Before paying for treatment, you need to know if it really is bed bugs and how far it has spread. A professional inspection answers both questions. For Sebastopol landlords and hosts who rent a room, cottage or ADU, it also creates the written findings that California law says tenants must receive.
Signs It Is Time to Book
- You wake up with new bites more than once.
- Dark specks show up on the fitted sheet or mattress edge.
- You spotted a small flat bug or pale shells near the bed.
- A guest or tenant in your cottage mentioned bites.
- You just brought home a used or vintage piece.
Where the Search Goes
The check starts at the bed and moves outward: mattress seams and labels, box springs, frames, headboards, nightstands, couches, baseboards, outlet plates and drapery folds. In older Sebastopol cottages, board walls, window trim and floor edges get a careful look, and on rural parcels any guest unit or converted outbuilding with a bed should be included.
What Happens During the Visit
- Talk firstWhen the bites began, where everyone sleeps, and any recent trips, guests or furniture finds.
- Room checkBedrooms first, then living spaces and any separate guest building.
- ProofBugs, eggs, skins or spotting are pointed out to you, usually with photos.
- Write-upA summary of affected rooms and the treatment options that fit.
For Sebastopol Hosts, Landlords and Tenants
Close to half of households inside city limits rent, and many rural owners rent out a second unit. AB 551 gives a landlord 2 business days to pass a licensed operator's findings to the tenants affected. Hosts also book checks between stays.
Before the Technician Arrives
- Leave the bed as it is so the evidence is still there.
- Put off any spraying until after the visit.
- Clear clutter from around beds and couches.
Questions About Inspections
My bites could be from spiders or fleas. How do I know?
You cannot tell from the bites alone. The technician looks for the bugs themselves plus eggs, shed skins and dark spotting before calling it bed bugs.
What if nothing turns up but I keep getting bitten?
Ask for a K9 search or a second visit a couple of weeks later. A brand new infestation can be only a few bugs.
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 Sebastopol. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.