Not every small, reddish-brown bug in a mattress is a common bed bug. Bed bugs in Arkansas include look-alikes such as bat bugs, and each one needs a different fix. Bug Masters Exterminating Co. provides bed bug treatment in North Little Rock, AR, as a family-owned company with three generations of experience serving Central Arkansas.
Bed bug bites can cause itchy welts, rashes, and skin irritation, among other symptoms. Bed bugs are not known to spread disease, but some people have allergic reactions to bites. Serious reactions are rare and call for medical attention.
If you or someone you know is dealing with a bed bug infestation, the first step in getting rid of bed bugs is to contact a reliable pest control company in Central Arkansas. Bug Masters’ professional bed bug exterminators in Little Rock can identify the species of bed bug and the best way to eradicate the infestation.
What Are the Most Common Types of Bed Bugs in Arkansas?
The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is the species most adapted to living with humans, and it is the one you are most likely dealing with in an Arkansas home. Look-alikes include the tropical bed bug, bat bugs, and bird bugs. Bed bugs (also spelled bedbugs) belong to the Cimicidae family, which has about 100 species, 16 of them in North America. Only a few bite people and move into homes.
The Common Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius)
The most widespread bed bug is the common bed bug or the cimex lectularius, which literally translates to “bug of the bed.” Early colonists brought this species to North America in the 17th century. If you have a bed bug infestation in Little Rock or the surrounding area, this is likely the insect you are dealing with.
The common bed bug takes up residence in your bed and can be difficult to find during the day because it comes out at night to feed on the person sleeping in the bed. Bed bugs usually reach a new property by hitchhiking in luggage, clothing, bedding, or secondhand furniture, which is why bed bugs are more common than most people expect, even in clean homes.
The Tropical Bed Bug (Cimex hemipterus)
Similar to the common bed bug, the tropical bed bug shares most of the same traits but is more often found in warm climates. It is rare in the United States, with occasional reports in Florida. While this species isn’t native to Arkansas, travelers can bring bed bugs home in their luggage, so it pays to inspect a hotel room before unpacking.
Bat Bugs (Cimex adjunctus) and Swallow Bugs
Bat bugs closely resemble bed bugs. The eastern bat bug, Cimex adjunctus, is the bat bug found across the eastern United States. Typically these insects feed on bats. If there is a scarcity of bats, these bugs might move inside and feed on humans, though they bite people far less often than bed bugs do.
The most common cause for bat bugs to find their way into your home or bedroom is if you have bats in your attic. Bat bugs can migrate down and take up residence in your mattress and bedroom, spreading in nearly the exact same way as bed bugs. The main visual difference is longer hairs near the head.
Because bat bugs and bed bugs look nearly identical to the naked eye, the cause of a bat bug infestation can go unnoticed, and they can easily return if the bat infestation is left untreated. Swallow bugs (Oeciacus vicarius) are a related species that lives in cliff swallow nests. When swallows nest on a building, these bugs can move indoors and feed on people.
Poultry Bug (Also Known as the Mexican Chicken Bug)
Another bug often misidentified as a bed bug is the poultry bug. As the name might suggest, this bug feeds off of chickens and other farm poultry, but it will feed off human hosts and infest a mattress in a similar fashion. It is a bird parasite that lives mostly around poultry.
What Does a Bed Bug Look Like?
An adult common bed bug is flat, oval, and reddish-brown, about 1/4 inch long. It has no wings, so bed bugs cannot fly. They crawl from room to room, and they spread when people carry them in luggage, clothing, and furniture.
Young bed bugs (nymphs) are nearly colorless and range from about 1.5 mm to 5 mm. After a meal, an adult swells and looks longer.
Signs matter as much as the bug itself. Shed skins, bugs in the folds of mattresses and sheets, rust-colored spots, and a sweet, musty odor all point to an infestation. Bed bugs hide in cracks and crevices near where people sleep, including behind switch plates, baseboards, and picture frames, so they are not limited to the bed.
Are Those Bites from Bed Bugs?
Small, red, itchy welts that appear in a line or at random are typical of bed bug bites, and mosquito and flea bites look much the same. Reactions vary. Some people show no marks at all, and others develop bites up to 14 days later, so bites alone cannot confirm bed bugs.
A pest professional confirms bed bugs by finding the bugs or their signs. If the cause turns out to be fleas, Bug Masters treats those too. Arkansas homes deal with different pests as the seasons change, and the bugs common in Arkansas homes vary from spring to fall.
Why the Type of Bug Matters for Treatment
Bed bugs, bat bugs, and bird bugs look alike, but each one starts somewhere different. A bed bug problem starts with people and travel. A bat bug problem starts with bats in the attic, and a poultry bug problem starts with birds.
Treat the bed and skip the source, and the bugs come back. That is why a professional should confirm the exact type of bug before treatment starts.
Bed Bug Treatment from Bug Masters in North Little Rock, AR
Bed bug control in Arkansas starts with an inspection to confirm which bug you have, where it is hiding, and how far it has spread. Bug Masters then uses bed bug heat treatment, not chemical sprays. Heat remediation raises the temperature of the treatment area to eliminate bed bugs, larvae, and eggs at every life stage, with no pesticide residue and no waiting to reoccupy. Most residential treatments are completed in a single visit.
A bed bug infestation is linked to the mattress, but bed bugs spread throughout the entire property, so treatment has to cover more than the bed. University of Arkansas extension entomologists put it plainly: bed bug control is not a do-it-yourself job.
We provide pest control for residential and commercial clients throughout Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana year-round. Hotels and apartments face extra risk because bed bugs move between rooms and units, and we can treat affected areas while the rest of the property stays open.
If you are dealing with bed bugs, bat bugs, or poultry bugs in your home or business, Bug Masters helps Central Arkansas property owners identify the problem and build a treatment plan around their property.
