Daily Archives: August 25, 2015

Bed Bug Extermination

Program Overview Bed bugs are blood-seeking insects known for infesting areas where people and animals sleep, and are a growing problem in North America, particularly in areas with large or transient human populations, such as apartment buildings, hotels, cruise ships and dormitories. Their bites cause itchy red welts, skin infections and allergic reactions as a result of the saliva they inject when they feed.

Notoriously hard to detect, bed bugs hide in bed frames, mattresses and box springs, clothing, luggage, furniture, book bindings, behind baseboards and under wallpaper. They are difficult to eradicate and dont have a preference for dirty or clean areas they are as likely to show up in a five star hotel as they are to take up residence anywhere else.

Bed bugs cant hide from the experts at Western Pest Service. We employ bed bug sniffing dogs, one of the most effective bed bug detecting tools available. Additionally, we offer several types of extermination treatments for bed bug infestations.

Prior to our arrival, well present you with a series of bed bug treatment preparation steps, such as removing bedding. From there, a series of bed bug elimination tactics are employed:

How Long Does it Take to Get Rid of Them? Presently, data collected from pest management companies nationwide indicates that it takes an average of 2.4 visits to control a bed bug problem. The number of visits of course, is dependent upon the size and distribution of the bed bug population when Western is called for control.

When it comes to bed bugs, you can rely on Western to inspect and uncover problems and with bed bugs, the earlier the better. If you suspect you have a problem, request a bed bug inspection today and rest assured.

Scientific Classification: Cimex lectularius

Of the 92 species of bed bugs found around the world, 16 have been reported in the continental United States and Canada. An invasive pest that has been around as long as mankind, bed bugs appear in the early writings of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans as well as in the New Testament. The common bed bug feeds on the blood of sleeping humans and holds an unnerving presence in the Mid-Atlantic region as well as other temperate zones. Tricky to control, bed bug infestations demand immediate attention from pest management professionals.

The reasons to not like bed bugs are too numerous to list. The most important reason they bite! Bed bugs live by feeding off the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts. And these bites will cause raised red bumps and welts, and can cause a burning sensation and itching.

What Do They Look Like?

Size: Adult bed bugs tend to grow no longer than 3/16 of an inch and no wider than 1/8 of an inch.

Color: Unfed bed bugs range in color from light tan to mahogany or brown. After consuming a blood meal, the parasites take on a red color.

Characteristics: Flat and oval in shape, bed bugs possess a pair of antennae, vestigial wing pads and are covered with short, golden hairs.

Collectively, the various species of bed bugs enjoy worldwide distribution. The common bed bug prefers the temperate regions of North America, Europe and Central Asia, while the tropical bed bug dominates warmer areas of the world and holds a strong presence in Florida.

What Do They Eat?

Bed bugs feed exclusively on the blood of humans and other animals. The parasites require blood meals to facilitate reproduction and nymphal development.

By passing through the developmental stages of egg and nymph before reaching adulthood, bed bugs undergo a gradual metamorphosis. The full life cycle takes an average of four to five weeks to complete, as nymphs molt five times before reaching the adult stage and need a blood meal before each instar. Access to a host and the temperature of the surrounding environment directly affects the length of the bed bug life cycle. In ideal temperatures with a high availability of host animals, bed bugs can produce up to four generations in one year. Males target recently fed females for mating. A single female bed bug is capable of laying two to five eggs a day or about 200 to 500 in her lifetime.

Despite their longstanding association with unsanitary home environments, bed bugs regularly infest a variety of clean and dirty areas in places such as hotels, apartments, college dormitories, public transportation, office buildings, movie theaters, laundromats and private residences. Although they can be serious pests, bed bugs do not inflict significant structural damage or transmit diseases to humans. Instead, their pest status is attributed to the fact that they feed on the blood of humans and other animals including bats, insects, poultry, lab mammals, pigeons and house pets.

The proteins in bed bug saliva cause progressively increasing sensitivity to bites, though not everyone is prone to a reaction. Still, some people develop rashes or itchy welts and may even experience psychological distress that can lead to constant agitation or sleeplessness.

Bed bugs typically nest in the cracks, crevices, and seams of headboards, bed frames, mattresses, box springs and upholstered furniture. Adults and nymphs emerge at night to feed on the blood of sleeping humans. Bed bug bites often produce symptoms, such as tiny red welts or a rash that indicate the existence of an infestation problem. Furthermore, large infestations may give off a sweet, musty odor. The most apparent and telling sign of a bed bug infestation remains the fecal and blood spots that the parasites leave on bed linens and around nesting sites.

Primarily caused by traveling to and from an infested location, the spread of bed bugs is best prevented by dutifully checking the bedding at hotels, inspecting luggage before returning home, washing and drying all clothes upon return on the hottest advisable setting (for items that cant be washed like leather shoes and coats, drying alone is effective) and storing luggage away from sleep areas. Homeowners and residents should also regularly wash bedsheets and check mattress seams, headboards and bed frames for the existence of adult bed bugs. Regular vacuuming and steaming and using mattress encasements also helps reduce the chances of a bed bug infestation.

Once bed bugs become established in the home, eradication generally requires professional assistance. Pest control professionals possess the necessary certifications to handle the chemicals and special tools that bed bug infestations demand. While certain bed bug pesticides are available in stores, the ones used by industry professionals regularly prove more effective. Furthermore, furniture may need to be disassembled to fully banish the pests. Overall, the elimination of bed bugs involves a significant amount of time and effort, and pest control professionals have the best chance of effectively removing the parasitic insects from the home.

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Get Rid of Bed Bugs: Bed Bug Extermination Services