Category: Bed bugs

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Discovering that your home is infested with bedbugs is one of the worst feelings a homeowner can face. The creeping little parasites burrow into the most unlikely hiding places, disappearing into the tiniest cracks and crevices during the day, and into the seams of bedding, to wait for their opportunity to feast overnight on human blood, leaving their reluctant hosts with itching welts that resemble a rash. To get rid of these pests, you need to find the best treatment. Fortunately there’s a treatment that bedbugs can’t hide from, that kills them quickly and efficiently, destroying eggs, larvae, and adults alike- heat treatment.

How Does It Work?

Heat is the bedbugs’ Achilles heel. At high temperatures, they die within minutes, which is why residents are often advised to run their clothing, fabric toys, and bedding through a cycle in their dryer when undergoing treatment for bedbugs. At 120^oF, bedbugs at all stages die within minutes, making heat the best treatment. Heat treatment is the only treatment that can destroy an infestation in just one treatment, without chemicals or pesticides.

Why Is it The Best Treatment?

Does anyone really want to introduce chemical sprays into the places where we sleep? Treating one’s home with pesticides may be effective in some cases, but bedbugs are experts at hiding deep within the crevices and seams of our mattresses, and in the baseboards of bedroom walls. They may also take refuge in luggage and laundry, and in any tiny place they can hide. It’s nearly impossible for pesticides to be applied to every potential hiding place and surface, and repeated treatments are necessary for that reason. Heat treatment, when applied properly, penetrates every area bedbugs can hide, and leaves behind no pesticide residue.

Can I Do it Myself?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions about heat treatment. In order to be effective, the heat must be applied evenly to every place in which bedbugs can take refuge. That means inside walls, and in and around every surface of the home. It is necessary to remove clutter and prepare the rooms to be treated by removing any item that cannot tolerate high levels of heat, like aerosol cans, wax figures or candles, and electronics. It’s not possible to bring rooms up to the correct temperatures with any at-home heating systems. Special equipment is needed to ensure that the heat is circulated thoroughly and efficiently, to eradicate the bugs. The heat that the technicians are exposed to during the treatment can pose serious health risks if not correctly handled. Heat treatment for bedbugs is best left to a team of professionals who can ensure that it is both effective and safe.

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Bed bugs have become an epidemic across America. Even in “nice” neighborhoods and homes that are regularly cleaned, these tiny, voracious parasites can establish themselves and make their unwilling hosts’ lives miserable. Detecting an infestation is the first step in eradicating these annoying little critters from your life. Even if you are positive you’re dealing with a bed bug infestation, getting rid of them can be very challenging and may require professional intervention and maintenance to get them out and keep them out in the future.

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Bed Bug Bites

Bed bug bites are often the first indicator that people notice when bed bugs move into a home. Perhaps you’ve recently traveled, staying in a hotel, or brought home a new piece of furniture or mattress. Even new furniture can carry in eggs and insects, giving the bugs a chance at gaining a foothold in your home. Bed bugs can travel on nearly any piece of fabric or upholstery, and they do not require constant contact with a host to survive. Unfortunately, bed bug bites are often confused with bites from flies, chiggers, spiders and other insects. Bed bug bites tend to appear in rows. They may be red, raised welts or blisters. Some people report itching without the appearance of a bite. If you are experiencing bite symptoms- actual welts or itching after sleeping, it’s possible that you’re dealing with bed bugs and you should start searching for other signs.

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Sheds and Spots

As they grow, bed bugs molt, or shed their exoskeleton. These exoskeletons appear as tiny clear representations of the bugs themselves. In addition to the shed exoskeletons, you may find spots of dried blood or feces on sheets. The spots may be dark brown or black in color. After feasting on the hosts’ blood, bed bugs excrete the blood, leaving behind tell-tale spots. Search for the spots on sheets and on furniture around the sleeping area.

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Bed Bugs

The most reliable way of discovering a bed bug infestation is to find samples of the bugs themselves. If you can collect samples of the bugs, a professional can tell you for certain exactly what you’re dealing with and how to get rid of them. While bed bugs are secretive by nature, they can be found by carefully examining creases and crevices in and around furniture and the spaces around nearby wall boards. Passive traps placed around furniture and bed legs may also yield results in the form of captured insects. Once you’ve identified your infestation as bed bugs, it’s important to develop a removal and treatment plan to remove the invaders and keep them away.

If you suspect your home is infested with bed bugs or other pests, call Exclusive Pest Control for an evaluation and treatment plan. Don’t let bed bugs take over your home. Call us today.