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Adult Bedbugs

Adult bed bugs are about 3/16-inch long and reddish-brown, with oval, flattened bodies. They are sometimes mistaken for ticks or cockroaches. The immature's (nymphs) resemble the adults, but are smaller and lighter in color. Bed bugs do not fly, but can move rapidly over floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces. Female bed bugs lay their eggs in secluded areas, depositing 1, 2 or more eggs per day and hundreds during a lifetime. The eggs are tiny, whitish, and hard to see on most surfaces without magnification (individual eggs are about the size of a dust speck). Their flat shape enables them to readily hide in cracks and crevices. The body becomes more elongate, swollen, and dark red after a blood meal. Bed bugs have a beaklike piercing-sucking mouthpart system. The adults have small, stubby, nonfunctional wing pads. Newly hatched nymphs are nearly colorless, becoming brownish as they mature. Nymphs have the general appearance of adults. Eggs are white and about 1/32 inch long.

When first laid, the eggs are sticky, causing them to adhere to surfaces. Newly hatched nymphs are straw-colored and no bigger than a pinhead. As they grow, they molt (shed their skin) five times before reaching maturity. A blood meal is needed between each successive molt. Under favorable conditions (70-80°F), the bugs can complete development in as little as a month, producing three or more generations per year. Cooler temperatures or limited access to blood extends the development time. Bed bugs are resilient. Nymphs can survive months without feeding and the adults for more than a year. Infestations therefore are unlikely to diminish by leaving premises unoccupied. Although C. secularism prefers feeding on humans, it will also bite other warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, birds and rodents.

Adults feed once a week on average but feed many times during their four-month or longer life span. Adults usually live for around 10 months, but can live for a year or more. In a home, where the environment is conducive to their reproduction (their ideal breeding temperature is between 21° to 28°C), bed bugs can breed year round. Adult bed bugs have been known to survive for as long as 550 days (over a year and a half!) without feeding.

Bed bugs grow by molting several times. Nymphs look very much like the adults, except they are smaller and not sexually mature. There are five nymph al molts, and each nymph must have a blood meal to be able to molt to the next stage. Adults feed once a week on average but feed many times during their four-month or longer life span.

International travel and commerce are thought to facilitate the spread of these insect hitchhikers, because eggs, young, and adult bed bugs are readily transported in luggage, clothing, bedding, and furniture. Bed bugs can infest airplanes, ships, trains, and buses. Bed bugs are most frequently found in dwellings with a high rate of occupant turnover, such as hotels, motels, hostels, dormitories, shelters, apartment complexes, tenements, and prisons. Such infestations usually are not a reflection of poor hygiene or bad house keep.

Bed Bug Preparation

This guide will provide you with the knowledge and help, and guide you through the steps you need to take to do Advanced Bed Bug Preparation before our Bed Bug Pest Control Expert comes to your residence, to provide you with Bed Bug Extermination.

Fact: The biggest mistake most people with bed bug infestations make, is trying to solve their bed bug problem without a Professional Pest Control Exterminator. Most people who try to solve their bed bug infestation by themselves end up making the problem significantly worse and causing the bed bug infestation to dramatically spread. Don't make the mistake of trying to solve your bed bug problem without a Certified Pest Control Expert.

Let's tell it like it is: Be ready for one of the biggest challenges of your life! Bed Bugs are more resilient and resistant than any other pest, including rats and cockroaches! However, we are going to be providing you with the most comprehensive information possible to ensure you win this battle with our help.

Good Bed Bug Preparation Requires Teamwork!

Be ready for some very serious, exhausting, detailed, hard work! Get a friend or friends to help you, if possible, because the amount of preparation can sometimes be mind-boggling. Do it right the first time; do the necessary hard work. You can't skimp when it comes to preparing for bed bug treatment. Follow your Exterminator's customized instructions carefully, for achieving the best results.

