Bed Bug Control
At Altus Pest Control we take pride in protecting your home from year-round invaders and seasonal pests. Our experienced, licensed, and well-trained technicians are committed to providing your home with safe, environmentally friendly pest protection. We simply guarantee results, if pest activity persists after a service call, we will return for free until the problem has been solved.
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What do bed bugs look like?
Adult bed bugs are about 5 mm in length. Females are elongated and have similar shape and color to an apple seed, while adult males have similar size and outline of an adult lady bug. Juvenile bed bugs, called nymphs, are similar in size, shape and color to sesame seeds. As nymphs develop they will shed their exoskeleton several times before reaching maturity. It is common to find these shed exoskeletons in larger infestations.
Although small, even bed bug eggs can be seen with the naked eye. Bed bug eggs are about the size of the tip of a medium ball-point pen and are typically a light sesame seed color. There are several insects that are commonly mistaken for bed bugs, like the varied carpet beetle.
If you have a specimen, simply snap a clear picture and email it to us for positive identification.
Bed Bugs?..
Finding a fly buzzing around your house isn’t that uncommon. Noticing a spider or lady bug can be pretty normal, too. But bed bugs are another story. When you see one, you can almost guarantee that more are hiding. Learning more about what you’re up against—and how to get rid of bed bugs—will help you keep the problem from getting any worse. After all, knowledge is power.
Why are bed bugs a problem?
Like mosquitos, bed bugs consume blood. They don’t eat anything else. Their bites can be extremely irritating, red, and itchy. Some people have severe allergic reactions resulting from bed bug bites. So, although bed bugs don’t carry diseases, they’re still considered a public health pest. Left untreated, bed bugs are notoriously prolific and they can spread rapidly. Bed bugs are also extremely distressing. It’s not uncommon to experience anxiety, paranoia, stress or even insomnia when dealing with bed bugs.
Bed bugs are also extremely distressing. It’s not uncommon to experience anxiety, paranoia, stress or even insomnia when dealing with bed bugs.
Bed bugs can also have a dramatic economic impact for property owners who can experience increased vacancy rates resulting from infestations. Costs for management of many apartment complexes and subsidized housing have increased substantially since the resurgence of bed bugs.
How do I know if I have bed bugs?
Bed bugs are extremely efficient at finding places to hide where they are almost impossible to find. Finding live bed bugs is not always realistic, so familiarizing yourself with other traces they leave behind will be critical in determining if bed bugs are present.
Aside from finding bites on your body, you might notice fecal spotting, which appears as strange rust-colored stains on your sheets or mattress. Bed bug fecal spotting will look like small polka dots from a fine-point permanent marker. Fecal spotting can be seen anywhere between where the bugs are feeding and the space where they are hiding.
Shed exoskeletons can be found anywhere bed bugs have trafficked, but they are commonly found along baseboards, bed frames, and mattress folds.
There are five stages of growth between a bed bug egg and a mature adult. In between each stage, bed bugs will shed their exoskeleton leaving behind a small piece of evidence. Shed exoskeletons can be found anywhere bed bugs have trafficked, but they are commonly found along baseboards, bed frames, and mattress folds. These can be some of the more obvious bed bug signs.
How do I treat bed bugs?
Liquid Treatments
One of the tools we use to treat a bed bug infestation is our liquid treatment option. Bed bugs are vulnerable when they emerge from hiding to feed, so we use a liquid treatment to establish a barrier between you and the hungry bed bugs. They perish after passing through the liquid residue. However, eliminating only the adults is insufficient, so we treat all of their hiding spots to destroy the eggs and nymphs. The last thing you want is for bed bugs to reappear after a treatment, and with Altus Pest Control, you can say goodbye to these pesky little pests. Contact us today to get back to getting a good night’s sleep.
If you have an infestation that is stopping your staff from functioning or keeping you awake at night, you should contact Altus Pest Control. We’ll take care of the pest problem so you can go back to enjoying your work and home.
