Since I’ve had a bed bug detection and inspection service for close to a decade, I have run across so many different scenarios and people out of sorts over possible bed bugs. I do my very best to educate my clients first so they know their risks of bed bugs and where they possibly could have encountered them. Sometimes, just going through the process of elimination helps discover that Ah Ha! Moment which discloses the whereabouts of where they hitchhiked.
As the years have passed, I’ve seen first-hand the destructive behavior that bed bugs bring into some people’s lives. Scanning the Internet in hopes of finding answers, only divulges other people’s horror story that immediately sends people into a sheer panic mode.
Often, I notice that rooms have limited furniture items which the client has already disposed of because of something they read online. Some automatically dispose of their beds without really knowing if bed bugs were the cause of their mysterious bites.
One bed bug doesn’t mean they are everywhere nor does it mean you have an “infestation”. You don’t have to throw away your life; items are treatable! Now if you have items that are old, stained or torn and you’ve wanted to replace them anyway, feel free to toss them; but remember to wrap, seal and mark them so others don’t fall victim to bed bugs.
Another huge mistake people make is refusing to sleep in their own rooms and take up camp on their sofa or easy chairs. This only causes the spread of bed bugs to other parts of the home as they forage for a blood meal.
Face it; no one enjoys being bitten by bed bugs or any bug for all that matters, but it is essential to stay put in order to keep bed bugs from being moved to other parts of the house. And you don’t have to do it for more than a day if you know what to do if you suspect bed bugs.
The battle for eliminating bed bugs can be as difficult as you make it, but if found early, can be easy if you know what not to do and what to do.
Since bed bugs are becoming more of a way of life much like ants, fleas and mosquitoes, people need to start learning more about this bug. Treatment for bed bugs is totally different than what we use for other bugs, so I urge people to do nothing until they know what they are up against.
How Smart People Approach Possible Bed Bugs
If at any time you should suspect bed bugs, stop for a moment, call me and get an inspection. Find out if you have bed bugs and if you do, where the bugs are located. Having our dog come in will “target” the areas where bed bugs might be so that you don’t have to go crazy disrupting your whole house.
Many times people freak out and turn to the Internet and wind up tearing their whole homes apart. A single bed bug bite can have people needlessly spending hours laundering every article of clothing and all bedding; and tearing apart rooms and bagging up their lives.
We help by showing people where possible bed bugs could be hiding and help them by referring them to processes that eliminate the bug before they have a chance to breed and grow into infestations. This helps cut down on the amount of money people spend for treatment that in many cases is not needed throughout the whole home.
We also do post treatment inspections to make sure there are no stragglers left behind.
What NOT To Do If You Suspect Possible Bed Bugs
Learning what NOT to do if you suspect bed bugs in many ways is much more important than knowing what to do. Knowing what bed bugs are all about will help you make intelligent decisions of how to battle them properly without making the serious mistakes others do.
- Stay away from reading stories about horrific bed bug infestations online. Most of the stories online are from people who have been battling bed bugs for months and have spread them throughout their homes. Others’ frustration and mistakes don’t need to be yours.
- Resist the urge to buy a pesticide and spray! Bed bugs have developed resistance to many of the chemicals used and unless you can spray the chemical directly on the bed bug, these products have proven to be pointless and wasteful.
- Don’t douse your home with copious amounts of pest dusts like Diatomaceous Earth (DE). The application of pest dusts is a carefully applied process that is “puffed” in using a special tool. Applying too much is like a mountain to the bed bug and they will avoid it. Furthermore, breathing in this dust (although considered “natural) can damage your lungs. Dusts also stop a bed bug inspection from being done by a detection dog leaving you on your own. The dusts can enter a dog’s nostril causing great damage.
- Don’t do nothing! Although bed bugs take time to build up into infestation levels, it is important to address the possibility early enough so this does not happen. If female bed bugs begin to lay eggs, the eggs take approximately seven to ten days before they hatch. Then it takes twenty one to thirty six days (with regular blood meals) to grow through five stages of development before they become breeding adults. So as you can see, it takes a good six weeks before they multiply into early “infestation” levels and finding them before this happens lessens your chance of a battle.
We can help you make the right decisions, find them so you can target treatment in the right area and make suggestions on how to eliminate them before they become “infestations”. Give us a call, we are here to help!
