process is more than just your average extermination. Our exterminator extraordinaires will handle everything from preparation, to treatment, to after care. Each full service bed bug extermination service is fully customizable to your unique needs.

Conclusion

Don’t get caught off guard by bed bugs. Infestations can grow quickly, but with the right treatment you can get rid of them even quicker. BedBug911 will get you back on track to a restful night’s sleep before the creepy crawlers even know what hit them.

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