Many people with bed bug infestations don't know that they have these pests in their home, until the infestation is in full force.  This is because bed bugs are nocturnal nesting parasites — they emerge before dawn, feed for 5-15 minutes, and return to their hiding places. Their ability to hide deep inside cracks and crevices make bed bugs difficult to spot, but there are ways to help confirm their presence through bed bug monitors, fecal matter, shed skins, blood spots, and even a unique smell. Most bed bugs hide out within 10-15 feet of your bed, which makes that a good place to start looking.

So you have bedbugs, now what?

Contact a professional: The complete elimination of bed bugs requires highly trained and licensed individuals knowledgeable in bed bug biology, behavior, and proper treatment options. There is little chance that you will be able to eliminate the problem on your own. Most commercially available pesticides are not designed for bed bugs and the use of these products (while they may kill some bed bugs) may only spread the bed bugs to remote areas and make the problem much more difficult to solve.  Most store products are indeed designed to kill bed bugs. Unfortunately, though, they don’t eliminate their eggs. The only effective way to get rid of the insects and their eggs is through thermal remediation. This powerful process uses safe heaters and fans that increase a room’s temperature up to 135 degrees, permanently killing the bed bugs, larvae, and eggs.

Do not immediately throw items away for many people; the immediate reaction to a bed bug infestation is to throw the infested items away. This is unnecessary and could possibly make the problem worse. As items are carried through the home to be discarded, bed bugs can fall off of the item and be spread throughout the home to uninfested areas. Also, you are eliminating the harborages for these bed bugs and disturbing them. This may cause the bed bugs to move to find other places to live and spread the problem. In addition, discarded items are often picked up by other people (maybe even your neighbor), spreading the problem to new areas. In some circumstances when the item is in poor condition or is highly infested, discarding the item is the best option, labeled “infested”.

Do not change where you sleep some people believe that they can avoid bed bugs by sleeping in a different area of their home. Once people identify that their bed is infested they will often begin sleeping in a different bedroom or on the sofa. Bed bugs have evolved over millions of years to be very adept at locating potential hosts to feed on. If you move to a different area of the home to sleep, the bed bugs will find you. Changing where you sleep is likely to promote the movement of bugs throughout the structure and make it more difficult to eliminate the infestation. Even if you move out of your home, you risk bringing bed bugs with you to your temporary residence and infesting that area as well. Not only can you spread the bed bugs, but when you return home the bugs will be waiting to greet you. Remember, bed bugs can survive many months, and in some cases up to a year or more without feeding. Although it sounds like a grim choice, it is best to continue sleeping in the infested area until the bed bugs are eliminated.

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If you’re dealing with bed bugs in your home, turn to the team at Havasu Pest Control in Lake Havasu City, AZ, for top-quality assistance. Since 1973, they have been the region’s trusted exterminator. The team of experienced and certified technicians use professional products and powerful heat treatment equipment to eliminate bed bugs and other pests. Give them a call today at (928) 855-1054 to schedule an inspection, and visit their website for more information on what they do.