Are you battling bed bugs? Are you waking up with tiny, itchy bites that appear on your skin in patterns? Or, worse, are you actually seeing bed bugs? If so, we hope you came straight here to find out what you can do about them. Bed bugs are bugs that can torment a family for months. This is because do-it-yourself bed bug remedies simply don’t work against these pests.
What Doesn’t Work
Bed bugs are designed to live with humans. They’ve been doing it from the very beginning of civilization. Some suspect that they may have even plagued us before that. Evidence of bed bugs have been found in caves. But, while no one is sure how long these blood-eating pests have been tormenting us, one thing we know for sure is, it’s been a long time. If they were not experts at avoiding our attempts to eradicate them, there would be no bed bugs today. This is the primary reason DIY methods don’t work.
If you lay sticky traps out, you’ll catch bed bugs. But you will not catch all the bed bugs in your home. Though bed bugs come out as a group to feed, they don’t all come out. You can cover your entire bed with sticky traps and still not catch every bed bug in your home.
You may hear that carbon dioxide traps are a good idea. It makes sense. Bed bugs are drawn out to feed when CO2 levels rise in a room. This is the indication that there are sleeping mammals to feed on. You can catch some bed bugs this way. But you will not draw them all out.
DIY Treatments
Some self-help pest sites give some accurate tips for treating bed bugs, and these can work a little bit. If you purchase mattress and box spring encasements to trap bed bugs inside and starve them to death, you might actually stop your bed bug infestation, but it is unlikely. While bed bugs live in mattresses, box springs, and pillows, they don’t only live in these items. They can also be found in upholstered furniture, electronics, baseboards, outlets, and even wall voids. If you don’t have a professional do a detailed inspection, your nightmare may continue.
What works to get rid of bed bugs?
The most important tool in the war against bed bugs is knowledge. At McCall Service, our bed bug specialists don’t just have the resources to arrest a bed bug infestation, they know how to implement these tools in a way that prevents bed bugs from escaping treatment.
You probably know that there are many chemicals that can kill bed bugs, but when these products are applied wrong, bed bugs can flee into walls and come back to feed on you another day. Our team knows how to apply chemicals in a way that is not only safe but effective at corralling these pests. When combined with mattress/box spring encasements, this can be a fast and effective solution, if administered correctly.
Chemicals are a great, low-cost solution for small and isolated infestations, but sometimes they are not enough. When bed bugs are widespread, or we encounter bed bugs that have developed a resistance to pesticides, other measures must be implemented. These are factors that are usually missed by those who have no education in pest control–and an improper use of chemicals is not only harmful to the occupants of a home or business, they can actually make the problem worse.
Heat is a powerful and natural way to eradicate bed bugs. It can be a focused application of steam in conjunction with HEPA-Vacuums or a full heat treatment of an entire structure. Both are effective at killing bed bugs, when done properly. Heating a home up is difficult, and when done wrong, can end in the loss. This should never be attempted without proper heat regulating equipment, sensors, and training. The experienced pest professionals here at McCall Service know how to apply these in a way that is safe and effective.
Dogs are a fast, non-invasive tool in the war on bed bugs. Their powerful noses can detect bed bugs in all stages of development before, and, after treatments. There is simply no better way to make sure those bugs are gone.
If you live in our service area, let McCall Service keep you safe from bed bugs with K-9 inspections, heat remediation, focused and limited EPA-approved chemicals, and targeted bed bug protocols. Reach out to us today for immediate assistance.
