Spray Heat Apartment Preparation Bed bugs Control Removal Service.
As a tenant, your first responsibility is to report any suspected bed bug problem immediately. Once an appointment is made for your treatment, it will be your duty to prepare your apartment. The following tips will help your pest control service and YOU to get rid of bed bugs quickly.
Don’t move any of your things to another apartment during or before the treatment. You might end up spreading bed bugs to the other apartment and may re-introduce bed bugs to your newly-treated apartment later, when you retrieve your belongings.
Pick up and double bag all loose items in bedrooms and other rooms to be treated. Clutter makes it difficult for maintenance crews to inspect all parts of your apartment, and gives bed bugs more places to hide. Before returning these items, follow your pest control company’s instructions for cleaning and inspecting to make sure you are not returning bed bugs to the treated room.
Clothing that may be infested should be double-bagged prior to treating the room, and dis-infested before returning to the room. Recent research shows that dry cleaning, washing in hot water, or tumble drying for 30 minutes on high will kill all stages of bed bugs.
Even though bed bug treatments are mostly focused on bedrooms and living rooms, it’s still a good idea to put away all food in the kitchen and dining areas, and cover tables, counters, etc. to protect from contamination. Although your pest control professional will be careful, and the chemicals used should pose minimal risks to people, this step will reduce your risk of unnecessary pesticide exposure and reduce costs for maintenance staff.
Unless you intend to get a new bed anyway, it’s not very effective to discard your mattress, box spring or bed. Instead, buy a good quality, bug-proof mattress encasement. Encasements are special sacks that fit over a mattress or box spring–usually to reduce allergens. The zippers on bed bug-proof encasements are designed to be tight enough to prevent even the smallest life stages of the bed bugs from escaping. Also, truly bed bug-proof encasements are strong enough to prevent bed bugs from biting you through the encasement. A good encasement will trap all bed bugs in the mattress and box spring inside, and will be smooth on the outside, providing few places for bed bugs to hide. Sears, Target, Walmart and other stores may sell bed bug-proof encasements, but they can also be purchased online. Look online for different brands and reviews of mattress encasements, using the search term “bed bug mattress protectors”.
Vacuum couches, chairs and recliners thoroughly before pest control service. Many bed bugs in apartments are found in couches and upholstered chairs. Double-bag and discard the vacuum bags in an outdoors dumpster immediately to avoid reintroducing or spreading any bed bugs caught in the vacuum.
Don’t forget to empty drawers in nightstands and dressers next to beds prior to treatment. This will make it easier for the pest control company to inspect and treat these furniture items. Bag and clean or inspect these items according to the directions of your pest control professional before returning the items to the treated furniture.
It’s essential to cooperate with management and with your pest control professionals to get complete bed bug control. Once established, bed bugs can be difficult to control, especially without the help of tenants like you.
How much does it cost to professionally remove bed bugs? For a full bed bug removal, expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $500, depending on the method you choose and the experience of your exterminator. Most will charge you a fee for consultation, which includes visiting your home and doing a thorough inspection
Bed bugs are found in virtually every place people tend to gather, including residences, hotels, schools, offices, retail stores and even public transportation.
If you do identify bed bugs in your home, contact a pest professional promptly. They will be able to inspect your home, confirm the species and recommend a course of bed bug treatment. Bed bugs like to travel and are good hitchhikers. They will hide in suitcases, boxes and shoes to be near a food supply. They are elusive, nocturnal creatures. They can hide behind baseboards and in cracks, crevices, and folded areas of beds, bedding and adjacent furniture, especially mattresses and box springs. Bed bugs can also hide in electrical switch plates, picture frames, wallpaper and nearly anywhere inside a home, car, bus, or other shelter. Bed bugs usually come out at night for a blood meal. However, they are opportunistic insects and can take a blood meal during the day, especially in heavily-infested areas. Bed bugs usually require 5-10 minutes to engorge with blood. After feeding, they move to secluded places and hide for 5-10 days. During this time in the bed bug life cycle, they do not feed but instead digest their meal, mate, and lay eggs.You can get rid of bed bugs, but there is always a chance another bed bug will find its way back into your home or business. If you find bed bugs are a recurring problem, you are either not solving the problem in the first place, or you continue to visit a place (or have guests that visit a place) where bed bugs are present. This is particularly common in multi-family housing such as apartments or condominiums. Bed bugs can easily be carried from unit to unit, and it can be a huge frustration. The best prevention is diligent inspections, and if you find you have bed bugs in a multi-family property, make sure to notify your property manager. If you have an issue, it is possible your neighbors do too, and then things can get out of hand very quickly.
Can an exterminator get rid of bed bugs?
Yes, an exterminator can get rid of bed bugs, and they are really your best bet. A pest control provider has training on bed bug biology and behavior, meaning they know where to look for bed bugs and how to eliminate them when they find them. By using a combination of techniques, they can eliminate bed bugs at all stages of development, something virtually impossible to achieve with DIY products.
Getting rid of bed bugs, hiring a professional exterminator is recommended. Most states require their insect pros to be licensed, but be sure to ask how long any contractor or company has been in business and if they’ve ever dealt with a bed bug infestation. Experience with ants, termites or beetles isn’t the same — bed bugs present a unique challenge for any exterminator.
Also, look for a company that uses the integrated pest management (IPM) approach. Instead of relying entirely on pesticides or chemicals, IPM uses a combination of chemical measures, preventive measures, and sanitation to improve efficacy and limit environmental impact.