The Best Pest Control To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs? (Greenville Exterminators)

Bed bugs are here and there, and millions of Americans are battling with its population explosion with no outcome in sight. These bloodsucking insects seemed to have developed into stronger insects than ever, and they have generated some form of resistance to insecticides that used to be very effective against them. Most consumer complaints heard by pest control professionals also involve bed bug infestation. With these facts, no wonder my friend was so distraught. He has a long fight ahead of him.

The Solution To His Problem Is Pest Control

Pest control can be described as the act of managing insects or animals that affect human activities negatively. Based on that definition, pest control should have taken care of the bed bug infestation crisis that has been bugging us all. Why are they still here then?

There really is no specific answer to that. In this column, we will examine what bed bugs are, how they developed into such an unrelenting problem, and explain how we can defend ourselves from these bed bugs.  

Overview of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are tiny insects that grow to about 4 to 5 mm in length and 1 to 3 mm in width. So you can imagine how small they are in case you have not seen one, bed bugs are the size of an apple seed. They have flat, oval-shaped bodies and come in brownish-red color. However, their appearance changes after a blood meal. They turn red and with bloated bodies. Bed bugs are not capable of flying but are quick crawlers. They have flat bodies that allow them to hide in small cracks and crevices during the day, making them difficult to reach.

Bed bugs are nocturnal creatures, so they only feed at night as we all sleep. Sometimes they do feed during the day. This happens when they catch a host sleeping during the day and the infestation is heavy.  

Life Cycle

Female adult bed bugs can yield hundreds of eggs all their lives. This is why there appears to be no conclusion in sight as far as bed bug problems are concerned. What makes matters worse is that they spread rather quickly, so you need to be doubly vigilant.

Bed bugs pass through a complete metamorphosis of their lifetime. They emerge as eggs. Their eggs look like grains and are white. Bed bugs lay their eggs in narrow cracks and crevasses to hide them away. A single egg is just 1 mm in size, so it is really hard to see with the bare eye. These eggs hatch within two weeks. After the eggs hatch, they come out as nymphs.

The nymphs are new, immature bed bugs that molt 5 times before they approach maturation. They are tinier than the adults but they have the same appearance. They are still not capable of multiplying. The younger nymphs are yellowish-white, while the more mature ones are brownish-red in color. At this stage, they are already capable of sucking blood, as they require a blood meal to molt to the later stage. If the condition is appropriate, nymphs develop into adults in 5 weeks. Then the cycle starts all over again. The next generation of adults would reproduce another set of eggs.

Identifying bed bugs is important if we are to thrash these bed bugs. Identification should consistently be the initial step. Where do they hide? Let us find out where they hide.

How Did I Get Bed Bugs?

There was a time when we once defeated the bed bugs here in America. It was in the 1950s after scientists invented new insecticides that helped get rid of them all. Americans led relatively stress-free and restful lives for about four decades, only to reemerge in the 1990s.

It was claimed that travel was the reason why bed bugs first showed up in the United States more than a hundred years ago. Today, travel was once again mentioned to be the prime reason why they made a big resurgence in the ’90s. An increasing number of Americans are traveling to many different countries as the world gets smaller and travel much better. Along the way, these people pick up the bugs, be it in 5-star hotels or cheap motels. Bed bugs do not favor any place to settle as long as they can fill their need for human or animal blood. They are remarkably good hitchhikers. They latch on bags, luggage, or clothes. This is how American tourists take them back home.

Other ways bed bugs manage to sneak into homes are buying or bringing in used furniture or clothes that may have bed bugs on them. 

Bed Bug Hiding Places

At first, bed bugs would hole up in spaces that are near their host. In this case, they settle around the bed where the host sleeps. They can be located in the mattress, headboards, and bed frames. When their population builds up, they would then spread to different parts of the household. They would seek shelter in cracks and crevices of walls and floors, on furniture, inside drawers, carpets, and even inside electrical receptacles. Once they spread like this, it would be awfully tough to crush them.  

Bed Bugs As Pests

Bed bugs are one of the most prevalent household pests in Greenville. They bite their hosts and suck their blood. Since they normally attack when we are asleep, we do not feel their bites. Aside from that, they inject an enzyme that serves as anesthesia, thus their bloodsucking activities are unhindered and our sleep uninterrupted.

Their bites cause extreme itchiness and look awful on the skin. However, these bites would not appear until after 7 to 14 days. These bites usually resolve by themselves without any demand for therapeutic intervention. You can simply rinse the bites with soap and water.  

High Health Risk Pests

Bed bugs are regarded as serious health risk pests by three state agencies, particularly the United States Department of Agriculture, the Center for Disease Control, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Even though they are not known to carry viruses, they gravely affect one’s health. Cases of insomnia, stress, anxiety, and social isolation, and depression were frequently reported by those who had bed bugs in their homes.

With all these negative effects, we need to act promptly if we have bed bug infestation at home. Here are the signs of bed bug infestation.

Signs Of Bed Bugs

Look for these clues so that you can move quickly. Keep in mind that if you delay any further, it would be late.  

1. Bloody stains on the mattress, pillows, and bedsheets. Unless you have a wound yourself, these stains are probably bed bugs that you had crushed as you were snoozing.  

2. A sweet, putrid smell coming from the scent glands of bed bugs.

3. Crimson-colored fecal stains.

4. Physically seeing a bed bug. Bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, especially if your bed and pillowcases are white in color.  

Pest Control Processes That Can Get Rid of Bed Bugs

It is truly alarming to have bed bugs. Their negative effects are an absolute menace. It is a good thing that there are pest control practices to help us control their population. It may take a lengthy period to totally exterminate them, but all is not lost with these tips.

1. Sprinkle some diatomaceous earth around areas where there are bed bugs. You may pick up this item from a local gardening store near you. Once the bed bugs crawl on it, it would inflict tiny cuts on their bodies. They would then die of dehydration.

2. Use your vacuum cleaner. Vacuum in areas where bed bugs like to stay, like in cracks and crevices, on the sofa, and the beds. After vacuuming, tie up the vacuum’s pouch and dispose of it accordingly.  

3. If you are maintaining an apartment unit and have bed bug problems, promptly advise the landlords so that they would be the ones to call a pest control company. This would stop the increase of bed bugs and prevent them from spreading out to the rest of the units.  

4. Wash your sheets in hot, soapy water. This will wipe out the bed bugs. After washing, dry it with a dryer and set it on its maximum setting. Do this for 30 minutes.

5. You may likewise prefer to invest in bed bug proof mattress encasements. These are fabric sacks in which you can cover your mattress or even your box springs with to insulate you from bed bug bites.

If you are simply overwhelmed by these pesky bugs, do not fear. To get rid of bed bugs, you can count on the best pest control experts in Greenville, Go-Forth Pest Control. For more information, or to request a free estimate, call us now or check us out on go-forth.com.