Category: Pest Control

Prepare for Battle: How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Once the suspicion of a bed bug infestation became reality, the second phase begins: fighting bed bugs. Why? So you don’t have to worry about itchy bed bug bites anymore and so you can finally sleep tight again

Important things first: If you

don’t know anything about bed bugs yet,

don’t have time for detailed research and recommended methods of bed bug control,

but you have enough savings

then you should definitely think about contacting a professional pest controller.

The reason for that is easy. Bed bug control is very labor-intensive and many components must be considered. So that all “infested” rooms or objects are taken into account and, thus, a further spread of bed bugs can be prevented.

A professional who knows about these unruly insects will be able to solve the problem more effectively and faster than a layman. However, the decision to use professional help or not is of course up to you.

How to get rid of bed bugs: an overview of methods & products

In order to effectively fight bed bugs, you can use different methods and products. There is no “miracle cure” for a bed bug infestation. That’s why – above all – the application of a combination of different methods and products against bed bugs can lead to long-term success.

How to Deal with Bed Bugs in Computers and Other Electronic Devices

Bed bugs are highly adaptable and resilient creatures, making them difficult to eradicate once they gain a foothold in your home. If you’ve ever experienced a bed bug infestation, then you’ll know the pesky critters love to hide in bed frames, mattresses, baseboards, furniture and clothing.

Given enough time, most of these hiding spots are reasonably easy to treat using sprays, powders, vacuum cleaners and hot steam (or a heated clothes dryer for clothing). But did you know that bed bugs can also crawl into your computer, television, hi-fi equipment, and other electronic devices? These appliances all offer bed bugs a cosy, warm, dark environment with minimal disturbance.

If bed bugs begin to reproduce inside your electrical device, then this can lead to increased population of the insect inside the appliance. Eventually the impact of dead insects, bed bug feces and molting skin will prevent the equipment from functioning correctly, so it’s important to eradicate them as quickly as possible.

While it’s rare for electrical devices to harbor bed bugs, and it usually only occurs in the most severe infestations, bed bugs are certainly flat and small enough to fit through the tiniest of cracks or openings in electrical equipment. The electronic items most likely to conceal the parasites are bedside radio alarm clocks, due to their close proximity to the bed. However, anything with nooks and crannies can harbor bed bugs, including iPhones, mice, keyboards, remote controls and cameras.

If the insects do enter into your electrical equipment, then the task of eradicating them becomes much more challenging. Electricity and water don’t mix, so you certainly can’t launder or steam these devices. Chemical sprays and powders could corrode the circuitry, and heat could cause plastic components to melt.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

When I was little, my parents used to tell me to not let the bed bugs bite when they would tuck me in at night. Back then, the phrase was almost comforting, and I didn’t think much of it. After all, I didn’t know exactly what they were.

Now that I’m older and know that bed bugs are very real, that statement suddenly comes with a much scarier connotation. The last thing I want to think about before I shut my eyes is sleeping with bed bugs.

If you don’t already know what a bed bug is, they’re small, brown insects that resemble an apple seed. They feed off of the blood of other animals and humans, so they definitely don’t make for good bunkmates.

Buy Encasements for Your Bed

Purchasing an encasement for your bed and box spring won’t necessarily prevent bed bugs from getting to your mattress, but it does make them easier to get rid of. The encasement stops the bugs from being able to get inside the mattress, forcing them to crawl on the exterior.

Be Careful About Returning from Vacation

It can be easy to pick up bed bugs when you travel, as they tend to hide in hotel mattresses and box springs. Therefore, it’s best to unpack your suitcase somewhere other than your bedroom.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs may be tiny, but finding them in your house or apartment is a big nightmare. These small bugs — formally known as cimex lectularius — love to suck your blood. Worse yet, they’re expert hiders and can live as long as a year without a meal, so they’re not very easy to kill off.

If you find yourself in the middle of a bed bug infestation, your stress is understandable. But take heart, you can get rid of bed bugs — and we’re here to help. With this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know (probably more than you want to, really) about these nasty little bugs and how you can banish them from your space — for good.

Bed bugs are small, flat, brownish bugs. So small that they’re easy to overlook, especially when they’re hiding under your pillow (yuck). There’s a myth that bed bugs are so tiny you can’t pick them out with the naked eye, but that’s not true. A full-grown bed bug is usually a little bit bigger than a flea and a little smaller than an ant. You can definitely spot it yourself — if you know where to look.

