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Bed Bugs

BED BUGS

The last decade has seen a massive recurrence of bed bugs.  Widespread increases in bed bug infestations can be attributed to several factors:

  1. Increased international commerce and travel
  2. Growing urban population density
  3. Growing pesticide resistance
  4. Changes in indoor pest management tactics
  5. Lack of awareness by the general public.

Bed bugs are hitchhikers – they move from place to place by hitching a ride on shoes, bags, clothing, etc.  The convenience of modern living makes travel and resources readily accessible, but not only for us human beings.  Every flight that helps us reach a new destination in a few hours is the same quick and easy flight for bugs.  Public transit that ease urban commute is also a highway for unwanted pests.  In urban apartment dwellings, the closer your neighbors are, the higher the chances of cross-contamination if an infestation makes its way into the building.

Bed bug growth stages: Photo credit Dr. Dong Hwan Choe, UC Riverside

We don’t mean to scare you, we want to prepare you.  Awareness is essential when it comes to any urban pest, but particularly in areas with high exposure for bed bug infestation.  Here are some basic facts:

  • Bedbugs appear reddish brown, flat and oval shaped.
  • Adults are about the size, shape and color of a flax seed or an apple seed.
  • Nymphs are small, translucent and shed their skin 5 or 6 times before becoming adults.
  • Bedbugs are blood feeders; you might find blood spots on your sheets along with black fecal stains.
  • Often hide near bedding areas, but can move more than 100 feet to obtain a blood meal.
  • Bites are painless, but an allergic reaction to the saliva injected by the bugs as they feed results in itchy, red and swollen bumps, typically in straight lines.  Allergic reactions occur in approximately 50% to 70% of people.
  • Eggs are very hard to detect.  They are covered with a sticky substance and can adhere to clothing, fabric, leather, etc.  Females lay up to 7 a day and hundreds in a lifetime.
  • A single pregnant female can cause an infestation of over 30,000 bed bugs within 6 months.
  • Bedbugs live in harborages, where you will find their fecal matter, eggs, shed exoskeletons (castings) and all stages of life in large harborages.

    Large bed bug harborage found in mattress crease: Adults, nymphs, eggs, black fecal stains, castings, and blood stains.

BED BUG TREATMENT:

Unfortunately there is no “silver bullet” for bed bugs.  There’s no one-time spray, only hard work and thorough follow up can reliably clear an infestation.  If you suspect you have an infestation get started with an inspection by a professional.  Bed bugs don’t just hide in beds – they spend 90% of their lives in hiding and are very clever with finding hiding spots.  You wouldn’t believe some of the places we’ve found them.

Once their presence is established we follow these steps:

  1. ORGANIZATION
  2. PREPARATION
  3. ACTION
  4. FOLLOW UP

    Severe clutter makes a successful bed bug treatment nearly impossible.

Get ORGANIZED:  Develop a plan of action to be used as a roadmap.  Just like when we plan our vacation or a family trip, we set up checklists, target dates, list of materials we’ll need, and then begin the venture.

PREPARATION:  This is the singular key element to combatting bed bugs.  Though you hire a professional for treatment, clearing an infestation will require some preparation by you.  This is hard work!  Sort through your belongings.  Start by reducing the clutter.  Bed bugs hide 90% of the time – they will find all the nooks and crannies of your stuff to hide in.  Keep in mind that they can travel through cracks no wider than the width of a credit card.  This is a great time to inventory your belongings and separate for possible disposal or donation after treatment.

Specialized vacuuming procedure using nylon to reduce chances of infesting your vacuum.

Gather a supply of plastic storage bins.  Bed bugs cannot climb up the slippery surface so these are useful   as treatment chambers and for future storage.  Treated items can also be donated, with the plastic bins returned to you.

Once all of your belongings have been inspected and prepped it is time for ACTION.  Our practice is Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which means a lot of problem-solving, common sense and old-fashioned tactics are implemented:  specialized vacuuming, deep cleaning, laundering, and select chemical application, to mention a few.

Clutter sorted, bagged and prepped for treatment.

FOLLOW UP:  We follow up multiple times until the problem is controlled.  As we said, there’s no silver bullet or one-stop shop for bed bugs so follow up is key.

To schedule an inspection, contact Tabitha Arcelon at (844) 476-4968.