Bedbugs: A Growing Problem

Don’t let the bedbugs bite” had become a cliché because the tiny bloodsuckers hadn’t been a problem for decades, but in all over the country in cities and suburbs they are biting.

Pest control experts attribute the source of the problem to the increase in international travel. In 2002 nearly 41.9 million foreign visitors traveled to the United States. By 2004, that number had risen to 46 million. The tiny, extremely hardy insects hitch a ride in their luggage.

The quarter-inch long bugs feed primarily on humans at night when they are asleep. “Some people have no reactions to the bites, but others experience swelling and redness where they are bitten. Fortunately, bedbugs do not spread disease, but they do leave behind tiny droppings and blood and give off a sickly sweet odor.”

Bedbugs can live for more than a year without feeding and can withstand a wide range of temperatures from below freezing to almost 113 degrees Fahrenheit. This increases the difficulty of eliminating them.

Eradicating bedbugs is especially difficult because, for places like hotels and resorts, there’s little that can be done to prevent an infestation that could take place any day in any suite. Bedbugs are difficult to find because they are so small, even in their adult stage. They have flat bodies that permit them to squeeze into the smallest cracks and crevices in furniture

Bliss technicians have been successful eradicating bedbugs from apartments, homes, hotels, group homes and other sites. Effective bedbug treatment is a job that requires patience, training and skill. Our technicians are trained in the biology and habits of bedbugs as well as provided field training in proper inspection strategies and the proper use of insecticides to control bedbugs.

Our approach is to perform a thorough inspection and treatment in order to treat all areas where bedbugs might be nesting and emerging. Our technicians will work with you to insure that all potential harborage sites are inspected carefully and treated with the proper insecticides. When used properly these EPA registered pesticides will not be hazardous to people and pets.

Since both foreign and domestic travelers often stay in some of the finest hotels in the region, an outbreak of bedbugs can pose a serious problem because Americans return home only to discover they have brought bedbugs with them.

If bedbugs get a foothold in a single condo or apartment unit they can easily migrate to others in the structure. They have an uncanny ability to smell the presence of humans in other rooms.

The campaign in the 1980s and 90s to eliminate the use of pesticides that might otherwise prevent this reemerging insect problem has probably contributed to its rapid spread. When properly applied by Bliss trained technicians, the pesticides do not pose a hazard to people and pests.

Unfortunately for those experiencing an infestation, consumers will have a lot of difficulty in ridding their home or hotel room of bedbugs. Once established, bedbugs can multiply rapidly, reaching numbers in the hundreds and even thousands. Eradication can take time and often proves costly.

We advise people to be certain to inspect any purchases of used furniture or antiques before bringing them into your home. In addition as new mattresses are transported in the same trucks used for discarded mattresses (that might be infested with bedbugs) we recommend when they deliver your new mattress make sure it is encased in plastic covering.

If you have traveled and stayed in hotels, we recommend vacuuming your luggage and unpacking before you bring the luggage into the living area of your home . Immediately isolate and clean any clothes from your travel bags. Do not hang them in your closet until you have inspected cleaned theseitems as needed.

If you live in a multiple dwelling make sure that management knows to treat common storage areas regularly as many residents store their luggage in these areas.

 

BEFORE AND AFTER BEDBUG TREATMENT

The preparations to be done prior to our treatment are the following:

  • Remove items from all nightstands, dressers and closet floors.
  • Place items in plastic bags
  • Launder and/or place in dryer clothes, stuffed animals, other items
  • All belongings need to be off the floors in all rooms and closets
  • Leave linens, blankets and pillows on the bed and we will inspect them for signs of bedbugs

We will inspect and treat the following areas:

  • Box spring, bed frame, headboard, the floor under and around the bed, behind picture frames
  • Inside baseboards, nightstands, dressers, door frames, window frames, behind picture frames and any other hiding places where bed bugs are found
  • Treat the bed frame, slats and any hollow legs
  • Carpeting

After our service

  • Vacuum area a few hours later or next day
  • Hidden bedbugs can come out after our treatment and will die a few hours after they go through our barrier
  • You might see bedbug activity for up to two weeks after our service…call us if you are still seeing activity after two weeks and we will return right away
  • Cover your mattress with plastic cover to keep bedbugs from reinfesting mattress
  • Launder and/or place in dryer clothes and other items to kill any bedbugs

Contact us and we can provide you with further information on how Bliss can properly treat a bedbug infestation.