How to Identify and Get Rid of Bed Bugs
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How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Believe it or not, bed bugs are one of the most common household pests that pest control companies treat. That’s because they can be found everywhere – they call all 50 states home. They’re hard to see because they’re so tiny, but you’ll certainly know they’re in your house if you wake up the next morning scratching because they bit you during the night.
They make their way into homes inside luggage or clothing, as well as used beds or couches. They’re found in headboards and bed frames, mattresses and box springs. They ‘live’ in the bed so they have easy access to feeding at night. Feeding off warm-blooded mammals is how they survive. They don’t necessarily colonize, but they do hide in groups, so one bed bug usually means many.
Getting rid of them can be difficult, that’s why it’s best to call pest control professionals who specialize in bed bug treatment and prevention.
How to Identify Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are tiny and can look different based on which life stage they are in. So, they can be hard to spot. Before they hatch and in the early stages, that are a white or translucent color. In later stages of their life, they are flat and about the same size, color and shape of an apple seed if they haven’t fed in a while. When they do feed, their bodies swell and turn reddish in color.
They can often be confused with other pests – mainly fleas, carpet and spider beetles, bat bugs and booklice. Bed bugs hide in cracks and crevices of the wood, so they’re hard to see with the naked eye. The best way to know you have bed bugs is by the evidence they leave behind.
- Bed bugs feed at night, so they will bite you while you’re sleeping. You may not feel the bite, but you will wake up with itchy, red areas on the parts of your skin that isn’t covered. The bites will usually line up in a row.
- You may find blood stains on your pillowcases or sheets where the bug has been crushed while you were sleeping.
- You may find dark or rusty spots which signifies bed bug excrement on your sheets, pajamas, mattress, headboard or wall. The spots usually look the way a marker does when it bleeds on fabric.
- Sometimes, you can smell bed bugs. Their scent glands emit an offensive, musty odor.
Preventing Bed Bug Infestations
If you think you have bed bugs, it’s best to call in a pest control professional. Ehrlich technicians are experts in bed bug extermination and removal. But if you want to tackle them yourself first, there are some things to consider and try.
- Remove all your bedding – the comforter, sheets, mattress cover, pillow shams and dust ruffle. Wash them in the hottest water setting the washing instructions allow, since bed bugs can’t withstand heat. Run them through your dryer, as well.
- Examine the seams of the wood frame of your bed and other cracks and crevices of your bed frame to look for signs of bed bugs or an infestation.
- Scrub your mattress seams with a stiff brush and then thoroughly vacuum the mattress. You’ll want to make sure you dispose of the brush and vacuum bag or clean out the vacuum properly, so you don’t just transfer the bugs to another area. Put the brush and vacuum bag in a plastic bag before you throw it in the garbage outside.
- You can purchase a tightly woven, zippered cover and put it on your mattress and box springs. Leave it on for at least year. Bed bugs can live for up to a year without feeding, so you want to make sure they’re all dead before you take the cover off.
- It may just be time to buy a new mattress. If you can’t seem to get rid of them, properly dispose of your old mattress, thoroughly clean and vacuum your bed frame and replace your mattress for a fresh start.
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Getting Rid of Bed Bugs in Your House
Treatment Methods for Bed Bugs
It never hurts to try and get rid of bed bugs by yourself, but the most effective way to do it is to call a pest control company. At Ehrlich, our pest control specialists are expertly trained to quickly identify bed bugs, find the infestation and eliminate them for you.
Step 1: Free Inspection
We want to help you, but we want to make sure it’s at a time that’s convenient for you. Call us to schedule an appointment that works best for your schedule. Our technician will arrive at your house and perform a free inspection for bed bugs.
Step 2: Customized Plan
Ehrlich bed bug specialists will identify where the bugs are coming from, determine if you have an infestation and explain the best way to treat and eliminate it. We will give a price quote for our services and answer any questions you may have.
Step 3: Protection and Prevention
All our pest control treatments are environmentally friendly, and we understand that’s especially important if we are treating an area where you sleep. Ehrlich professionals have several options to treat, eliminate and prevent bed bugs.
Some of our treatment options include:
- Our technicians will begin with visual inspections to find bed bugs, but we use a variety of methods to track down and find bed bugs in your home and on your property.
- We have specially trained bed bugs dogs that can sniff out what we don’t see. They are specifically trained and extremely accurate at finding live bed bugs and eggs.
- Bed bugs don’t like heat, and our state-of-the-art heat treatments are an effective way to get rid of them. If the heat doesn’t completely wipe out the infestation, we have safe chemical treatments that will finish the job.
- Our year-round protection program will keep bed bugs away for good. This treatment plan offers a way to ensure that if you bring bed bugs back home from a trip, we can get rid of them before they become a bigger problem.
Professional Bed Bug Treatment
As with most pests, it’s important to act at the first sign of trouble. A mature female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in her short life time, so they can multiply and spread quickly. The best way to get rid of them is with the trained professionals at Ehrlich. Eliminating and preventing all pests is our job and our passion.
Bed bugs are a common pest so we see them regularly. Our technicians know what they’re looking for, the best ways to treat them and how to eliminate and prevent them for good.
Ehrlich’s Bed Bug Services
Whatever pest control issue you may have, Ehrlich is here to help. Our pest control specialists are highly trained, licensed and certified professionals who use the latest technology, treatment and tools to eliminate your current problems and prevent future infestations. We have been protecting homes and businesses from pests since 1928 – we’d be honored to protect yours too.