More specifically, these are some of the detailed steps you need to take before a State-Registered, Bed Bug, Pest Control Specialist can come to your home and properly treat your living space. Some of the things you will be doing during this bed bug preparation plan might seem repetitive, and they surely will be; in fact, some of the things you do personally, will also be repeated by the Bed Bug Exterminator, but you must understand, repetitiveness is the most vital element in a properly designed, vigilant and long-term Bed Bug Eradication Program. We also intend to emphasize certain concepts, in different ways, to insure the necessary preparations are clearly understood and employed.

"Bed Bug Treatments Require Repetition"

It usually takes more than one treatment to eradicate bed bugs! So be prepared to repeat the advanced bed bug preparation process!

Repetition -- Repetition '“ Repetition!

Bed bugs are tremendously difficult to eradicate, and you are more likely than not, to find yourself in the drudgery of repeating the steps in a bed bug extermination preparation plan, over and over again, because exterminator treatments must be repeated. But, this is what it takes if you want to live bed bug free '“ repetition! You also need to realize, not only will you possibly be doing this bed bug preparation plan more than once in a given amount of time, but after your preparation, and treatment, you should religiously and repetitiously follow our advice of post-bed bug treatment and removal, to ensure bed bugs are kept away - even that is no guarantee.

"Pre-Emption and Long Term Vigilance"

The reality is, bed bugs have become such a powerfully resilient and resistant bug, that pre-emption and long term vigilance are the only options we have been left with.

The Bed Bug Preparation List

Always start with the BED! This is usually the root of the infestation.

Tip: Get a tape measure and measure your mattress and box spring; length, width and height '“ record full dimensions, and which room (if you have more than one bedroom) on paper.

1. Before a Bed Bug Extermination, please make sure you remove all bedding from all mattresses, collect all the cloth, materials, linens, various quilts, blankets, etc. Everything associated with your bed must be removed from the entire living space of your home or apartment. This includes any and all fabrics, and/or materials that are machine washable and dry cleanable, including pillows (don't forget pillow cases), mattress covers, towels, everything you can possibly think of associated with your bed. Also, special fabrics and cloth materials that are in storage or closets should be collected and properly cleaned. Just because it wasn't on your bed at the time of infestation, doesn't mean it is not at risk of harboring bed bugs or bed bug eggs. Once you have a bed bug infestation you must understand that everything in your entire living space can possibly provide safe harborage for bed bugs, even things you might have never thought of. Don't forget to remove all the items from under the bed.

"If it has threads in it, it needs to be washed or cleaned, to ensure bed bugs or bed bug eggs are eradicated.'

2. Wash everything, literally everything, including bedding and any clothing/fabrics that may have come in contact with bedbugs, in HOT water (if it won't get ruined), and dry in Hot dryer if possible (if it won't get ruined) - otherwise be prepared for a big dry cleaning bill. Make sure you wash all other linens and fabrics as directed so they don't get ruined. Everything has to be washed, but follow the instructions, so they don't get ruined (this can't be said enough) - and everything means everything that has threads in it, including rugs (steam if possible) and curtains/drapes have to be cleaned as instructed.

3. Make sure you completely empty all storage areas and closets in all rooms in your living space, including anything fabric; towels, curtains, table covers, miscellaneous linens, etc., even if you haven't used it, or it's in the room next door, it has to be cleaned and properly stored and sealed afterward as will be explained - no exceptions. This intensive procedure has to be done if you want the maximum chance of success. Keep closets and storage spaces empty, so they can be treated fully by a Bed Bug Exterminator.

The whole point of this initial process, is to kill off any bed bug eggs, bed bug nymphs, baby, teenage, adult or grandparent bed bugs, hiding in these items. Please know, bed bugs are incredibly good at hiding in the tiniest of cracks, crevasses, seams and folds of bedding, cloth, curtains and rugs, etc. Don't underestimate bed bugs, ever.

"Bed bugs will hide even in places you would think seem impossible or unthinkable."

4. After a thorough washing and/or cleaning, be sure to place all your fully dry items in some kind of FULLY SEALED bins or garbage bags. You have to thoroughly seal as much as possible to prevent sneaky bed bugs from re-infesting your belongings by entering and hiding in the clean fabrics. Bed bugs will take the opportunity, if you give it to them, to re-infest safe items, especially since cloth materials are least likely to have pesticides or harmful toxins in them (bed bugs are clever).

