Bedbugs are one of the most loathed and also one of the most common type of bug that cause problems for humans. You can find them almost anywhere you can find people, and they have been a scourage for centuries. The earliest solid evidence we have of a bedbug infestation dates back to 1500 BC! The insecticide DDT was so effective against bedbugs that by the 1970’s infestations were rare and easily treated, but since DDT was pulled off the market in 1972 bedbugs have made a roaring comeback and are now frequent visitors to our homes and hotels, anywhere humans congregate and sleep. Bedbugs secrete themselves into suitcases, clothes, linens and similar materials and, once they’ve hitchhiked to a new area, will rapidly reproduce and create a brand new infestation. It can be difficult to differentiate a bedbug bite from the bite of many other annoying pests, and people often carry these bugs around with them when they travel without knowing it.
Bedbugs feed on blood, and they will attack any warm blooded animal in order feed, grow and reproduce. Once they’ve had a blood meal they reproduce very quickly. Females lay up to 5 eggs per day and over 500 eggs in her lifetime. It takes approximately three weeks for these eggs to develop into adults and begin the cycle all over again. Needless to say, they can make a room uninhabitable in short order and they are very difficult to eradicate if you don’t have the necessary training, experience and chemicals required to do the job correctly. You can’t wait out a bedbug infestation and you can’t ignore it. They can live months without feeding and withstand temperature ranges from nearly freezing up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
Identification
Bedbugs are terrific at hiding, and odds are they will remain undiscovered until an infestation becomes severe. The most common way that people find out they have an infestation is when they begin waking up with bites they didn’t have when they went to sleep. If you suspect that you may have a bedbug infestation, look at the bite site. In addition to redness, inflammation and itching, you may see that the bites occur in clusters and patterns. This is a dead giveaway that you have a bedbug infestation and you should call an exterminator. Check the seams of your mattress and other small crevices around your sleeping area for dried blood flakes. There are many places for bedbugs to hide including inside electrical plates, picture frames and in the seams of and behind wallpaper. You can find them behind your baseboards or hiding inside your box springs or behind your headboard. Virtually any crack and crevice near your sleeping area can shelter a bedbug. Adult bedbugs are brownish in color, without wings and about the size of an apple seed. Bedbug nymphs are much smaller and can barely be seen with the naked eye. In addition to being tiny, they are nearly transparent.
Prevention
There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of a bedbug infestation. First, seal up any cracks you can find in your home, no matter how small, with caulk or weatherstripping. If you’re coming back from vacation or a hotel stay, inspect your luggage and clothing before bringing it inside your home. When buying new or used furniture, likewise inspect it carefully before bringing it inside. Keep your home free of clutter. There are no guarantees, but following these steps can significantly increase your chances of preventing a problem before it starts.
Treatment
Pest control technicians know where bedbugs like to hide and they know what chemicals work to bring them under control. It’s an involved, multi-step process and since most of the chemicals rated to work on bedbugs are also toxic to humans, it’s a job best left to professional exterminators.
Why choose Setgo?
Setgo Pest Control technicians are licensed, bonded and trained to deal with your bedbug problem, and we guarantee our work. We can restore your home to it’s safe, comfortable condition and we’ll advise you of best practices to prevent future issues. We guarantee our work! Return visits are rarely necessary if the application is done correctly the first time, but we will return as many times as it takes to make sure the problem is fully resolved. Make Setgo your first choice for bedbug extermination!