Bed bugs are a parasite that feeds on blood and thrives in secluded crevices. They don’t only inhabit beds, but beds do provide them an incredible opportunity to thrive with meals delivered to them every evening. They’re becoming more and more common throughout the Southern United States, and with cases on the rise, it helps to know about these disturbing pests.
If you think you have a bed bug infestation, Sure Shot Pest Control can help. We’ve developed a dual treatment method that is one of the most effective bed bug treatments available. With a combination of heat and traditional pesticides, we’ll clear your home for good--and fast.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
Bed bugs are reddish-brown in color. They’re incredibly small--typically less than five millimeters in length and about half that in width. Their mandibles are able to pierce through thick skin, after which they’ll feed on the blood of their prey.
A female can lay up to five eggs at a time. These eggs will gestate for approximately 2-3 three weeks before hatching, after which the infestation will get worse. This can go on for quite some time before the visible signs of an infestation appear.
Bed bugs are hardy, can thrive in a variety of temperatures, and aren’t picky about where they get their meals. They prefer not to exert themselves, though, and tend to feed on the soft skin on the face, under the arms, and between the thighs of their victim.
These insects can hide almost anywhere. Of course, they’re obviously fond of beds, but they can live almost anywhere: luggage, sofas, chairs, cracks and crevices in the wall, and other places that keep them a secret.
It really does require a professional to find and exterminate them.
Since bed bugs and bed bug eggs are so small, they’re almost invisible when they’ve made a home in your mattress. If you think you have a bed bug problem, it really is best to contact a professional exterminator to come and perform an inspection. They’ll know and be able to identify the common signs.
There are a few things that indicate an infestation, though:
The biggest sign of an infestation is the itchy, red welts that rise after a bed bug has fed on you. While they prefer to feast on the soft, fleshy areas of the body--like your inner thighs--they will feed on any exposed skin. The face is incredibly common.
A lot of people mistake these for either flea bites or mosquito bites. The only way to really tell if there are bed bugs is to perform an inspection or have one done by a professional.
Since bed bugs will live in and around your bed, they’ll leave waste on your sheets, clothing, walls, mattress, and box springs. Bed bug waste is a rusty brown color that will frequently smear as you move around during your sleep.
You may also find the shells of eggs, shed skins, and other clear indicators that your bedroom is infested. Again, these will be small. By the time you start to see them, the infestation is well underway.
As you move around during your sleep, it’s pretty common to squish a few engorged bed bugs. These will burst, and your blood will spread on the sheets around you. This is one of the clearest signs of bed bug infestation, and if you see it you should call an extermination company immediately.
There are two main ways exterminators treat bed bugs: insecticide and heat. At Sure Shot Pest Control we’ve devised a system that incorporates both treatment options to maximize our efficiency and get your house clean for good.
While bed bugs can thrive in a variety of climates, heat of about 120 degrees Fahrenheit will kill them and their eggs immediately. Unfortunately, this means that every in your home--including their shaded hiding spots--needs to hit the magic temperature.
The primary part of Sure Shot Pest Control’s bed bug treatment plan includes using specialized equipment to raise the temperature of your home high enough to kill off your infestation instantly.
The benefit of this approach is its speed and effectiveness. It takes much less time than chemicals alone--which can take up to 2 months as pest control experts return to kill the eggs that have hatched.
Heat will kill the bugs and the eggs in one fell swoop.
A lot of pest control companies use solely pesticides to kill bed bugs. This does work, though at the expense of reliability and speed. It can take up to 2 months to be certain every bug in your home is dead when relying on pesticides alone.
Sure Shot Pest Control uses pesticides as a supplement to our heat treatment. We use it to deny these pests a place to evade the heat that ultimately kills them. We treat crevices, walls, baseboards, and other places bed bugs can hide. That way, if the heat doesn’t get them, the pesticides will.
Honestly, the best way to get rid of bed bugs is whatever gives you the most peace of mind. Sure Shot Pest Control’s dual method treatment option allows us to get you that peace of mind quickly. We’ve developed this method to ensure that you get your home back, without the trouble and worry that a repeat bed bug infestation will cause.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation or get an inspection.
