Last Monday I went to Torrevieja to carry out a German cockroach treatment in a home with a medium level of infestation. Once I finished, I headed towards Cartagena, since I had another treatment scheduled, also against the same cockroach. They are everywhere!
While on my way, I received a call from Fuente Álamo. On the other end of the line, a very distressed woman told me that she had “small, dark bugs” all over the house. I was quite surprised by the desperation in her voice, especially when she told me that she had even tried to get rid of them by throwing boiling water at them, which is dangerous and complicated. Just imagine the level of helplessness she felt at that moment.
The woman insisted that she was convinced they were bed bugs. What struck me from the beginning was that she did not mention bites at any time, which is the most common and clear sign when there really are bed bugs. Even so, I fully understood her concern and the stress that such a situation can generate in a family. She was very upset and frightened by the idea of having bed bugs in her home.
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On Wednesday of that same week, that is, two days after the call, I went to her house in Fuente Álamo. Due to her nervousness, she sent me the wrong location on WhatsApp. That caused a slight delay, but in just an extra ten minutes I was at the right address.
Before my visit, she had sent me by WhatsApp several pictures of the insects she claimed to see in her home. From those images, it was already possible to guess that they were not bed bugs, but I preferred to wait to check in person so I could confirm it with certainty.
When greeting me, the first thing I did was listen patiently, while she told me in detail the places where she had seen those insects during the past few days. What struck me most was that she never mentioned her bed as one of those places, when that is precisely where bed bugs usually appear first.
I asked her to remain calm and suggested that I carry out a more thorough inspection of her bedroom. I checked the mattress, the bed base, and other typical spots where bed bugs leave dark fecal stains. However, I did not find anything at all that indicated the presence of that pest.
Despite this, she kept repeating that she was sure they were bed bugs. Then, during the conversation, she mentioned something key: she had also seen the insects in the kitchen. This reinforced my suspicion that they could not be bed bugs, since it is very uncommon for them to appear in that part of the house. On the other hand, it is more typical of other insects, such as the German cockroach.
With a flashlight in hand, I checked the kitchen cabinets, especially under the sink, which is usually one of the German cockroach’s favorite hiding places. But once again, I found no trace of cockroaches.
The search continued throughout the house. Finally, after inspecting several rooms, we found one of the insects inside a built-in closet located in the hallway.
I showed it to her directly and explained clearly that this insect was not a bed bug and did not resemble one in the least. To further reassure her, I even showed her a visual comparison with images of bed bugs and eggs on a mattress.
At that moment, I clearly saw a mixture of relief and amazement on her face. After so many days of tension, she finally accepted that, in reality, they were wood beetles, and not bed bugs. The good news is that these insects are not harmful to humans.
They had probably entered the house inside a bag of summer fruit or through dried nuts, since it is relatively common for them to get into homes in this way.
I could sense how a weight was lifted off her shoulders, although I also noticed the emotional exhaustion she had accumulated. She confessed to me that, out of fear and anxiety, she had been sleeping away from home for several days to avoid contact with the insects.
I then recommended carrying out a treatment with insecticidal lacquer applied on all the furniture and drawers in the house, including also the door frames. This would serve both to eliminate existing insects and to reinforce protection in case of new appearances.
The most important lesson from this real experience is that: Correct identification of the pest is essential, as it prevents anxiety, wasted time, and unnecessary expenses.
If you ever find strange insects in your home and do not know what they are, do not let worry steal your peace. Contact Control de Plagas Levante and we will carry out a professional inspection to accurately diagnose the problem and offer you the most appropriate treatment.
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