How do I know if I have bed bugs?
Find the bug or its traces — bites alone don't prove it. UF/IFAS warns not to assume bed bugs until you find one or other signs, because red bumps have many causes and not everyone reacts to bites. The signs UF/IFAS lists are live bugs of any stage, shed skins, spots of digested blood on sheets or furniture, and in heavy infestations a musty or sweet odor.
Look along mattress seams and tags, the box spring, the headboard and bed frame joints, nearby baseboards, and the seams of the couch if someone sleeps there. Adults are flat, oval, brownish and about 3/16 inch long — roughly the size of an apple seed.
What should I not do?
Don't bug-bomb, and don't rely on home remedies. UF/IFAS lists bug bombs, herbal remedies and homemade treatments as ineffective against bed bugs. Moving to the couch or a spare room usually just gives them a new place to feed.
- Don't throw out furniture until the company has looked — and if you do, mark it so nobody brings it home.
- Don't carry bedding through the house loose; bag it before it leaves the bedroom.
- Do save a bug in a closed container with rubbing alcohol for identification.
What can I do before the exterminator arrives?
Heat, vacuum and contain. UF/IFAS recommends putting bedding and clothing in a dryer on the highest heat (about 140°F) for 20–30 minutes, vacuuming mattress seams and furniture and emptying the vacuum outside right away, and using good mattress and pillow encasements. Encasements also trap any bugs already inside.
One bug or an infestation?
| What you found | What it means | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| A single adult on luggage or clothing | An "introduction" | Remove and crush it, launder the items on high heat, keep watching. |
| More than one bug, or eggs, nymphs and shed skins | An infestation | Professional treatment — usually more than one visit. |
That split comes from UF/IFAS, which also notes one female can lay 200 eggs and that killing adults, nymphs and eggs may take more than one treatment. Ask any company how many visits are included and how they confirm the job is done.
I rent in Plant City. Who pays for bed bug treatment?
It depends on your lease. Roughly a third of Plant City homes are rentals (66.4% are owner-occupied). UF/IFAS points to Florida Statute 83.51(2)(a) on landlord maintenance duties but notes leases can make pest control the tenant's job — and most renters insurance doesn't cover bed bugs. Report it to the landlord in writing, with photos, as soon as you confirm it.
Whether you rent near downtown or own a home out in Thonotosassa, the call works the same way: describe what you found and you'll be connected with a company that handles bed bugs — part of our wider exterminator help for Plant City homes. Seeing other bugs too? Small roaches in the kitchen are a different job: cockroach control.