Bed bugs are one of the most challenging pests to control and eliminate from your home. They reproduce extremely quickly. In fact, one lone insect can turn into hundreds if not promptly treated. Moreover, bed bug bites may cause itchy welts and, in some cases, severe allergic reactions.
Fortunately, the extermination experts at Poulin’s Pest Control are ready to jump into action and attack your bed bug infestation. Our bed bug treatments identify where the insects lurk and eliminate them where they hide to ensure the troublesome guests don’t return . If you think you have a bed bug problem in your home or business and require treatment, call Poulin’s at 1-877-533-2500 or contact us at our Calgary location.
Identifying Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are very small. However, you can see them with the naked eye. As adults, they are about four to five millimetres long, and have flat, oval-shaped bodies with horizontal bands. They are usually brown or reddish-brown.
Signs You Have Bed Bugs
Before noticing the insects themselves, you may notice some signs of a bed bug infestation. For example, if you wake up with small red welts on your body, you may have been bitten by bed bugs. Bed bug bites usually occur two or three in a row. These insects get nourishment from sucking blood from humans, pets, and livestock. Bed bug bites can get inflamed and itchy and trigger allergic reactions in severe cases, however not everyone reacts the same way to the bites – some people may not react at all.
Additionally, you may notice tiny rusty-brown stains on your sheets or furniture. Bed bug feces cause these stains. You may also find shed bed bug exoskeletons on your soft furnishings. If you notice any of these signs, it’s best to schedule a treatment or inspection from Poulin’s in Calgary.
Where Bed Bugs Live
Bed bugs love small, hidden places. They hide in cracks along mattresses, bed frames and box springs. They also shelter in the gaps between your couch cushions, the spaces of your baseboards, picture frames, carpets and the clothes in your closet. They can live up to nine months and survive for three months without a blood meal.
How Bed Bugs Enter Your Home
It doesn’t matter if your home is meticulously clean or not, bed bugs can enter your home through various means. In most cases, humans transport bed bugs from one location to another. For instance, they can hitch a ride on:
- Luggage and backpacks
- Purses
- Gym bags
- Second-hand furniture
- Items and clothing left close to beds
- Shoes
No matter how they arrive, you must act quickly and schedule a professional bed bug assessment and treatment once they’re inside your home.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Hiring a professional pest control service is the best way to eliminate bed bugs from your home. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to treat, and most DIY methods will not work. Leaving just one female bed bug behind can result in an entirely new infestation in just a few days.
- Conventional Bed Bug Treatment.
First, your home will require a thorough inspection from a licensed and certified pest control technician. They’ll discover where the bed bugs are hiding and design a comprehensive treatment program. If there’s an infestation in an apartment or condo, the suites directly beside, above, below and across from the infected unit should also be inspected. Bed bugs require multiple treatments and are seldom eradicated the first-time around. A technician will treat cracks and crevices, nightstands, baseboards, floorboards, door and window frames, behind loose wallpaper, stuffed furniture, attics and other enclosed places with a properly-labelled residual pesticide. A Poulin’s technician will also use insecticidal residual dust in wall voids, light switches and conduits. Your living space may need to be treated every 10 to 14 days until the technician is satisfied that the bed bugs are gone for good. until the bugs are gone.
- Bed Bug Heat Treatments..
Poulin’s bed bug heat treatments are an effective method to rid your home of bed bugs without the use of pesticides. This process uses dry heat from special electric heaters and powerful fans to bake the insects to death and raise the temperature of the bed bug living areas to about 52 degrees Celsius. Bed bugs can’t survive after four to six hours at this temperature. The heat effectively kills bed bugs at all stages of their life cycles, including eggs, nymphs and adults. Moreover, heat treatments have a 99 per cent success rate after only one treatment.
FAQs
Many myths and fears surround bed bugs. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.
- Do bed bugs carry disease?
Bed bugs don’t transmit any known human diseases. However, some people react to bed bug saliva or have allergic reactions to bed bug bites.
- Will moving leave bed bugs behind?
If you move to a new home during a bed bug infestation, you’ll likely take some of the insects along with you. Bed bugs can hide in cardboard boxes, clothing, furniture and luggage – things you’ll be moving with you. It’s best to exterminate bed bugs before moving and follow these procedures if you must move during an outbreak.
- Do bed bugs jump?
Bed bugs don’t have wings and can’t fly or jump. They move by crawling and attaching themselves to hosts. hitching rides to their next destination.
- Do cold temperatures kill bed bugs?
Bed bugs can survive in cold temperatures. If it gets too cold, they can lie dormant until it warms up again. However, bed bugs can’t live very long in temperatures above 52 C.Freezing bed bugs is not an effective method of successfully eradicating them.
- Will throwing away my mattress solve my bed bug problem?
Bed bugs can live in many different areas of your home. Besides your mattress, they can live in furniture, picture frames, cardboard boxes, baseboards, headboards and nightstands. Therefore, simply throwing out your mattress unfortunately will not rectify the problem.
- How can I avoid bringing bed bugs home after travelling?
When travelling, inspect your hotel room’s headboards, mattresses, and furniture for bed bugs before settling in. Keep your luggage away from beds and nightstands until you know the room is safe. If you spot bed bugs, immediately request another room as far away from the infected room as possible. Check all your luggage and clothing in your garage when you get home before bringing it inside. Then, wash everything in the warmest water possible and dry your clothes in a clothes dryer at high heat.
Bed Bug Treatment in Calgary and Surrounding Areas
At Poulin’s Pest Control, our technicians are trained to diagnose and treat all types of bed bug problems. We’ll design a custom solution for your living space and won’t stop until every bed bug is gone. You can sleep well knowing you’re no longer sharing your bed with blood-sucking insects. Schedule a bed bug assessment and treatment by contacting us in Calgary today.