Bed Bug Treatment and Extermination
Bed bugs are unfortunately a common pest in many households, though they often go undetected. Think you may have a bed bug problem? Not to worry, our Clegg’s team specializes in bed bug pest detection and extermination.
Our bed bug pest control plans are custom tailored to your specific situation and needs. Not all bed bug infestations are the same. Despite their name, bed bugs can also infest cushioned furniture and other areas of your home. The first step in our bed bug treatment process is to perform a FREE general inspection to look for evidence of the pests in your home. After this, our specialist will share a proposal with you for a customized treatment plan to take care of the infestation and give you your peace of mind back. If you think you may have bed bugs or want to learn about preventative pest control treatments, call our pest control heroes or schedule your FREE initial inspection through the form below!
How did I get bed bugs?
As notorious hitchhikers, most bed bug infestations start with just one or two of these small insects hiding in suitcases, on clothing, shoes, boxes, etc. They then hitchhike into your home and set up residence near a feeding source, i.e. you and your family. These ever elusive pests can hide in places you wouldn’t expect such as in electrical outlets, wallpaper, and behind baseboards. Most people find them in the more obvious places like your bed, carpet, and clothing. Coming out like little vampires to suck your blood at night, they usually feed for a few minutes and then run back to their hiding place for a couple of weeks at a time to digest and breed before returning again for their next meal. This makes them hard to track down and eliminate without the proper tools. If you have noticed bites on your arms or legs in the morning, you may have an infestation. Contact our team to schedule a FREE general inspection and begin the process of exterminating those pests!
Signs of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are one of the most prevalent species of insect in the U.S. Based on this Bugs Without Borders Survey, conducted by the National Pest Management Association and the University of Kentucky, 99.6% of pest control professionals stated that they had come across a bed bug infestation in the last year.
This is why bed bug pest control is so vital. It is often difficult to determine whether you actually have an infestation but some of the warning signs are:
- Blood on your sheets, pillows or other bedclothes. Sofas and other cushioned furniture may show blood spots as well.
- Dark/rusty spots of bed bug excrement on bedding, furniture, clothing, walls, etc.
- Egg shells or molted skins on bedding or furniture.
- Musty odor from bed bug scent glands.
If you have noticed any of these signs in your home, contact our team immediately.
Bed Bug Bites
Bed bug bites are usually the early warning sign of a bed bug infestation. Bed bugs feed only on blood. Each life stage feeds, except the egg.
Allergic reactions vary widely from practically no reaction to small itchy red or white bumps, to blisters or pustules. Not every person in a residence will react the same way and many times only one person will show signs of bites, leading others to believe it cannot be bed bugs. If you someone you now has bites, consider the following:
- Bed bugs tend to feed on exposed skin, but can feed under loose clothing.
- Bed bugs primarily feed at night in the dark, in a typical situation. Under stressed conditions bed bugs can feed during the day.
- Bed bug bite reactions can take a few minutes to as many as 14 days to appear.
- Bed bugs do not transmit diseases but can cause discomfort in affected individuals.
If left untreated, bed bug infestations will just get worse. Bed bugs will travel on clothing or personal items, so if you do not treat your home and remove the infestation, you may cause the spread of these annoying bugs.
How can I prevent bed bugs?
There are many preventative measures you can take to prevent getting bed bugs, but unfortunately even the best and cleanest homeowner can still end up with an infestation. It does not mean you are a dirty person or a bad house-keeper, these are just incredibly wily little creatures that have evolved practices to keep themselves undetected. Here are some best practices to use to avoid getting bed bugs in your home:
- Always vacuum your suitcases out thoroughly when you return home from a trip
- Keep plastic (trash) bags in your suitcase when traveling and put all dirty clothing inside and seal tightly. When you return home, wash all items in hot water and dry on highest setting to kill any bed bug eggs
- Never bring anything in your home from the street, no matter how cute it is or how green you want to be. Usually items with bed bugs are marked with a large red X, but if it’s on the street labeled “free”, there’s probably a reason for it
- Never bring any second hand clothing or furniture into your home without first carefully examining it for any telltale signs, such as small brown marks, mites, blood, etc.
- Bring a high-powered flashlight with you when you travel and carefully examine mattress, box springs, under the bed, and bed posts for any bed bugs before you unpack or stay in a room
- Routinely wash your sheets and bedding in hot water and bleach, and dry on highest setting
Adults and all nymphal stages need to take blood meals from warm-blooded hosts, which are typically humans although other mammals and birds can be utilized in the absence of a human host. Female bed bugs lay about five eggs daily throughout their adult lives in a sheltered location (mattress seams, crevices in box springs, spaces under baseboards, etc). Eggs hatch in about 4-12 days into first instar nymphs which must take a blood meal before molting to the next stage. The bugs will undergo five nymphal stages, each one requiring a blood meal before molting to the next stage, with the fifth stage molting into an adult.
Nymphs, resemble smaller versions of adults. Nymphs and adults take about 5-10 minutes to obtain a full blood meal. The adults may take several blood meals over several weeks, assuming a warm-blooded host is available. Mating occurs off the host. Adults live 6-18 months and may survive for long periods of time without feeding.
If you think you have bed bugs, contact Clegg’s today to see how we can help eliminate the infestation.
Bed Bug Control Service Areas in North Carolina
Clegg’s Pest Control is proud to provide local bed bug control solutions across North Carolina, including these areas:
- Bed bug control in Asheville, NC
- Bed bug control in Charlotte, NC
- Bed bug control in Clinton, NC
- Bed bug control in Durham, NC
- Bed bug control in Fayetteville, NC
- Bed bug control in Greenville, NC
- Bed bug control in Kernersville, NC
- Bed bug control in Morehead City, NC
- Bed bug control in New Bern, NC
- Bed bug control in Raleigh, NC
- Bed bug control in Smithfield, NC
- Bed bug control in Southport, NC
- Bed bug control in Wilmington, NC