How do you get bed bugs?

If you mentally link bed bugs with dirtiness, consider this: Bed bugs feed on blood alone. They’re just as likely to lead a healthy, hearty life in an immaculate home as they are in a pigpen as long as they can find a human to bite.

How to check for bed bugs:

If you notice unexplained red, itchy bites on your body when you wake up in the morning, it could be bed bugs. Start by checking your mattress, especially the protected underside and the sheltered folds, to see if you can spot any bed bugs. These little pests are excellent hiders, though, so you may not have much luck seeing one in person.

Guide To Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs

For those of us that live here in the U.S., it is hard to believe that bed bugs are anything more than the topic of a bedtime nursery rhyme, but they certainly are. While at one time they were nearly eradicated from our country, these tiny invasive pests have found a way to make the world’s greatest comeback. Many believe that the success of their comeback stems from the banning of a product once used successfully to control these pests, and others say that the resurgence of bed bugs stems from increased world travel. Whatever the cause may be, the fact remains that we are faced with an ever-growing population of bed bugs here and unfortunately, it is a problem that many of us will have to deal with.

What Homes Do Bed Bugs Infest?

Bed bug infestations bring with them unprecedented stress and embarrassment because people tend to connect them with the stigma that the homes or businesses they invade are somehow dirty and unkempt, but this is simply not true. Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt or filth; they are attracted to places that offer them their favorite meal: human blood. There really is no foundation for the emotional reaction to a bed bug infestation, but it is hard to shake that centuries-old shame.

How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

It is sometimes hard to know where to turn when bed bugs invade. Many believe that a spray can or a powder from a box store will help solve their problems, but these typically are not able to completely eliminate your bed bug infestation. Sure, the few bed bugs that stumble into the area that you have treated may die, but these products cannot reach deep into wall voids and other hidden areas where the majority of the colony resides. The complete eradication of bed bugs requires the intervention of a trained pest control professional. These professionals know their favorite hiding spots, have the best tools to treat and remove bed bugs.

environmentally responsible solutions to bed bug infestation for homes and businesses. Our bed bug experts can utilize bed bug heat treatments, K-9 bed bug detection services, mattress and box spring encasements, as well as conventional treatments.

What is the best way to get rid of scorpions?

Eliminate excess moisture. Scorpions enter homes looking for water. Keep floors, corners, closets and crawl spaces dry and free of leaks. Refrain from allowing water to stand in puddles or containers near the exterior of your home.

Get rid of bugs in your house.

Scorpions feed on insects, so if you have an issue with roaches, ants, or other bugs in the house, you’ll need to solve that problem before the scorpions will go away. Here are a few good ways to keep the insect population down in your home:

• Clean up crumbs and do dishes promptly so bugs don’t have a food source.
• Sprinkle borax or diatomaceous earth around the baseboards and under the sinks in your home; these natural substances kill insects.
• Consider spraying insecticides around your home to kill insects. Do research and approach this method with caution, since some insecticides are poisonous to humans and pets.
• Keep the population down outdoors as well, since scorpions prefer to live outside.

Remove scorpion shelters.

Scorpions like to hide in dark places, especially during the day. Get rid of structures in and around your home that could be used as a convenient hiding place by a scorpion. Take the following measures to keep scorpions from hanging around:

• Store cardboard boxes on shelves instead of the floor.
• Don’t keep clutter around your home or under the beds.
• Keep your closets and bedrooms neatly organized. Scorpions like to hide in shoes and piles of clothes on the floor.
• Outdoors, trim back bushes and foliage that scorpions can hide under. Get rid of piles of wood, rocks or yard clippings.Trim back vines and other potential hiding spots.

Seal your home.

Scorpions can slip through an opening the size of a credit card. Sealing your home is an important method for keeping them from invading. In order to make sure your home is secure, take the following measures to seal the doors, windows and foundation:

• Use caulk to fill in holes and cracks in your walls, baseboards or the foundation of your home.
• Make sure your windows close tightly and the screens are sealed so scorpions can’t climb in.
• Get door seals to prevent scorpions from coming in under the doors.

Hunting Scorpions,

Get the right equipment. The best way to get rid of scorpions as fast as possible is to hunt for them at night, when they’re most active. It’s not for the faint of heart, but killing them one at a time is a good way to reduce the scorpion population around your home, fast. To hunt scorpions, you need the following equipment: A black (ultraviolet) light. They glow in the dark, so you’ll be able to see them clearly by using a black light to search them out. Get a flashlight or headlamp with a black light bulb. A tool you can use to kill them. In parts of Arizona, long-handled tweezers used to break the scorpions’ exoskeletons are the weapons of choice. You can also use a long knife or wear a pair of heavy boots to step on them.