Important Reminder: After a bed bug treatment, the safest place for bed bugs will be in your clean clothing, bedding, curtains and cloth materials, etc., so those items have to absolutely, positively be fully sealed up in plastic bags or plastic sealable bins.

Electronics and Equipment

Bed bugs are notorious for hiding in receptacles (electrical sockets), therefore, be sure to unplug all electronic devices in rooms being treated for bed bug removal. This will make the area more easily accessible to the Bed Bug Pest Control Technicians.

Please do a thorough cleaning including a Vacuuming with a brush attachment; Vacuum floors, cracks, seams, carpets, every possible nook and cranny which you can fit a screw driver in, could harbor bed bugs, including ceiling moldings, wall moldings, chair railing, baseboards, floors, walls and ceiling cracks.

Important Reminder: Please remove all hanging pictures from walls, gently and carefully vacuum the back of these items and then place them in one area of your home for treatment by our Expert Bed Bug Specialist.

Rugs, Carpets, Furniture and Floors

1. Rugs should ideally be steam cleaned. Rent a good steam cleaner and clean the rugs, sofa, love seat and couch cushions (depending on the material), any other kind of furniture (if it won't damage the furniture) which humans and pets use. If you can get a hand held steamer, you can much more efficiently clean furniture, including furniture that is upholstered, mattresses, box springs and so forth.

2. Clear a path around the walls. In order to allow the Inspector to properly treat all rooms, you must please move all objects away from the perimeter of your treatable rooms, including any non-permanently attached wall items such as art work, which must be inspected and possibly treated.

For Example: If your loveseat, sofa or bed is up against a wall, you need pull it far enough away from the wall, so the certified bed bug pest control extermination expert with bed bug equipment, can easily treat the area.
Important Reminder: Don't forget closets and storage areas.

The bed bug pest control specialist and experts will need full access to the perimeter of the rooms, closets and storage areas, including adjacent locations in your living space where bed bugs might be established and hiding, which typically includes bedrooms, living room, den, libraries, studies, kid's rooms and anywhere humans or pets frequent or lounge.

Important Reminder: Make sure you have a really good, working vacuum cleaner, with good bristled attachments, and plenty of fresh, extra vacuum cleaner bags. Be sure that after you finish vacuuming, you immediately remove the full vacuum bag and seal it up in a black plastic bag, so that the bed bugs can't sneak out at a later time when no one is looking!

Vacuum twice!

3. Double vacuum from top to bottom, your entire bed, mattress, box spring and bed frame. It can't be emphasized enough: mattresses and box spring frames should be vacuumed twice with the bristled vacuum attachment, especially around the tufts and seams. Also inspect for blood stains and bed bug harborage locations.

Important Reminder: On the box spring, look for holes and leaks, pull back the cloth on the bottom of the box spring, and inspection and vacuum in there.

I know this all sounds so exhausting, but it will be significantly more exhausting if you don't do an extremely thorough bed bug preparation. Everything you do helps to increase the probability of bed bug treatment success.

This will prepare these items for the Bed Bug Exterminator, who will be doing a comprehensive treatment of these items (even repeating some of the things you did during preparation, but with proper treatment chemicals or green solutions).

Mattress Covers, Box Spring Covers and Pillow Case Covers

Make sure you get good physical measurements of your mattress and box spring for the Exterminator, ahead of time, as the beds are going to have to be sealed after treatment, or if the beds are old and worn out, and it's within your budget, it might be time to buy a new mattress and box spring. However, the items still need to be treated so they do not spread bed bugs. One of the fastest ways that bed bugs get spread is through people abandoning infested items on the curb, it is better to treat the existing furniture than to throw it away.

Hard Furniture

1. Empty all shelves, metal or wooden bookcases, desks, dressers, nightstands and every possible piece of furniture. Turn furniture upside down if possible (make sure you wear a weight belt or back support, get help so you don't throw out your back, or get someone to help you if you can't do it yourself) and vacuum those items really well with the vacuum cleaner bristled attachment.

