“Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” How many of us have heard this line before? Imagine yourself ready to drop out from sheer exhaustion and looking towards some much-needed shut-eye, only to find yourself hopping out of bed because of insects crawling all over it. Bedbugs are becoming an urban nuisance, and they can ruin your sleep and make you cranky the morning after. In recent years, bedbugs are enjoying a resurgence, as they have invaded a lot of urban areas, most especially homes and hotels.

Infestations are Getting Worse

About the Bug

Cimex lectularius, more commonly known as bed bugs, are parasites that hide within mattresses, headboards, and other bedroom clutter. When hungry, they come out of their hiding places in search of exposed skin to feed on such as the head, neck, arms, and legs. These pests crawl up behind a sleeping person to bite and feed on the blood, and then they go crawling back to their hiding places to reproduce. All kinds of people are vulnerable to bedbug infestations, regardless of whether or not their homes are clean. Aside from people, bedbugs also feed on dogs and cats. They are very small pests, about 5 millimeters in length. Although bedbugs are not known to transmit diseases, the bite they leave on the skin causes rashes which can become itchy and inflamed.

How they were almost eradicated with DDT

The US has dealt with infestations from bedbugs before in the early 20^th century, but these were eradicated using the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). It was so effective that bedbugs became occasional pests that can only be seen on prisons, shelters, and hostels. In the 1970s, the use of DDT was outlawed because it was found to be dangerous to the environment.

How increased travel has cause their spreading

Bedbugs are once again making their presence felt after this brief period of hibernation. One factor being looked into is the increased travel of people from around the globe. People go backpacking to developing countries where bedbugs continue to remain a problem, and they unknowingly bring these pests with them when they go home on their clothes, luggage, and backpacks.

How they are gaining resistance to pesticides

Even DDT—the supposed cure-all for bedbugs—was not immune to pesticide resistance. Pesticide-resistant strains in bedbugs were found in the US, and roughly about 90% of bedbugs today have developed a genetic makeup that makes them immune to pyrethroids, a pesticide that is similar to DDT.

Common Ways to Get Bed Bugs

Aside from traveling to countries where bedbugs remain rampant, you can unknowingly spread these pests by staying and sleeping in motels, hotels, and hostels where bedbugs are widespread. Flea markets and garage sales are also at risk of having bedbugs. When you buy secondhand merchandise from these places and bring them home, you might also be bringing bedbugs with you.     

Typical Hiding Places

Bedbugs usually do a “hit-and-run.” They come out to feed and then scurry back to their hiding places until their next meal. Because of this, they usually hide behind places where they are near their food source. Aside from beds and headboards, bedbugs hide behind luggage, suitcases, clothing, beddings, rugs, carpets, box springs, couches, dressers, night stands, and secondhand furniture.

Precautions You Can Take

By taking the necessary precautions, you can prevent bedbugs from entering your house and making a home out of your bed.  Here are some tips:

• Check reviews– When traveling, before committing to a hotel or motel, check online reviews. Stay away from places where people had commented there were bedbugs, even if they are offering what seems like a good deal.
• Seal your belongings– Keep a pack of Ziploc bags handy and use them to store your personal items. Keep them shut when not in use to prevent sneaky bedbugs from getting in and contaminating your stuff. Zip your luggage right away after you put or get something out of it.
• Pack items that can be sanitized– Make sure to pack in items that can be washed and cleaned after you get home from traveling. The first thing you need to do after arriving is to wash and clean them with hot water to prevent infestation.  

Although bedbugs don’t pose a threat to your life, their presence can be really disturbing. They prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep and will continue to feed off of you until they are exterminated. If you have done everything in your power but you still cannot get them out of your house, it’s best to contact us! We’re experienced in helping home owners get rid bed bugs for good.

Few things cause the level of revulsion elicited by the bedbug. This small, blood-sucking creature is one that has not only invaded our homes, but they are now found in high-end hotels, offices, public transportation systems, and even in business offices. Anyone can fall prey to these hardy bugs, and it is important to know what you may be doing that can result in an infestation in your home.

How They Invade Your Home

While many believe that an infestation of these pests is due to unclean or unsanitary conditions, this is simply not the case. The richest among us can fall victim to bedbugs due to their ability to hitch a ride on virtually anything. While they tend to take up residence in your beds, they can also hide in your clothing, which allows them to end up virtually anywhere in your home. They are also known to travel through vents, which greatly widens their potential hiding spots.

Bedbugs are often carried from one location to another in luggage, purses, and backpacks. If you visit someone that has them, an action so mundane and simple as setting your purse on the floor can be all it takes to end up with an infestation of your very own. They are also small enough to ride in the treads of your shoes, and if your coat is hanging in a darkened area, they might find your pocket an interesting place to hide.

