Bed Bugs are spreading so fast throughout the country very few pest control companies have the knowledge and experience to deal with them. They can be difficult to control so most homeowners and building managers who try a “do it yourself” method fail and often spread the pests around making the job more difficult.
How do I know if I have Bed Bugs?
If you think you may have Bed Bugs, or are experiencing bites, we encourage you to call Guardian Pest Control. We have trained and experienced staff to identify and eliminate this problem in your home or business. We understand that researching Bed Bug Control on the web can be frightening. It usually results in finding hundreds of pages containing the same information. This section of our web site is designed to provide you with basic information about this pest and give you some idea of how we go about eliminating them. We invite you to look around and discover why we are your best choice to solve this problem.
Bed Bug Identification
Beg bugs are small brownish, flattened parasites (4-5 mm long) that feed on the blood of human beings, birds and mammals.
- Start flying bugs, but they can crawl quickly on floors, walls and ceilings.
- They can hitch rides or move on clothing, furniture, handbags and luggage.
- The females lay their eggs in isolated areas, deposit of up to five a day (in a 200-500 life). The eggs are small, whitish, and barely visible (size of a spot of dust).
- Lodging errors are very resilient. Nymphs can survive months without food and adults for over a year.
Signs of an Infestation
Bed Bugs are more active in warmer weather, which feed at night and hide in cracks and crevices during the day.
- Bed bugs do not have nests like ants or bees, but tend to congregate in habitual hiding places.
- Bed bugs prefer to hide close to where they feed. However, if necessary, they will crawl over 100 feet to obtain a blood meal.
- Most infestations start around the beds and spread an entire room and beyond.
- Bed bugs usually bite people at night, while are sleeping. Bites can occur on any exposed skin and Symptoms vary with the individual.
- Some people develop an itchy or located Welt swelling, while others have little or no reaction.
- Bloodstains (black / red), stains stools in sheets, pillows, mattress / box springs are also signs of infestation.
- Unpleasant musty smell sweet can occur with a Severe infestation.
During the first part of an infestation of bed bugs are found on the Tufts, seams and folds of mattresses which later spread to cracks and crevices in bed frames and box springs. If allowed to
multiply, they establish themselves behind baseboards, window and door casings, pictures, moldings, and in furniture, loosened wallpaper, and cracks in plaster and partitions.
If your house is going to be treated with pesticides, it is recommended that:
- Vacate the premises during treatment.
- Arrange to be out 4 to 8 hours after the application (24 hours if you are pregnant or have respiratory illnesses, allergies or are sensitive to chemicals.
- Air of the suite and when you get back.
- Always follow the advice of the pest control applicator.
Re-entry time will vary depending on the pesticides used, treatment method and individual susceptibility.
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are insects that, as adults, have oval-shaped bodies with no wings. Prior to feeding, they are about 1/4 inch long and flat as paper. After feeding, they turn dark red and become bloated. Eggs are whitish, pear-shaped and about the size of a pinhead. Clusters of 10-50 eggs can be found in cracks and crevices. Bed bugs have a one-year life span during which time a female can lay 200-400 eggs depending on food supply and temperature. Eggs hatch in about 10 days.
What do bed bugs feed on?
Bed bugs prefer to feed on human blood, but will also bite mammals and birds. Bed bugs bite at night, and will bite all over a human body, especially around the face, neck, upper torso, arms and hands. Bed bugs can survive up to 12 months without feeding. Both male and female bed bugs bite.
Can I get sick from bed bugs?
There are no known cases of infectious disease transmitted by bed bug bites. Most people are not aware that they have been bitten but some people are more sensitive to the bite and may have a localized reaction. Scratching the bitten areas can lead to infection.
How do bed bugs get into my home?
Bed bugs are often carried into a home on objects such as furniture and clothing. If you think you have a bed bug problem, check for live bed bugs or shells in the following areas:
- Seams, creases, tufts and folds of mattresses and box springs
- Cracks in the bed frame and head board
- Under chairs, couches, beds, dust covers
- Between the cushions of couches and chairs
- Under area rugs and the edges of carpets
- Between the folds of curtains
- In drawers
- Behind baseboards, and around window and door casings
- Behind electrical plates and under loose wallpaper, paintings and posters
- In cracks in plaster
- In telephones, radios, and clocks
- Bed bugs can also travel from apartment to apartment along pipes, electrical wiring and other openings. If the infestation is heavy, a sweet smell may be noticed in the room.
What can I do if I have bed bugs in my home?
The best method to deal with bed bugs is Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which combines a variety of techniques and products that pose the least risk to human health and the environment.
Call Guardian Pest Control and we will eliminate this problem in your home or business
What do bed bug bites look like?
