Bed Bugs: How to Spot Them and Get Rid of Them in South Texas
Bed bugs are small, flat, reddish-brown insects that hide in mattress seams and bed frames and come out at night to feed on people. You confirm them with physical evidence (dark spots, shed skins, eggs or live bugs), not with bites alone. Most infestations need a planned treatment with follow-up visits, because sprays and foggers from the store rarely reach the places they hide.
If you think you have them, call or text (210) 281-1064 or book online and we'll set up an inspection.
What do bed bugs look like? #
Adults are about the size of an apple seed, oval, flat and wingless. They are brown before a meal and turn swollen and redder after one. The EPA puts adults at 5 to 7 mm (3/16 to 1/4 inch); UF/IFAS gives a slightly larger range of 6 to 9.5 mm.
- Nymphs start out pale and almost see-through, so they are easy to miss until they have fed. They molt five times and need blood before each molt.
- Eggs are about 1 mm long, pearl white and sticky. At room temperature they hatch in roughly a week.
- Growth from egg to adult can take about a month when rooms stay between 70 and 80°F, which describes most Texas homes for much of the year.
What else could it be? #
Carpet beetles, ticks and young cockroaches are the usual mix-ups. Bat bugs and bird bugs look almost identical; on a bat bug, the hairs on the shield behind the head are longer than the eye is wide. A wrong ID lets the infestation keep spreading. Compare with our cockroach guide and tick guide, or save a specimen in a sealed jar for the technician.
How do bed bugs get into a home? #
Bed bugs can't fly or jump. They crawl, and they ride along with people. Suitcases, used couches, secondhand mattresses, moving boxes and the apartment next door are the common routes. Weather has nothing to do with it, so they show up in every season.
They are not a sign of a dirty house. Bed bugs feed only on blood, though clutter gives them more places to hide and slows treatment. CDC notes they usually stay within about 8 feet of where people sleep but can crawl more than 100 feet in a night, which is how they move between rooms and units.
What are the signs of bed bugs? #
Check the bed first, then nearby furniture. Look for:
- Rusty or reddish smears on sheets or the mattress, left by crushed bugs
- Small dark spots of droppings that soak into fabric the way a marker bleeds
- Pale eggs and empty eggshells about 1 mm long
- Yellowish skins shed by growing nymphs
- Live bugs tucked into seams, tags and the piping of the mattress or box spring
- A sweetish odor in rooms where many bugs are living, which Texas A&M describes
Good places to search include box spring corners, bed frame joints, the headboard, couch seams, curtain folds, drawer joints, outlet covers, baseboards and picture frames. The EPA's rule of thumb is simple: if a crack could hold a credit card, it could hold a bed bug.
What do bed bug bites look like? #
The bite itself doesn't hurt. Welts appear on skin left uncovered during sleep and often line up in a row or zigzag. Marks can take anywhere from a day to 14 days to show, and about 30% of people never react at all. Since the welts can look like mosquito or chigger bites, hives or a rash, bites by themselves don't prove bed bugs. Flea bites, by contrast, tend to cluster around the ankles; see our flea guide.
Bed bugs are not known to spread disease, according to the CDC. The real harms are the itching, skin infections from scratching, lost sleep and, rarely, anemia after many bites. Dermatologists suggest washing bites with soap and water, using an over-the-counter corticosteroid cream and not scratching. See a doctor for many bites, blisters, signs of infection or an allergic reaction, and get immediate medical care for trouble breathing or a swollen tongue.
What works on bed bugs, and what doesn't? #
Skip these #
- Foggers and bug bombs. The mist doesn't reach cracks and seams, and the cans are a fire risk.
- Rubbing alcohol, kerosene or gasoline. The EPA warns these can hurt people and catch fire.
- Cranking the heat. Space heaters, a fireplace or a high thermostat won't get a house hot enough, and they create a fire hazard.
- Pool or food-grade dusts. The EPA advises against them because they can harm your lungs.
- Throwing out the mattress. Bugs also live in the frame and nearby furniture. Encasing the mattress costs less and works with treatment.
Steps that help while you wait #
- Run bedding and clothes through a hot dryer. The University of Minnesota suggests about 30 minutes; UC IPM says 10 to 15.
- Freeze small items only if your freezer reaches 0°F at the center of the item. EPA says leave them 3 days; Minnesota says 4 or more.
- Vacuum seams and cracks, then seal the bag and take it outside.
- Put zippered encasements on the mattress and box spring, set interceptor cups under the bed legs and keep bedding off the floor.
- Don't move your things into another room or a relative's house. That spreads the problem.
What professional treatment involves #
The EPA says a mix of chemical and non-chemical methods, called integrated pest management, can be the most effective approach, and that clearing an infestation can take weeks to months depending on clutter, neighbors and how closely everyone in the home cooperates. Many bed bug populations now resist common insecticides, and any product used must be EPA-registered with bed bugs listed on its label.
The University of Minnesota says a thorough insecticide program usually means 2 to 3 visits. It also notes that bed bugs and eggs die within 90 minutes at 118°F and almost at once at 122°F, but heat leaves nothing behind to catch returning bugs. Texas A&M adds that seeing a few live bugs for a week to 10 days after an application doesn't mean it failed. Plan to keep checking at least weekly for a year.
Who handles bed bugs in Texas apartments and hotels? #
Texas A&M AgriLife's fact sheet ENT-3013 says multifamily housing, hotels and other lodging in Texas must be treated by a licensed pesticide applicator, so a maintenance worker using store-bought products or heaters would be breaking the law. It also advises:
- Tell the manager right away, both by phone and in writing.
- Catch a bug in a sealed container so it can be identified.
- Treat the units on each side, above and below as infested until they've been inspected.
- Expect several visits, coordinated with the manager.
How does Pest Trappers handle bed bugs? #
We serve houses, apartments and businesses across San Antonio, Stone Oak, Schertz, New Braunfels and Kerrville. Here's how a visit works:
- Inspection. The technician checks the bed, nearby furniture and the rooms around it and confirms bed bugs with physical evidence before recommending anything.
- Options and prep. You'll hear the treatment options, how many visits to expect and a prep list: bag loose items, wash and dry bedding on high heat and seal it, empty nightstands and clear the floors.
- Treatment by the label. Every product is applied exactly as its label directs. The work is done under Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549), a family-owned company licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
- Follow-up. Return visits and monitoring are planned from the start.
Pricing is quoted after the inspection. Book at /book or call or text (210) 281-1064, and the office will confirm your time. Se habla español. More detail is on our bed bug treatment page.
How can you keep bed bugs from coming home? #
- In hotels, keep luggage on a rack or in the bathtub, and check the mattress seams and headboard before you unpack.
- At home, run travel clothes through a hot dryer.
- Look over used furniture before it comes inside, and skip curbside mattresses and couches.
- Use mattress encasements and keep clutter down around beds.