Hotels, Shelters, and Motels

Another way that many get bedbugs is by staying in a hotel room or shelter that has a problem with them. The sheer number of people who enter and exit these facilities makes it very easy for these pests to transfer themselves from one person to the next. It is also important to understand that these critters will hide anywhere, including behind picture frames, in the furniture, and anywhere else they can find. This means that even though you may not see them when you check the mattress, there may still be some hiding somewhere, just waiting for the lights to go out so they can make a meal out of you.

Precautions

There are some things you can do if you are visiting someone with a potential problem, or if you have to stay in a motel or hotel during your travels. Taking these precautions before you leave can eliminate major headaches later.

When you are planning on traveling, one of the first things you should do if you have to stay in a hotel is to check reviews online. If others have found these pests somewhere, you better believe they will leave a review about it. While this is not 100% foolproof, a bit of research will help you decide where you shouldn’t stay.

When packing, take the time to seal all of your belongings in baggies that you can seal shut. Make sure you zip the bag closed tightly, and only get in them when you need something – making sure to close it back immediately. If possible, you should also make sure your luggage has hard sides, or at the very least no large seams where bugs can hide.

You should also try to make sure that you only pack items that can be washed in hot water when you return. This should be the first thing you do when you make it back home, as allowing your bags to sit overnight will give any unwanted passengers plenty of time to take up residence elsewhere in your home.

While bedbugs are difficult to get rid of, understanding that they truly can be anywhere will help you take better action. If despite your best efforts, you do end up with them in your home, a pest control professional is your best option to get rid of them. The pest professionals at Dugas Pest Control can deal with any bedbug problem you have quickly and efficiently, letting you get back to enjoying your pest-free lifestyle. Give us a call at (888) 606-9282 to schedule an inspection or get an estimate today.

Every parent knows that sending their kid to school means exposing them to colds, the flu, lice, and much more. That just seems to be a part of growing up.

What shouldn’t be considered protocol for your school kids, however, is being at risk of bringing home bed bugs. With the unfortunate news that experts are predicting an increase in bed bug problems during 2014 (link to first blog post), you need to take every precaution to make sure that your child doesn’t increase your chances. Continue reading, then, for easy tips that you can follow to keep your school kid free of bed bugs if you happen to hear of an outbreak at school.

Although bed bugs can be seen with the naked eye (they resemble tiny apple seeds), they’ve survived thousands of years by being very good at hiding. As such, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to search your kid for bed bugs the same way you might check them for lice.

Instead, when they get home, have them remove their school clothes immediately. It’s best they do this in a closed off room and definitely not the one they sleep in. Bed bugs love hiding in your clothes and then hitching a ride with another human as soon as they come in contact. In that way, school is a perfect environment for bed bugs to travel.

Once you have their clothes, wash them immediately on high heat. That temperature will be enough to kill any bed bugs that made it inside.

Tip #2 – Search Their Books and Backpack

While bed bugs are great at hiding, it’s worth looking through your child’s backpack and books if there’s been a recent outbreak at school. Take a flashlight to check every crevice of their backpack and in the seams of their books. Anywhere you could slide a credit card is a potential hiding spot for bed bugs, so don’t worry about being too careful.

Then, throw whatever you can into the dryer. This is a great reason to purchase a backpack that’s machine washable. Anything that can be put in the dryer for at least 30 minutes should be. You can also purchase portable heaters specifically designed to kill off bed bugs and their eggs.

Tip #3 – Protect Your Beds

Despite taking all the necessary precautions, it’s still possible for bed bugs to get in your home. So don’t be surprised if one morning this year you wake up to find little spots of blood on your sheets or find pellets or shed skin in your child’s bed.

First, keep in mind that bed bugs do not spread disease to us. So, although it might make our flesh crawl to imagine them feeding on our flesh, it’s not a medical emergency. Of course, if you or your loved ones are allergic, the bites will certainly be less tolerable.

Start by washing all the bedding. There’s a common misconception that bed bugs are attracted to poor hygiene. While this isn’t true, if they’re still living in the bedding, a trip through the washer and dryer will kill them off.

Next, purchase specially made bedding that will lock in any bed bugs that have already infested your mattress. This bedding will keep out further infestation and kill them inside through starvation.

If All Else Fails

Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of.  In fact, in a recent study by PPMA, 76% of pest control professionals felt they were the #1 most difficult pest to control.

So don’t feel bad if your DIY methods don’t have the desired impact.

Call Dugas Pest Control today and ask about our bed bug control service, and let us worry about the bed bugs while you worry about giving your kids the best education possible.