Important Reminder: It can't be emphasized enough: Make sure you remove every drawer, vacuum it with a bristled vacuum attachment from top, bottom, up, down, left and right, every nook and cranny on them (especially the backs and bottoms of them). Look for black bed bug feces, tiny white/translucent eggs, and bed bugs, themselves.

Bed Bugs and Smell
Take a deep sniff near infestation sites; do you smell something sweet and death-like smell? Be familiar with that smell,

Bedbug Detection

Bed bugs are visible to the naked eye too. The reason that you dont see them around frequently is that they are nocturnal and they do not parade around in the day time. They are small insects that resemble the apple seed in shape and size, but they are a little thinner. The bed bugs are rounded on top. Many people do not even realize that they are seeing bed bugs when they see them for the first time, as the exposure to it is very less. It is hard to see crawling insects off late. Even in the hotels, you will not realize that it is a bed bug till it crawls up to your shoulders. The bed bugs are pretty shy. They do not move when you are moving. It is only when you are too much into your dream that they will even come forward to attack you.

The bed bugs are nocturnal. They are really active only during the night. Bed bugs carry this musty scent with them, and the smell is offensive. The room with the maximum amount of bed bug infestation will carry this smell. Bed bugs try to stay near their prey all the time. So, the best place to find them is where the humans stay, like the bedroom, or the living room. Sometimes, even the dining room turns out to their place of hiding.

Once it is confirmed that they are hiding in a particular place, you need to check the mattresses, the beds, and crevices in sofas. These are the usual hiding spots for the bed bugs. The presence of the bed bugs is accompanied by a reddish brown stain in the place where they stay. If the female bug lays eggs, there will be white nymphs located there. You will be able to see the excrement, and the shed skins in case bed bugs are present. In case you want to know if they are present, try waking up in the dead of the night, and stay still, you might feel them crawling over you to your shoulders or any exposed part. If you move a bit, it will also back out, and if you again stay still, it will advance to the exposed part. In case you move again, it will get freaked and it will run away to its hideout.

Allergic reactions to bites have been apparent in most people as the repeated bites have caused the skin to be sensitized to their saliva. The bite signs are misleading and can resemble the appearance of other blood seeking insects like fleas and mosquitoes. People bitten the first time sometimes even mistake the bites as poison ivy or spider bites.The distinguishing characteristic is the small red dot in the center of each bed bug bite.

Adult females lay as much as 5 eggs a day or 500 in their entire lifetime. As aforementioned these eggs are whitish in color sometimes they are visible enough to see without the use of magnifying devices. Toprevent these eggs from ever spreadingand to trap them inside your infested mattress you need to use an effective and provenbedbug mattress cover. These eggs can be found in crevices or cracks in the wall, floor, behind wallpaper, in furniture, baseboards and the like. Their flat characteristic makes it easy for them to find dwelling in tiny crevices. From its namesake bed bugs are often found living inbeds, tufts, seams, mattress crevices, box springs the headboard or the bed frame can be itself their sprawling Beverly Hills neighborhood. While it is common for the bed to be their domicile, nightstands, sofas, upholstered chairs, clocks, telephones, wall fixtures, and even ceiling fixtures like your smoke detector is more than enough space to set up camp.

If a company tells you that the bed bug dog is 100% effective, be wary. No dog or human can be 100% effective in detecting bedbugs, so its important that they are honest with you. If you are hire a bedbug sniffing dog team, you should make sure that the inspector is independent from an exterminator, as it would be a conflict of interest for them to do so. There are many different certifications available for bed bug dog teams, but despite their professional sounding acronyms, this doesnt exactly mean that a dog team is more effective if they have this certification. Training and handling are the two most important factors that influence a dogs success in detection, not a certification with an organization.
In conclusion, if youre concerned about bed bugs, you should most definitely consider a dog inspection team to first detect a problem, if there is one. Detection is the first step in bedbug control.