Bed Bug Treatment and Pest Control
In North Carolina, bed bugs are a common pest in many households, though they often go undetected. That’s why Clegg’s specializes in bed bug pest control and detection.
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. One of the most proven and effective methods to control bed bug infestations is heat treatment.
About Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are one of the most prevalent species of insect in the U.S. Based on the latest 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.
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.
Bed Bug Lifecycle
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 Heat Treatment Service Areas in NC
Clegg’s Pest Control is proud to provide local bed bug heat treatment in 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
