Pests We Treat - Bed bug found during inspection in Brick, NJ home

Recently, a homeowner in Brick, NJ contacted Cowleys after seeing that she had a bug bite after waking up in her bed. As you’ll see, it was a good thing that she did. Mysterious bug bites after waking up or resting in bed or on your favorite sofa or recliner are often the first sign of a bed bug problem. These bugs stay well hidden between their blood meals and, especially in the early stages of an infestation, the signs are subtle and easily overlooked.  

Here, the homeowner began stripping her bed and searching everywhere. As often happens, she found nothing. Someone may or may not find live bed bug activity, and if you aren’t familiar with the signs of a bed bug infestation, know where they commonly hide, or don’t conduct a systematic and thorough search, you may well not find anything. Nevertheless, she did not want to take and chances. She did the smart thing and contacted Cowleys. 

When I arrived, the homeowner appeared frazzled and appeared as though she hadn’t slept in days. She said she just couldn’t sleep until she knew what was biting her at night. I completely understood. Even just thinking you have bed bugs can cause a lot of anxiety.  She took me to her bedroom, which was sparse with few pieces of furniture and possessions. When dealing with bed bug infestations, that makes my job much easier because the less clutter, the less potential harborage areas for these biting bugs. 

The bed frame was rather large and not easy to move. However, for a proper inspection, it needed to be pulled away from the wall, so I slowly lifted the mattress and box spring so that I would not dislodge any bugs, and inspected the seams — a common bed bug hiding spot. Nothing. I saw that there was a small nightstand and slowly removed the drawers for inspection. Again, nothing. I flipped over the nightstand and, still, nothing. There were no fecal stains or bed bug skins from molting anywhere. Bed bug specialists must be persistent. Every time I find nothing in one location, I look at it as being one step closer to finding the bugs. Using my flashlight, I scanned the baseboards that were hidden from view by the bed. JACKPOT! I found a bed bug — and it was a juicy one filled with blood from a recent blood meal. The client was visibly relieved that I found the source of her problems. Even though it’s never good news knowing you have bed bugs, it’s better than having bed bugs and not knowing that you do. Once you know the problem, it can be treated. She requested that we treat the room and wherever else there may be an infestation. For me, the detective work and finding the problem is the most rewarding part of a bed bug inspection.