Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Everyone loves a come back. An underdog team pulling from behind or a reemergence of an old band releasing a great, new album. One come back we've seen in the pest control industry is the come back of Bed Bugs, and we wouldn't consider these guys an underdog.

Bed bugs have long been thought of as an old world pest issue and were forgotten for quite a while, that is until the last 10 years. Pest control companies are seeing bed bug infestation numbers skyrocketing in the last decade, only growing as time goes by.

Bed bugs were a very common issue in the America's since it's beginnings. The colonist brought them over on ships and they were a common household pest until the 1950s.  The introduction of DDT almost eliminated the bed bugs problem within the US. There are a few theories as to why bed bugs have made such a comeback in the last 10 to 20 years including: increased world wide travel, changes in bed bug habits and possible resistance to pesticides, the use of bait-oriented pest control methods, increase in second hand items, and more.  One thing is for certain, these guys are back and are trying to establish a permanent residence.

We want to share some tips to help protect yourself, your family and others around you from a possible infestation of these night-time crawlers. The best way to prevent bed bug infestation in your home is to be careful in places where people travel, such as hotels, apartment buildings or dormitories. When staying in hotels bed bugs can “catch a ride” and set up in your home, thus causing an infestation. Make sure to inspect your room for bed bugs and keep luggage on furniture racks and off of the floor. Also, be vigilant when acquiring used furniture and beds. If you can launder or place used items in a dyer for 10-20 seconds the chance of a bed bug infestation is largely reduced.

Also here's a video from the National Pest Management Association on tips to protect yourself from bed bugs:

 

With a little vigilance you can easily protect yourself from a bed bug infestation and save time, money and your peace of mind. If you do have a bed bug infestation please call a licensed professional to take care of the issues. There have been many cases of "do it yourself" pest control for bed bugs that has caused illness and even death due to pesticide poisoning. 

 

Comments

[American Pest Control]

@Lucile Exactly. This is very similar to what we talked about in our most recent post. Protect your investment!

[Lucile Lynch]

The most important things that you must do to get rid of all the bed bugs and other pests in your home is to hire a professional pest control company. They will do a thorough inspection inside and outside of your home, and eliminate or destroy the ants' colony. Don’t let the health and safety of your family be at risk. Get rid of the ants and pests as early as possible, particularly if your house is already old and hasn’t been inspected thoroughly.

[Ampest.com]

Our guys feel the same way. Bed Bugs are definitely one of the biggest growing issues in the Pest Control Industry, and they are so tough to treat. We try to educate our clients as well as possible to prevent an infestation but sometimes it can still happen. It will be interesting to see how the industry adapts to control them if the problem continues to grow (which might probably be the case).

[Pest Control Portland]

Goodness, I remember when I was younger, my grandparents would always tell me, "Don't let the bed bugs bite" after tucking me in for the night. I never did think much about it, I just assumed it was a funny saying that they used. I never did realize these were a horrific nuisance pest that invaded homes until I joined the team here at Pest Control Portland. Now I am all too familiar with calls from customers who feel as if their lives have been turned upside down because they had a work conference out of town and their 4-star hotel apparently had a bed bug infestation. I've heard it all now! Sometimes, I really feel as if ignorance truly is bliss...