When bed bugs bite people, they inject their saliva into the biting area, causing the skin to become irritated and inflamed. Individual responses to bed bug bites will vary. The skin lesion from bed bug bites may go unnoticed, or be mistaken for flea or mosquito bites or other skin conditions.
How do I treat bed bug bites?
Most bed bug bites go away by themselves and don’t need treatment. Keep the skin clean and try not to scratch. If the bites are very itchy, your doctor may prescribe cream or antihistamines to relieve the itchiness. Oral antibiotics may be prescribed for any secondary skin infection from excessive scratching.
How do I prevent bed bugs from entering my home?
Although even the cleanest homes and hotels can have bed bugs, regular house cleaning, including vacuuming your mattress, can help to prevent an infestation. Clean up clutter to help reduce the number of places bed bugs can hide.
Be careful when buying used furniture or clothes. Make sure to inspect the used item, and feel free to ask the retailer if the items were checked for bed bugs. Use caution when bringing home used furniture or clothes from the curb side. These items may be infested with bed bugs.
Guardian IPM Pest Control specializes in total elimination of Bed Bug infestations on all levels of severity.
Preparation
We will consult with the client to guide them through the necessary tasks that must be taken care of before treatment can begin.
Treatment Details
- Consult with client regarding evidence of the problem.
- Confirm identification of Bed Bugs.
- Preparation for treatment by the client. VERY IMPORTANT STEP.
- Initial service, consisting of our 5 step treatment program that we have perfected for the elimination of Bed Bugs.
- We will steam furniture, mattress and box spring. Key Step
- Dusts will be applied to electrical outlets.
- IGR”s Insect Growth Regulators will be used to disrupt growth of nymphs and adults.
- Bedlam Insecticide will be applied to Mattress and Box-spring. Mattress covers will then be installed after application. no need to throw out bedding unless told otherwise.
- Phantom insecticide will be used around baseboard as crack and crevice treatment.
- Other insecticides will be used as needed.
Follow up service that includes another 5 step treatment program that we have perfected for the elimination of Bed Bugs.
Follow up re inspection and consultation with the client.
Why Hire A Professional
Bed Bug Elimination and Prevention is extremely complex. Our trained technicians need 3 full services (ranging from 1-3 hours in an apartment setting) for proper elimination. We utilize 5 methods of treatment application per treatment, inter mixing them throughout the 3 services. Simply spraying an Aerosol (cans of bug spray) and spreading around Diatomaceous Earth (squeeze bottles of dust) WILL NOT WORK. Not only can this be dangerous to your health (if proper label instructions are not followed), but will only cost you time and money.
If you are going to attempt Bed Bug control by yourself, we recommend vacuuming. Vacuum your home from top to bottom, and than vacuum some more. Before you put the vacuum away, plug it in and give it one more go. Bed Bugs are not just in the carpet and base boards. They can get into the smallest of cracks, and the trickiest of places. Missing one egg will prevent any chance of control. This is why hiring a professional works. For any other pest, home owners may tackle the problem with success but when Bed Bug Control is attempted by a non professional it simply does not work.
Guardian IPM Pest Control Treatment Details
Guardian Pest Control provides information about this growing problem for property managers and tenants at no cost. Topics include:
- How to identify a bedbug problem.
- Steps to take to prevent bedbug problems
- Educating tenants about bedbugs
- Treatment solutions for bedbugs
- Options for ongoing bedbug control.
Mattress Box-spring Encasement
What is MicronOne®?
MicronOne® fabric technology protects your sleep by creating a clean barrier between you and the microtoxins that build up naturally over time in every mattress and pillow. It blocks all micro-toxins larger than one micron in size, like dust mites and their waste, mold spore, pollen, pet dander and even bed bugs.
MicronOne® products will effectively prevent dust mite infestation for the lifetime of the product. Your new mattress and pillow encasement will achieve all of these health benefits without sacrificing comfort, breathability, durability or washability. You can also enjoy the added peace of mind knowing that all MicronOne fabrics are certified to be bed bug bite proof.
Guardian Bed Bug Prepping Service
We offer a complete preparation service package to prepare your home for treatment. This preparation is optional and provided at an additional cost. We will prepare your home or you may do the preparations yourself.
Option #1
Guardian will thoroughly vacuum the interior of your home to remove as many bed bugs and eggs as possible.
Option #2
Guardian will bag, wrap and remove all items including bedding, clothing and other possessions that might be concealing bed bugs. Any item that prevents Guardian from treating an area will be safely moved. This is done to prevent the infestation from spreading and enable us to provide the most effective treatment to your home.
Option #3
Guardian will thoroughly wash or dry clean clothing and bedding as needed to eliminate hidden nests.
Option #4
Bed Bug Patrol will supply mattress & box spring covers with zippers. This is strongly recommended to minimize chemical contact.