How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Whether in your home or business, a bed bug infestation can be overwhelming. Diagnosing the problem yourself is challenging, and DIY treatments usually worsen the infestation or fail. Contacting a professional pest control service is the best defense against bed bugs, so here are some resources for getting the process started.
Bed Bugs 101
Bed bugs are blood-drinking insects known for inhabiting beds, furniture, and other crevices in homes and businesses. The pests can be introduced into any environment, most often through used bed materials, second-hand furniture, or luggage after traveling. They can also travel between units in hotels and apartment buildings. Bed bugs are usually found harboring in small crevices, such as along mattress piping or tags, inside bed frames or headboards, behind wallpaper, in picture frames or light fixtures, or in floors.
The oval-shaped bugs are relatively flat, so they can easily crawl into a variety of crevices in close proximity to humans. Bed bugs are typically less than a ¼” long and are brown or reddish-brown in appearance. The bugs’ unusual coloring comes from their consumption of blood, and the brown-black or reddish-brown stains they leave behind on objects is from this same digested and excreted blood.
Bed Bugs 101
Bed Bug Bites: Symptoms & Signs
It’s important to remember that infestations can occur anywhere, from world-class hotels to public housing facilities; bed bugs know no social, economic, or geographical boundaries.
Most bed bug infestations are identified by:
- Dark spots on furniture, bedding, or mattresses
- Hives, blisters, intensely itchy skin, or swollen skin
- Visual sightings, especially at night
- Finding eggs, eggshells, or skin sheddings
Bed bug bites are also indicators of the pests’ presence, but it’s easy to confuse them with other insect bites. Although not a comprehensive list of identifiers, here are some ways to determine if you have a bed bug bite:
- If you felt the bite when it occurred, it was not a bed bug.
- If bites are random and spread out, it was probably not a bed bug.
- If the bite forms a blister, it could be a bed bug bite.
- If the bites follow a pattern, such as a straight line or a zig zag, they could be bed bug bites. They also tend to be in groupings of three to five.
Bed Bug Inspections & Treatments
Infestations can quickly get out of control, so it is important to have a pest control professional correctly identify bed bugs. A physical sample of an actual bug or egg is required to be 100% certain you have bed bugs.
The complete elimination of bed bugs requires highly trained and licensed individuals knowledgeable in bed bug biology and behavior and the proper use of pesticides. Using over-the-counter or “do-it-yourself” pesticides or repellents may make the infestation worse by aggravating the bugs, causing them to scatter.
There are two parts of the bed bug elimination process and each is considered its own separate service:
1. Schedule an inspection. We offer two different inspection types: service-professional visual inspections and dog inspections.
2. Schedule a treatment application. If an infestation is confirmed, your Batzner service specialist will recommend a treatment plan specific to your needs, either a conventional treatment or a heat treatment.
Service Specialist Inspection
When a Batzner Service Specialist arrives to inspect your property, we will perform a visual inspection of key areas including the bed, nightstands, and living room furniture. Service specialist visual inspections are recommended for single-family homes and hotels or apartments where only 2–3 units need to be inspected. Human inspections are advantageous because a skilled, experienced service specialist can search unconventional areas and higher-up areas, such as ceiling fans and vents.
Dog Inspection
Alternatively, we use scientifically proven Bed Bug Canine Scent Detection to identify the presence of bed bugs in your property. Dog inspections are recommended for high-traffic areas such as hotels, hospitals, or multi-unit buildings in which more than three rooms need to be searched. Trained dogs are advantageous because they can detect bed bugs in any life stage, can find bed bugs faster than humans, and are good at finding brand new or small infestations.
Learn More About Inspection Options
Bed Bug Treatment Options
If we discover bed bugs on your property, a Batzner bed bug specialist will discuss the two treatment options with you and recommend a plan of action. Which treatment we recommend depends on the number of infested rooms, how widespread the pests are, costs, and other case-dependent factors.
Thoroughly preparing for your bed bug treatment is crucial for a successful treatment. Plan for people and pets to vacate the building, treat clothing and fabrics in the dryer, store personal items (such as books or toys) in airtight bins, and follow all other instructions on the preparation checklists and from your service specialist.
Conventional Treatments
Conventional bed bug treatments use a concentrated application on harborage locations. This method typically includes three applications, each scheduled two weeks apart to coincide with the bed bug reproduction and incubation cycles. Tenants and pets must vacate during the service and can return after the treated areas have dried (typically four hours from the time we arrive for service).
Heat Treatments
Heat treatments eliminate bed bugs at all stages of the life cycle. A heat treatment is best when results are needed quickly or a chemical-free solution is desired. During the treatment, temperatures are raised to 120–140 degrees, which is lethal to bed bugs. For added protection, a conventional treatment is applied. People and pets must vacate the premises for 9–12 hours.
Why Choose Batzner?
Batzner works quickly to identify and eliminate bed bugs in your home or property. Infestations can quickly get out of control, so it is important to have a pest control professional correctly identify bed bugs and treatments designed for your specific needs. It’s equally important to attack a bed bug problem as soon as you suspect you have one.
We not only want to help you be proactive about bed bugs but provide you with the education you need to do so successfully. Trained and knowledgeable professionals, environmental responsibility, and legendary customer service are reasons why customers keep choosing us year after year.