How Do I Know If I Have A Scorpion Infestation?

If you live in a warm, dry climate and notice more than one scorpion in your house per month, or see both an adult and juvenile scorpion, then you could very well have an infestation. If there is a scorpion inside the house, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s nesting there or, or you may have a scorpion problem; it may be nesting outside and coming inside for water or shelter.

Scorpions can also be more common in newer homes built on the outskirts of metropolitan areas. Because they’re able to go long periods without eating, you may not notice them for several months yet could still have an infestation.

What to Do If You See a Scorpion at Home

Never catch a scorpion with your bare hands unless you know exactly what you are doing. Here are helpful tips on what you can do if you see a scorpion in your house:

• Use a broom and duct tape: If the scorpion is on the ceiling, the best way to catch it is by using a broom and duct tape. Stick a long piece of duct tape at the end of the broom. Let the sticky side face out to catch the scorpion. Poke the scorpion with the broom until it falls on the sticky side. Then, place an empty jar or can over the handle to cover the scorpion. Tip the can side up and carefully put the lid on. You can free the scorpion far from your home.

• Use a sticky trap: You can use sticky traps to catch scorpions. Place these traps near entryways, water sources, or in dark and cool places around the house. Anywhere you suspect a possible scorpion hiding spot is an excellent place to put those traps. Also, for your family’s safety, opt to purchase the non-toxic versions.

• Use a DIY burlap trap: A DIY trap that’s effective in catching scorpions is a moistened burlap sack. Wet the sack and place it in areas where you think scorpions might be hiding. These include the basement, attic, near the entryways, or in the garage. Leave the sack open overnight. Be extra careful when checking the sack in the morning. Make sure that you’re wearing gloves, too. Keep in mind that scorpions pack a nasty sting. You may repeat the process until you catch the scorpion.

• Use essential oils: Certain essential oils deter scorpions. These include lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, and cedar. Simply dilute any of these oils in water and spray it generously in scorpion-troubled areas. These are the windowsills, doorways, sinks, baseboards, attic, basement, and around the perimeter of your house. Aside from keeping them out, these essential oils can also flush them out from their hiding spots. Fumigating is also another effective method used for more significant scorpion problems. We recommend contacting a professional to do this as it is more advanced.

Tips and Tricks for Riding Your Home of scorpions All Together:

Fix holes and cracks to make entering the home less inviting

Caulk around all holes and other entrance possibilities where your pipes and other plumbing enters rooms in your home. Start from the main floor and go upward, and seal all the areas around pipes,drains, fittings, walls, vents, etc., where a scorpion might gain access to the house. This includes ceiling fixtures because scorpions can climb.  REMOVE YOUR DOG DOOR.

Look outside too. Check the mesh over the dryer vent and any holes around it. Check everywhere that cables, wires, and pipes enter the house, as well as for any holes in the walls, doors, and windows. Your heating and air-conditioning outlets should also be checked.

Install weather-stripping around loose-fitting windows and doors. Be sure that all window and door screens are in good conditions, free of holes or tears.

Fix leaky faucets, pipes, and any other dripping sources of water.

Plant lavender or cedar near doors

Don’t want to plant anything?  You can buy dried plants, or use lavender essentials oils  when cleaning  your home.  I have herd that the live plants do a better job at deterring the scorpions though.

Clear up your yard of any debris

Get rid of scorpion hiding places. They love hiding in piles of wood, rocks, and dead leaves, and can also be found in compost heaps. Keep the lawn mowed at all times, and prune bushes and overhanging branches to keep these away from your house, garage, and shed walls.

When Will Scorpions Sting?

The typical scorpion will not go out of their way to sting humans since their natural inclination is to flee or give a threat display when disturbed. But if stepped on or otherwise crushed, scorpions will sting. Again, the majority of scorpions aren’t dangerous despite their reputation. Those who are more susceptible to their venom are people who are very old, very young, or allergic to them. Bark scorpions are the exception to this rule, and being stung by one of them will require a quick hospital visit. Scorpions can even be seen as beneficial in that they can help eliminate bugs and spiders. Some have yet been known to eat mice.