"A PROFESSIONAL!"

These small (3/16 inch long) broad, oval, flat, brown to redish-brown true bugs are not to deal with yourself. A female lays 200-500 eggs in her lifetime. They are noturnal, hiding in many places near their hosts, including bed frame joints, cracks, crevices, inside box springs, mattress seams, along tack-stripes under edges of rugs, in furniture drawers, or hollow legs, and even behind wallpaper or pictures on nearby walls, draperies or curtains, blind hardware, electrical sockets, light switches AND the list goes on!

CONTROLLING BED BUGS

1.   Controlling bed bugs is difficult and time consuming. Communication and education is very important in any bed bug control program.  Understanding how infestations are established and control measures used to eliminate them are important. It is essential to cooperate and assist in the preparation of the rooms and furnishings for treatment. Reviewing the neccesary steps to manage the infestation and taking action will be the key to a successful treatment program.

2.   A thorough inspection should be made to determine whether bed bugs are present, and if so, where they are hiding. Bed bugs spend most of their time hiding as outlined in section 1.  The professional can use flushing agents in cracks and crevices near the hosting site and are very helpful. Items may be moved and disassemblemed while searching. If bed bugs are found, a treatment strategy can be prescribed.

3.   Preparation is a vital part of all bed bug treatments. Preparation impacts how well the treatment can be performed and whether it will be sucessful. We really can't stress this enough.

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 PREPARATION

• Stripping all beds down to bare mattress and box springs.
• Bedding, blankets, clothes and clutter should be removed from furniture and floor for cleaning.
• Floor should be vacuumed thoroughly including the area under the bed, night stands and other furniture. Brush attachments should be used when cleaning along baseboards, crack and crevices, mattress, box springs, etc.
• All wall decorations and pictures should be taken down. Drapes and curtains should be removed and laundered.
• Electronics such as TV's, radios, computers and alarm clocks should be removed from the room and placed in tightly seal plastic bags. These items should not be treated with conventional insecticides.  Heat treatments may be recommended for items such as these, but also take into consideration that exposing certain items to extreme temperatures could be damaged. 

TYPES OF TREATMENT