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WV Pest Control Pros On How To Stay Bed Bug Free
9/27/13
While the talk of bed bugs may have died down a bit in the news and in other media, bed bugs themselves have not. These pests are still a major problem all across the country including in West Virginia, they are still heavily invading homes, hotels, motels, movie theaters, libraries, and other areas where there is a high level of human traffic. A small parasitic insect, they are approximately ¼ of an inch in length and feed on the blood of mammals favoring human blood. They cannot fly or jump so they move from host to host by hitch hiking a ride on belongings or the new host themselves. Once they make it into your home or business bed bugs are extremely difficult to eliminate, they are very adept at hiding not only in mattresses and box springs, but also between floorboards and under carpet, behind walls and baseboards as well as in furniture among other places. In order to keep bed bugs out or at least limit their stay, identified below are some helpful tools and tips.
If you are worried about a possible bed bug inspection and are on the verge of tearing your home apart or throwing out your mattress, hold on! Consider contacting a pest control company that offers K-9 bed bug inspections. Because these insects are so hard to detect by eye alone, one of the most accurate methods that West Virginia bed bug control experts use to determine if bed bugs are present in homes and businesses is by utilizing the keen nose of a trained bed bug dog. The benefits of having a specially trained bed bug dog inspect your property for bed bugs include:
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Accuracy. Because of a their keens sense of smell, bed bug dogs have a 97% accuracy rating in detecting adult bed bugs, eggs, and their larvae. While professional bed bug inspectors are highly trained, they cannot compare to canines.
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Speed. Not only highly accurate, bed bug dogs work fast and efficiently. In fact, often times they can inspect a room in three minutes or less!
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Ability. Because a human inspector can only inspect areas visible to they naked eye they are quite limited in their search capabilities. Dogs on the other hand have the ability to find bed bugs in areas not readily visibly. Again, it comes back to the vast amount of nasal receptors.
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Minimal disruption. An inspection performed by a trained bed bug dog can be completed with minimal disruption to a home or business whereas an inspection performed by a human can be quite disruptive because they rely on their eyes and not their noses.
Now, if your home or business is bed bug free and you want to make every effort to keep it that way, there are some prevention measures you can implement to help you achieve that end.
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Buyer beware. If you are a big fan of garage sales, fleas markets or secondhand stores be careful about the items you purchase. You see these insects are often introduced into homes and business on previously used items. Inspecting used mattresses, furniture and even clothing before buying or bringing home is a great way to prevent this type of infestation. An important note, you should also wash new clothing as soon as you get home as bed bugs have been reported in many retail environments.
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Avoid extra vacation souvenirs. If you are taking a vacation with the family or even just taking a business trip for a couple of days, you should use caution when returning home to avoid bringing an a souvenir back with you. Airplanes and other modes of public transportations as well as commercial lodgings are hotbeds of bed bug activity and you can easily and unknowingly pick up a hitchhiker while traveling. When returning from a trip make sure to wash all clothing in hot water and vacuum out your suitcase.
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Be vigilant. Even if you feel like your home is bed bug free, don’t drop your guard. A quick weekend visit from your college-aged kid or a long weekend at that inn you’ve wanted to visit could result in a bed bug problem. And for businesses that experience a lot of foot traffic and occupancy turnover, educate your staff on signs of bed bugs and what to do if you see bed bugs or receive complaints from customers. Business owners and managers should also consider partnering with a pest management provider that specializes in this pest and that offers proactive inspections.
Unfortunately there is no way to completely protect your property against bed bug invasions; these pests are superior travelers and excel at hiding. At the first sign of a bed bug problem, you should contact a local pest control company. Professionals are trained to identify infestations and will recommend the ideal bed bug treatment based on their findings. Don’t lose another night’s sleep or wake up covered in bed bug bites!
For K-9 bed bug inspections and bed bug control in Charleston and throughout West Virginia, Ace Exterminators is the ideal solution. In business since 1946, this family owned and operated WV pest control company has the tools, knowledge and experience to quickly and completely get rid of bed bugs in homes and businesses.