Out of all the different types of pests we deal with, there’s no doubt that people get the most “creeped out” by the possibility of having bed bugs.

For those people, this news won’t come as a welcome surprise…but unfortunately pest management industry experts are predicting that bed bug problems are going to get worse in 2014!

Bed Bug Basics

Despite their cute name, bed bugs are nothing you want to share your home with, much less your bed!  They’re tiny, wingless insects that can usually be seen with the naked eye.

Generally, their color is reddish-brown, and they don’t grow larger than a quarter inch. People have compared them to a small apple seed; except these small apple seeds can move and feed on your blood.

Although they don’t fly and can’t jump, bed bugs are still able to crawl very quickly. Adding to their elusiveness is the fact that they only come out at night and, during the day, take to cracks and crevices wherever they can find them.

While they will absolutely bite you and feed on your blood, bed bugs don’t spread disease. Some people are allergic to them, however, and bed bugs leave behind noticeable marks from where they’ve fed.

Making matters worse is that they can be very difficult to get rid of, especially if you try the DIY route. That’s just one of the reasons why bed bug treatment is one of our more urgent service calls.

Why are Bed bugs on the Rise in 2014?

It was 2004 when industry experts in the U.S. first noticed a dramatic rise in bedbug infestations. Well, as it turns out, it seems the little guys are planning on celebrating their 10 year anniversary. Experts across the country agree that even the record numbers we saw in 2013 will be surpassed this year.

They cite reports like the Bugs without Borders Survey, which was done in 2013 by the National Pest Management Association. It found that 98% of exterminators they spoke to confirmed that they had encountered an infestation of bed bugs. This number was up from an already scary 90% two years prior.

• Read the Bugs without Borders Survey Executive Summary

There is something of a misperception that bedbugs only infest “dirty” houses or come from “dirty” hotel rooms or movie theaters.

The fact is, bedbugs can be a problem for anyone, no matter how careful and clean you are. You may keep a spotless household, but then your child comes home from a sleepover or you get back from a vacation or business trip, and suddenly, you have an infestation.

All it takes is just a few of the creepy little bugs hitching a ride on luggage and this can turn into a full-blown infestation in your home.

How to Know if You Have a Problem?

How do you know if you have bedbugs in the first place?

The first sign you will likely notice is the bites. They appear as small red spots that itch and usually follow a line or track across your skin.

However, bites alone aren’t sure proof. That’s because bug bites cold be attributed to other pests.

If you suspect you have bedbugs, then it is time to do a visual inspection. You will need to look for the little bugs themselves, which are very small, oval, and either brown or reddish. You also need to look for droppings, which appear as blackish spots on fabrics. There will usually be numerous droppings in one area and they smear if you try to clean them up.

There are several areas you will need to look in your home for bedbugs, and since they hide away during the day, use a flashlight to try and hunt them down. Look in the following places:

• Anywhere on the bed: edges of mattress piping, under fitted sheets, plastic corner guards on box springs, underside of box springs, dust ruffle, fittings where the bed frame is put together, etc.
• Fabrics like drapes or curtains, upholstered furniture, dust covers, blankets, pet beds, etc.
• Wooden furniture near the bed, like nightstands or dressers as well as dresser drawers and in clothing.

You will have to inspect very closely to actually find the bedbugs since they can be hard to see. They tend to hide in the tiniest cracks and crevices, so look thoroughly before ruling them out.

If you aren’t sure, then getting the professionals to come in is a good idea. Then, you will know very quickly whether or not you are dealing with a bedbug infestation, and you will be able to get the most important help you need to get rid of the insects.

Steps for Slowing down Bedbugs

Bedbugs are very hard to eliminate, so be prepared for a long process if you try the DIY route. In fact, in most cases our customers come to us for help after trying unsuccessfully to get rid of bedbugs.

However, before you call there are a few things you can do yourself:

• All fabrics need to be washed in hot water, bedbugs cannot survive the heat. You will need to wash everything that can be put in the machine, including clothes, bedding, pillows, pillow cases, drapes, etc.
• On fabrics that you cannot launder, use a steam cleaner. You can do this with upholstered furniture.
• Vacuum your house, including carpets and the bed. Be very meticulous with the edge of carpeting, seams on the mattress and box spring, and tufts on the bed. Always dispose of the vacuum contents in a sealed trash bag.
• Locate cracks in plaster or loosened wallpaper especially close to the bed. Seal these spaces and glue down the wallpaper so that bedbugs can no longer hide there.

While these sorts of tips are good practice in trying to contain an infestation, the only real way to get rid of them is to call Dugas Pest Control today and find out more about professional bed bug removal.  Our team of trained experts knows the best treatment protocols for removing bed bugs and can help end the problem once and for all.