Bed Bugs Facts and Info

Keller Pest Control
by Keller Pest Control

Keller Pest Control - Tom... Harrisonville, MO I hate to burst anybody's bubble or disagree with you about this but I can almost assure you that if you had bed bugs to any great extent. And if you treated them yourself you have not eliminated them. It's more than likely the calm before the storm. The severity and extent of the bed bug plague that is now attacking our country is worse than you can know. I have been in the Pest Control Industry for almost 30 years and have been amazed at how common they now are and how easily they can be transported and infest your home. I can tell you stories about situations that would make you not sleep at night. But with a little precaution and diligence, you can reduce your risk dramatically of getting an infestation in your home. If you travel any you need to first investigate the hotel you are staying in to see if there have been any reported. There are numerous sites now that can get you info. Bed bug registry.com or bed bug reports.com. You can call the hotel and ask. They should be honest but are not always. Before you travel if you look up Nuvan-strios on the internet you can purchase them from local distributors, pest control supply companies. They are in a foil pouch with 10 or 12 devices. They come with a plastic holder that is white and looks like an air freshener. The strip is blue. keep them sealed in the pack for freshness and to keep them effective longer. Each strip will last 2-3 months as long as they are not ;left out in the open before use. When you travel take one strip for each bag you have and transport them in a sealed plastic bag to ensure freshness. At the hotel keep your suitcase in the bathtub, and do not put your clothes in the dressers at the hotel. When you leave the hotel take the strip out of the plastic bag and place one in each bag/suitcase that you have. Upon arriving home take your clothes out of the bag in the garage and leave the strip in the suitcase and if you can place the suitcase in a plastic bag and seal up and leave it in the garage for a week or until you travel again if it's sooner than a week Take your clothes and wash and dry them on high heat immediately do not leave them lying around. Shoes can be left in the bag in the garage. If you have dry cleaning type of clothes and you don't want to clean them place a strip in a hang-up bag in the garage. If you get bit it will be at night generally on exposed skin (for example if you sleep naked it could be anywhere if you wear a nighty or sweat pants then it will be where there are no clothing covering you0. They don't just infest the bed they can get anywhere in your house and also yes your car. If you have an infestation don't just throw away your bed it will do no good. You should invest in quality bed bug mattress covers. You can get them at the pest control supply company also. If you have bed bugs get a professional treatment you will spend more pain and suffering trying to do it on your own. As far as treatment options there are two types of treatment most commonly used. Thermal Remediation or a Chemical treatment. I have found that companies that only use Thermal Remediation (Heat Treatment) have a high re-infestation rate since what they are trying to do is heat your structure up to 120-140 degrees for 2-4 hours and that is physically impossible to accomplish with insulation in the walls and everything else in your house. After the heat dissipates any bed bugs that have not been killed are coming back. Also, the last thing a bed bug does before it dies is mate. Without a chemical treatment there is no residual to control any bed bugs not eliminated on the first treatment. Check the guarantees that the company offers. If they don't guarantee to eliminate the problem reconsider hiring them. We can't guarantee against future infestations but my company does guarantee to eliminate the problem as long as you follow the checklist we provide it definitely requires us to work together to solve the issue Be prepared for a lot of effort on your part to prepare and clean your house and fabric material. Bed Bug PreparationChecklistBedbugs can be difficult to control when they infest your home unless you do your part by cooperating with the pest control company. Don’tmove any of your belongings to another home during or before the treatment unless you know they are not infested. You might spread bed bugs to another home or to your car or workplace in a backpack or box and then re‐infest your home after it has been treated. Move as few items as possible and have them checked for bed bugs (or heat them) before removing them. Wash all sheets, blankets, pillowcases, and other bedding in hot water. Place the items in a dryer set on the highest setting that won’t damage the items. Dry the item thoroughly and then place them in trash bags. Keep them separate from items that may be infested. Wash all clothing in hot water and then dry on the highest setting allowed for the clothing.Clothing that can’t be laundered and dried (including coats and jackets)can be dry‐cleaned or need to be inspected carefully. Do not place clothing in infested rooms/areas until treatment has been completed and the bed bugs have been eliminated. Place curtains, pillows, towels, stuffed animals, etc. in the dryer set on the highest setting that won’t damage the items for at least 30 minutes. Double bag these items immediately after drying. Carefully inspect all items that can not be washed: books, electronics, picture frames, plastic toys, etc. If insecticides are going to be used, place children’s toys into plastic bags or storage bins (only if they are bedbug-free). If heat is used, the pest control company may want these items left in place so they are exposed to the heat treatment. Store cleaned and dried items in plastic bags until your home has been treated and the bed bugs eliminated. Vacuum and wash all floors. To prevent bed bugs from escaping, be sure to place the vacuum bag into a plastic bag before disposing of it. Vacuum the mattress and box spring to remove live/dead bed