How Can You Tell if Your Mattress Has Bed Bugs?
Bed bug infestations can be difficult to deal with if you are not sure of how to detect bed bugs. An infestation that spreads throughout a household can result in expensive termination services. This is why it is important to be aware of all the signs that point to your home being infested with bed bugs. If you or a family member are dealing with a bed bug issue, you should consult with an experienced Baltimore bed bug litigation lawyer. The dedicated lawyers at Whitney, LLP can help you file a claim against a negligent landlord that allowed a bed bug infestation to happen. Whitney, LLP explains the warning signs that may point to a bed bug infestation.
Common Signs of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are tiny brownish insects that feed on a person’s blood. If you believe that your bed and possibly the rest of your home is infested with bed bugs, there are a couple warning signs of bed bugs that you should look for. For example, having unexplained insect bites on various parts of your body can be an indication of a mattress infestation.
If you are going to search your mattress to look for signs of bed bugs, you should move your bed away from the wall so you can fully inspect it. Bed bugs like to hide in the seams and folds of your bed and tend to emerge at night to feed, so the first place you should check is your sheets. Be sure to wear gloves when examining the sheets to avoid any other bites.
When you are examining your bed, be sure to peel back each layer of the sheets and smooth out each fold so you can check each crevice. If you observe tiny red or brownish spots on your bed sheets, this can be blood from a bed bug bite or a crushed bed bug. Once you are done checking the bed sheets, you should also inspect the mattress itself. Bed bugs have been known to hide inside a mattress or around dark areas of the bed. For example, bed bugs can be living behind your headboard or even around the box springs of your bed.
It is important to note that if your bed is infested with bed bugs, it is highly likely they have spread to other areas of your home. Bed bugs can travel several feet to feed or to find a suitable place to hide until it becomes dark. Bed bugs can advance through six life stages. Allowing bed bugs to continue to feed will not only ensure that they advance through those stages but that they also lay eggs to spread the infestation. Common places that you should look for bed bugs include:
- The seams of upholstered furniture
- Around electrical outlets
- Underneath wallpaper and beneath pictures on the wall
- The area where the wall and ceiling meet
- Used furniture
To learn more about discovering bed bugs in your home, you should call Whitney, LLP – Your Maryland bed bug infestation lawyer.
How to Prevent an Infestation from Spreading
There are several tactics that you could use to prevent the spread of a bed bug infestation. While these actions may not eliminate an infestation, they may help reduce the costs associated with hiring an extermination company.
If you want to keep your mattress despite finding an infestation, you should attempt to vacuum all the bed bugs from the mattress and the surrounding area. Next, you should take all of your bedding and wash it using hot water and place them in the dryer on high heat. Certain temperatures of heat will kill most types of bed bugs. You should also consider wrapping the mattress in a mattress cover to prevent the spread of bugs.
If you choose to discard your mattress, you should wrap it in plastic and label it as bed bug infested. This can prevent the spread of an infestation to other homes.
If you live in an apartment complex that has a problem with bed bugs, the landlord may be responsible for handling the infestation. However, the laws of each county can differ regarding liability for bed bugs. This means you need to be aware of any laws that may shift the burden for dealing with bed bugs.
Our Maryland Bed Bug Attorneys are Ready to Work with You
If you or a family member have a bed bug infestation, you should contact an experienced bed bug attorney. At Whitney, LLP, our injury attorneys possess extensive experience litigating a variety of bed bug liability cases. We understand how stressful it can be to live in a home that has a serious issue like bed bugs, and we are here to stand with you. To schedule a consultation to discuss your case, call Whitney, LLP at (410) 583-8000, or contact us online.
