The idea of bugs living inside your mattress and feeding on your blood as you sleep is enough to keep you from sleeping at all. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what bed bugs do. To make matters worse, eliminating a bed bug infestation is no small task. It’s time-consuming, expensive, and, without the proper training and knowledge, can be all for naught.
Having a bed bug infestation is stressful enough. Don’t add more, unneeded stress to your life by trying to take care of it by yourself. After all, there’s a reason the professionals are professionals.
Identifying Bed Bugs
Adult bed bugs grow to about ¼ of an inch in length and are brown in color. However, after they feed, their flat oval-shaped bodies will engorge and turn a deep reddish-purple color. Because they are nocturnal and prefer the blood of humans, they often are found in mattresses, box springs, and bed frames. However, once inside, they will move all about a home so nipping the problem in the bud is essential.
Common DIY Techniques
Oftentimes, when people are faced with a bed bug infestation, they decide to deal with it themselves. Usually, this is due to the perceived cost of professional treatment. However, many don’t anticipate how much of an undertaking this is. It requires a lot of research and hard work. Not to mention all of the products one must purchase to eliminate the infestations. Then, there’s knowing how to properly apply those products.
With that being said, here are some common DIY techniques which people might employ to remedy to bed bug infestations.
Pesticides
Bed bug sprays are relatively cheap pesticides used to kill any bed bugs that come in contact with the spray. Unfortunately, those are the only bed bugs it will kill. The bed bugs will not bring it back to their companions to help it spread throughout the infestation, but it will remain localized to the bugs you yourself spray. Overall, this is not effective because leaving any live bed bugs means the infestation will persist.
Traps
In addition to sprays, many people use traps simultaneously. While less effective overall than sprays, traps will work on the occasional bed bug. Like the sprays, the traps, by themselves, are not very expensive, but when you start to add them all up, it’s not such a cheap job anymore.
Residual Powder
Residual powder is also used with sprays and traps. Usually, once you’re done with the sprays, the residual powder is employed to take care of remaining bugs. However, this means putting it in hiding places such as under power outlet covers and other areas that, without great knowledge of bed bugs, are hard to identify. Not to mention, this is now a third product you’ve bought with the hope that it’ll take care of every bed bug.
Heat
Heat is used in place of pesticides as many people are not crazy about filling their homes with poisons. Industrial heaters are used to raise the temperature in a room above 120 degrees F, above which bed bugs cannot survive. However, these heaters can cost upwards of a thousand dollars which doesn’t exactly help you in keeping costs low.
Given the number of products you must purchase and the relative uncertainty of effectiveness, why give yourself the headache of trying to deal with bed bugs on your own? Especially when there are trained pest professionals who know the most effective techniques for eliminating infestations.
Pest Pro Pest Control Bed Bug Control Program
If you are dealing with a bed bug infestation, call the professionals here at Pest Pro Pest Control and ask about our Bed Bug Control Program.
Our Bed Bug Control Program includes a pre-treatment checklist for you to perform prior to our arrival, treatment of one room or the entire house, and a follow-up treatment two weeks later. Our program is designed to completely irradiate any and all bed bugs in the vicinity so that you can be sure your home is bed bug-free. Don’t hesitate to give us a call today.