bugs. Double-bag and discard the vacuum bags in an outdoor trashcan immediately to avoid re‐introducing or spreading any bed bugs caught in the vacuum. The mattress and box spring will be encased, be sure to use one that is bed bug proof. These encasements are thick enough so that bed bugs cannot bite through it and have tight zippers that the bed bugs can not escape through. Vacuum couches, chairs, and recliners thoroughly before treatment. Bed bugs are often found in couches and upholstered chairs. If possible, turn the furniture over or on its side/back and vacuum underneath as well. If there is a dustcover attached to the underside, pull it back and vacuum areas that will need to be treated. Double‐bag and discard the vacuum bags in an outdoor trashcan immediately to avoid re‐introducing or spreading any bed bugs caught in the vacuum. A cluttered home is difficult to inspect and more difficult to treat because bedbugs can find many hiding places. Throw away unneeded items. Pick up and double bag all loose items in bedrooms (e.g., in the bottom of a closet) and other rooms that will be treated. Make sure that these items are treated (if needed)or inspected before returning these items to make sure you are not also returning bed bugs to the treated room(s). Provide access to walls, closets, and areas around furniture to allow for a thorough inspection and treatment When deciding on which pest control company to use, here are some questions to ask: Do your staff members have a pesticide applicators license? In addition to being registered in King County, all professionals applying restricted pesticides must be licensed by the State Department of Agriculture. Ask for a copy of their Pest Applicator's License Do you inspect the dwelling for bed bugs? The answer should be yes, they will inspect and positively identify that the dwelling has bed bugs before they recommend and proceed with any type of treatment method. A thorough inspection can take 1 to 4 hours or more depending on the extent of the infestation and the amount of clutter. Inspections confirm that there is an infestation by finding live bed bugs and should provide the pest control operator information on how best to treat the problem. A severe infestation can be confirmed in a matter of minutes. The company should be able to specifically describe how you should prepare for their inspection and treatment including general cleaning and removal of clutter. Be aware that extensive cleaning may disrupt and scatter any bed bugs. Do you use a HEPA vacuum or dry steam to kill hidden bed bugs and their eggs? Pest professionals should use a non-pesticide method like vacuuming or steam to kill bed bugs and eggs before using pesticides. The pest control company should be able to describe both chemical and non-chemical control methods they normally use.The pest professional will identify where bed bugs are hiding and should spray in those areas only. Pesticides should not be applied randomly throughout your home or to the top of mattresses, sofas or other items where people have close contact. Do you locate and eliminate bed bug hiding places? The pest professional should know how to locate hiding areas, how to clean and seal cracks and holes to eliminate hiding places. Pest companies may not do this and leave cleaning and prevention to the homeowner or building manager. Pest professionals can advise you on when and how to eliminate hiding places. Do you talk about safety issues? Pest professionals must inform residents about the hazards of the chemicals they use, especially where there are children or expecting parents. They should describe where chemicals will be used, how to avoid contact, and when it is safe to enter treated areas. You can ask the pest professional to provide you with an information sheet (MSDS or other safety sheet) for each pesticide they plan to use before the treatment is performed. If you are concerned that you or your belongings may react to or be affected by the chemical or treatment, discuss this with the pest professional in advance to see what precautions to take or whether there are safer pesticides, or alternative treatments methods he or she can use. The pest professional should be able to confirm that the chemicals are registered for bed bug use, both federally and with the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Do you schedule return visits to make sure bed bugs are eliminated? It usually takes several visits (at least two or three) over several weeks to inspect, treat and eliminate bed bugs. Afterwards, you will still need to monitor for bed bugs returning. Pest professionals may treat cracks and other hiding places, but if no bed bugs are visible, avoid the use of pesticide sprays. Bed bugs are killed when they are sprayed directly; sprays that have dried are not effective. Dusts approved for bed bugs may placed in inaccessible areas like wall voids and cracks. Visible dusts should be removed before the room is occupied

see the size of juvenile bed bug
engorged bed bug
eggs and skins
compare size
bedbugs on bed
shed skins
eggs and bedbugs on clothing
common bed bug life cycle
leather couch under the arm bad infestation
adult
bites
bites
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  • Shanna Drumheller Shanna Drumheller on Jul 24, 2016
    I would agree. I work in home care and brought some home with me apparently one day and the horror began. I tried every Otc product there was I also tried every dyi idea around and I must say I am a good housekeeper so I even stepped it up would spray my bed down change sheets multiple times a week shampoo rugs multiple times a month nothing I repeat nothing worked even removing all the beds in my home and replacing with new until I called in the professionals. I wouldn't wish them in my worse enemy
  • Denise Denise on Sep 16, 2018

    These bugs are terrible and using a vacuum with special attachments can help, there is even a vacuum just for fleas and they are supposes to be very good if all else fails you will be professional help from the experts.

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