Table of Contents
What Is A Bed Bug?
You’ve no doubt heard about the infamous bed bug by now. This is especially true for people living in Wichita. Unfortunately, these bugs have made a huge reappearance in the area. They are plaguing the hospitality industry and it doesn’t look like there are any signs of a slowdown. The bed bug or the Cimex lectularius is an ectoparasite, meaning they feed strictly on blood.
They have garnered their name from the fact that their preferred place of residence is the bed or mattress. These bugs will hide in the box springs, behind baseboards, in electrical outlets, and rugs and carpets, but it is the bed that is their number one go-to hiding spot. Ninety percent of bedbugs in an infestation will take shelter in the mattress because it provides quick and easy access to you. While these bugs are only about the size of an apple seed, they can cause big problems.
Why Do People Have Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are known as a path of less resistance kind of pest, but they are also extremely opportunistic. Unfortunately, these characteristics make them one of the most unique and adaptable pests out there. As previously mentioned, they are currently taking over the hospitality industry and this is how most people end up infected. They unsuspectedly bring them home from their travels.
Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and can latch onto a piece of luggage, shoe, or clothing, and ride it back to your home. Once they’ve arrived, they’ll depart and take up residence in the mattress. In addition to this, these bugs can hide in furniture and picture frames. If you are a common purchaser of used furniture and wall décor, you’ll want to be extremely careful. You must learn to thoroughly check these items before bringing them into the home.
Along with being excellent hitchhikers, they are prolific breeders and possess the ability to travel between unit and unit, making them a bad component for any condo or apartment.
Are These Bugs Dangerous?
There have never been any documented cases where bed bugs have passed a disease onto their host. They do bite though. Unfortunately, those bites can sometimes turn into unpleasant, red, swollen welts. Just say the bites can be extremely uncomfortable in certain situations. With that said, some people don’t react to the bites, which is even more troubling when you consider it. Bites are one of the best ways to determine when you are dealing with an infestation. If the bites aren’t showing up, you might never even know that you have a problem on your hands. You can see the potential for problems there.
Other than this, bed bugs are not considered dangerous. They can be a major mental drain for some, as they become so obsessed with getting bitten that they are unable to sleep in the infested rooms again. Some homeowners have reported selling their homes and moving to new neighborhoods because of these troublesome pests. Mind you, these cases are rare but there are some out there. They only cause some people to miss a few days of sleep. The situations vary, but as far as physical harm goes, bed bugs aren’t all that threatening. This, of course, doesn’t mean you want them lingering around your home.
How To Elimination Bed Bugs?
From everything you’ve seen here, you know bed bugs are elusive by nature. With their ability to blend in with common furniture and their slim profiles, these bugs don’t have a problem going undetected. Most people must draw the pests out to identify an infestation. Luckily, this is something a highly trained and experienced pest management professional can help with. Today’s professionals utilize cutting-edge technologies combined with tried and tested methods to detect and eliminate bed bugs in the most effective ways possible.
Bed bugs are extremely difficult to detect but even harder to eradicate. Most people end up spreading the infestation to other parts of the home. Sadly, they’ll make the situation worse, more time-consuming, and more expensive. You likely want to avoid making the problem worse. Here is a list of our most effective treatments and solutions:
- Chemicals And Pesticides – Chemicals and pesticides are a staple of the pest industry. They’ve been used since the beginning and will likely be used until the end of time. This is because they are effective. Sure, these pests have grown more resilient to these substances, but with the right application and techniques, they can still be effective. Therefore, we still offer and utilize them.
- Heat Treatments – The thermal heat treatment is another option we have on our menu. This one involves raising the temperatures in the home to 140 degrees F and maintaining it for ninety minutes or longer. We bring in specialized heaters and carefully monitor the temperatures to accomplish this.
- Cryonite Treatments – Cryonite is a new option in the North American region but has been extensively used in Europe and Australia. It involves using compressed CO2 to freeze pests on contact. This one is our more popular option, as it can be used in a lot of places where traditional chemical treatments can’t be used.
- Steam Treatments – Steam is another option we offer these days. It is like that of the cryonite, but the major difference is that it utilizes steam to dry out the bug’s internal organs, causing them to shut down on contact. This one is also capable of penetrating behind walls, into electrical outlets, and a lot of other areas where pesticides aren’t applicable.
Can I Treat Bed Bug Problems Myself?
With the resurgence of bed bugs and the costs of pest management solutions these days, a lot of people are asking this very question. Unfortunately, this is one of the most complicated questions to answer. Bed bugs are complex pests and eliminating them won’t be easy. These insects are smart enough to go out of their way to avoid detection. They’ll take the path of least resistance every time and rearrange their behaviors to differ from that of yours so they can feed on you while you are sleeping. There are over-the-counter pesticides available, but these products are nowhere near as effective as what licensed professional exterminators are going to use.
That’s because they are lacking industrial-strength ingredients. The ingredients and chemicals needed to successfully kill these pests are illegal to anyone without a license. This is something you’ll want to keep in mind when choosing a pest management professional. When utilizing DIY methods there is always the potential to spread the infestation to other parts of the home. Plus, you could make someone ill. Let us fix it for you instead.
If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.
Our Service Area
Argonia, Burns, Winfield, Yoder, Norwich, Atlanta, Oxford, Mayfield, Wellington, Haven, Burrton, Milton, El Dorado, Elbing, North Newton, Conway Springs, Rock, Newton, Cheney, Potwin, Halstead, Udall, Whitewater, Mount Hope, Douglass, Belle Plaine, Garden Plain, Towanda, Augusta, Viola, Andale, Bentley, Sedgwick, Peck, Mulvane, Benton, Rose Hill, Clearwater, Goddard, Colwich, Andover, Valley Center, Derby, Greenwich, Maize, Haysville, Kechi, Danville, Mcconnell Afb.
Zip Codes We Service
67585, 67543, 67278, 67277, 67276, 67275, 67260, 67259, 67257, 67256, 67251, 67236, 67235, 67233, 67231, 67232, 67230, 67228, 67227, 67226, 67223, 67221, 67220, 67219, 67218, 67217, 67216, 67214, 67215, 67213, 67212, 67210, 67211, 67209, 67208, 67207, 67206, 67205, 67204, 67203, 67202, 67201, 67156, 67152, 67154, 67149, 67147, 67146, 67144, 67135, 67133, 67123, 67131, 67120, 67119, 67118, 67117, 67114, 67108, 67110, 67106, 67103, 67101, 67067, 67060, 67055, 67056, 67052, 67050, 67042, 67041, 67039, 67036, 67037, 67031, 67030, 67026, 67025, 67020, 67016, 67017, 67013, 67010, 67008, 67004, 67001, 67002, 66840 .