Bed Bugs

IDENTIFYING A BEDBUG

Bedbugs may be difficult to detect at the onset of an infestation.  Bedbug eggs, as well as young bedbugs prior to feeding, have no color. Adult bedbugs are small, reddish-brownish insects with oval-shaped, flattened bodies.  They can easily be mistaken for beetles, ticks, or other household insects. Bedbugs do not fly or jump but they crawl quickly over floors, walls, ceilings, and other surfaces.

Bedbugs mainly hide throughout the day and are most active at night. Their flattened bodies enable them to hide easily in areas such as mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and headboards. Bedbugs tend to congregate in typical hiding places. These areas can be identified by dark spotting and staining caused by the bedbugs. Another possible sign may be rusty or reddish discoloration on bed sheets or mattresses.

Adult bedbugs lay eggs in secluded places. The eggs are tiny – about the size of a speck of dust. It takes about a week for the eggs to hatch and about a month for them to fully mature into adult bedbugs.

K9 INSPECTION

K9 inspections can be beneficial in detecting bedbugs or eggs that cannot be seen with the naked eye. The K9 uses its sense of smell rather than sight to locate the bedbugs. They can smell bedbugs that are in the walls or other areas that are hard to find. The K9 can also identify the eggs by smell rather than sight, ensuring that no eggs go unnoticed.

GETTING RID OF BEDBUGS

There are different methods of treatment that we use to get rid of bedbugs. One method is chemical treatment. There is extensive preparation which must be followed before the chemical treatment can be done. The other method is xTherminate – a heat treatment. This method has minimal prep required.

CHEMICAL TREATMENT:

The chemical treatment is done 2 times over a period of 2 weeks. No one may be present while the treatment is being done.

[CLICK HERE] for the full chemical treatment preparation list.

HEAT TREATMENT

The heat treatment, xTherminate, is a simpler and more effortless method than the chemical treatment due to the minimal prep required. There is no need to remove anything from your home before we begin the heat treatment with the exception of heat-sensitive items.

Furniture and clothing are not at risk for damage with xTherminate. As a precaution, we do recommend unplugging all electronics before we begin.

With xTherminate, the strong waves of heat are between 120- and 140- degrees Fahrenheit. The heat naturally draws the bedbugs out from wherever they are hiding. The specialized equipment and proper placement ensure that there is no escaping.

Although heat travels quickly and effectively, the varying sizes and layouts of different structures may result in the process taking longer. You can expect the treatment to take between 6 to 12 hours.

[CLICK HERE] for the full heat treatment preparation list.