MAY 01 2022 /
Unfortunately, many people believe the myth that “bed bugs only live in dirty places” and therefore, they will never come in contact with them as long as their home is clean. In reality, all it takes to bring this pest to your own home is staying one night in an infested hotel room, sitting in a bed bug-ridden seat at a movie theater, or picking them up while riding on public transit. Just because you keep your home clean, doesn’t mean you can’t still attract bed bugs! This blog post will help you learn everything there is to know about this tiny yet intrusive pest. We’ll talk about what bed bugs are, why they’re considered a pest in the first place, and how to find them in your home. You’ll also learn about the traditional methods of treating bed bugs, why these don’t always work, and how thermal extermination is the best solution instead. Hint: it involves extreme heat — the ultimate bed bug weakness!
Bed bugs are considered an insect and are similar to mosquitoes due to the fact that their only food source is blood. As nocturnal feeders, they’re more active at night and rarely feed during the day. Their feeding process is incredibly unique because they first inject anesthetics into the skin before ‘biting’, which explains why most people never even realize they’ve been bitten. Amazingly, bed bugs only need five to 10 minutes to fill themselves on blood, unlike ticks that stick around for hours or days.
In terms of size, bed bugs are fairly small so they can be hard to spot in your home. Adults only grow to be about seven millimeters at most. Their bodies are round, flat, and a reddish-brown color from head-to-toe (although they don’t have toes). You can easily identify bed bugs by their lack of wings and how quickly they move compared to other similar-sized insects.
Bed bugs are teeny-tiny pests with a big reputation for being found in dirty homes. The truth is, bed bugs can make themselves at home almost anywhere — so don’t assume your brand new or sparkling clean home is safe! Although they’re not known to carry diseases, bed bugs are a public health risk because of how quickly infestations can occur and how difficult they can be to get rid of. It’s not uncommon for their bites to cause mild reactions in people, too. Welts left behind from their bite can be confused with common skin conditions like a mild rash or eczema. This alone is the reason why bed bug bites are never considered a reliable way of confirming an infestation.
In our opinion, knowing how to check for bed bugs should be considered common knowledge! These pests can be extremely hard to catch until it’s too late, so knowing what to look for in the beginning stages of an infestation can stop bed bug problems from getting out of control. To inspect your home for bed bugs, start by checking areas where people sleep. Your body heat is what attracts them to you, so thoroughly inspect rooms like bedrooms and living areas with a fine-tooth comb. You can look for the bugs themselves or the rust-colored feces they leave behind. Related: What to Do When Bed Bugs Bite at Work
The use of insecticides is the most traditional method for dealing with a bed bug infestation. Unfortunately, three types of insecticides must be used several times to ensure the bed bugs have been exterminated. This three-step process consists of first using a contact insecticide. Then, a residual insecticide to exterminate any surviving bed bugs. Finally, a dust insecticide has to be applied to areas that are difficult to reach, such as electrical outlets. The biggest downside to this three-step chemical treatment is that it can be toxic to the humans and pets living inside your home. We can all agree that exposing loved ones to unnecessary chemicals is never ideal. Plus, this outdated method doesn’t even guarantee extermination since chemicals aren’t a bed bug weakness! Extreme heat in the form of thermal extermination is the only effective way to completely kill off bed bugs. Keep in mind, you can also try DIY methods for eliminating bed bugs if they haven’t yet colonized. If these methods don’t succeed, consider thermal extermination!
Thermal extermination is a heat treatment used by pest extermination professionals for several types of insects. Once your home has been inspected and a bed bug infestation has been confirmed, thermal extermination can be used to eliminate any existing bed bugs and their eggs. The process starts by strategically placing heaters throughout your home. Then, the indoor temperature is monitored to ensure the air reaches at least 118 degrees Fahrenheit — the minimum temperature required to kill adult bed bugs and their eggs. The biggest benefit to thermal extermination is there’s no need to worry about coming in contact with or inhaling toxic chemicals once the treatment is finished.
Our Killingsworth Bed Bug Treatment is considered superior within the Carolinas for many reasons, but here’s a few! Our pest experts are diligent about monitoring temperatures during our thermal extermination process to make sure your home and personal belongings are safe from harm. We also have a one-of-a-kind method when it comes to inspecting your home for bed bug infestations that’s not only extremely efficient, but also entertaining. We have a specially-trained K-9 Detection team that is excellent at finding bed bugs – they have a 98% success rate. Not only are these K-9s significantly more accurate than humans, they’re cuter too! As you can see, our Killingsworth Bed Bug Treatment is not only unique, but also effective and completely safe for your home and family. This is just one way our services and methods stand out from any other pest control company. To get rid of unwanted bed bugs once and for all, schedule a service with us below.
This content was originally published April 2017 and refreshed May 2020.