Before you spend money on treatment, it helps to know for sure that the problem is bed bugs and how far it reaches. A professional inspection settles both questions. For Del Mar landlords and permitted rental owners, it also produces the written findings California law expects landlords to share with tenants.
Good Reasons to Book an Inspection
- Bites keep showing up after nights in the same bed.
- Brown or black specks appear on sheets or along mattress seams.
- You spotted a small flat bug or a pale shell near where you sleep.
- A guest at your rental home said they were bitten.
- You recently brought home a used mattress, sofa or chair.
What Gets Checked
The technician focuses on anything within a few feet of where people sleep or sit: mattress seams and labels, box springs, bed frames and headboards, bedside tables, sofas and armchairs, baseboards, outlet covers and the folds of drapes. In homes with a separate guest room or a rented unit, those rooms are checked as well.
How the Visit Goes
- QuestionsWhen the bites began, who sleeps where, and any recent travel, visitors or furniture.
- SearchBedrooms first, then sitting areas and any guest rooms.
- EvidenceBugs, eggs, skins or stains are pointed out and often photographed.
- ReportA written note of the rooms involved and the treatment options.
For Del Mar Landlords and Rental Owners
AB 551 requires a landlord to give affected tenants the findings of a licensed operator's inspection within 2 business days. Owners of short-term rentals in Del Mar also find an inspection useful between stays, so a problem is caught before the next group arrives for a 3-night visit or longer.
Getting Ready
- Leave the bed made as it is, even if the sheets look dirty.
- Do not spray or fog anything beforehand.
- Move boxes and clutter away from the bed and sofa.
Questions About Inspections
Could the bites be from beach bugs instead?
They could. Sand fleas, mosquitoes and other pests can leave similar marks, so the technician looks for the bugs themselves and the stains, skins and eggs they leave.
The inspection found nothing but I am still getting bitten. What next?
Ask about a K9 search or a second visit in a few weeks. A very new infestation can be hard to spot by eye.
How your call is handled: Bed Bug Control CA is a free referral service. When you call or send the form, you are connected with an independent, licensed pest control company that serves Del Mar. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.