Bed Bug Treatment if you Bring Bed Bugs Home

The last few posts have been about bed bugs. We talk quite a bit about avoiding bed bugs. But what do you do if you didn’t manage to avoid them and now you have them.   What is the scoop on bed bug treatment.
Bed Bugs Like to Hide
Many people try to handle bed beg treatment on their own.  While you can vacuum and wipe and clean, the problem with bed bugs is that they will hide in small cracks and crevices that you can’t get into.  One of their favorite hiding places is the crevice between the wall and the baseboard. So, if you try to do it yourself, keep in mind you will need to also be handy with a caulk gun to fill all the cracks and crevices in the room.  You will also need to invest in a high quality steam cleaner.
You will also want to take apart all the furniture.  I’ve so many stories of people finding them on top of the rails for the drawers in their dressers.
No EPA Registered Pesticide for Bed Bugs
No pesticide is registered with the EPA for bed bugs. There are many cedar oil companies that make claims about cedar oil and bed bugs, but none are EPA registered for bedbugs.  The EPA only requires efficacy studies when the pest in question is a public health menace (bed bugs are annoying but not considered a public health risk).  So, if you are trying to do it yourself, you are truly going it alone, with no government standards or studies to back you up.
How to Hire a Professional
If you want to hire a professional, take your time.  Look for someone that practices Integrated Pest Management. Make sure they are licensed and ask for references.  Ask if they provide a written inspection report. Avoid companies that quote one flat fee.  Every home is different, every infestation is different, every bed bug treatment plan is different.  Anybody that quotes flat fees isn’t taking into account these differences.
No Matter the Bed Bug Treatment Don’t Forget the Covers!
Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, they all agree that you must encase all bedding in zippered bed bug proof covers.
Bed bug proof covers should be constructed so that no bed bug can get out, no bed bug can get in, and the ones that are trapped in by the cover can’t feed through the fabric. Most dust mite covers that are marketed for bed bugs don’t meet this criteria.  Ask if there are lab certifications for the covers you buy.  A reputable dealer will have no problem with this request.  We are so proud of our bed bug cover lab reports, we posted them on the web for everyone to see!  Read lab results here.
I surely hope that you never need to put any of this information to use in your home.
Til Next Time!

Cheryl

The Allergy Store

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Bed Bugs and Summer Vacation – Bed Bug Prevention

I don’t know what has happened the last few days but customers calling about bed bugs has increased the last few days. I know a lot of them have been about how to protect yourself from them while traveling. Cheryl did a quick post on bed bug prevention a few days ago.  But to recap these are the key points for bed bug prevention

  1. Check out your hotel room before moving your stuff in. Lift up the bedspread and mattress. Look for bugs and or bug shells.
  2. Don’t put your stuff on the bed.
  3. If you feel something bite you or you see little red bite marks ask for another room
  4. When you get home unload your bags in the garage and put clothes in the washing machine.

Now what happens when you get home and find that despite your best bed bug prevention efforts you somehow brought them home from vacation. It is not an easy thing to deal with but it can be done. Early detection and fast action is the key.

Here is an article we wrote a few years ago before the bed bug problem became so big. Bed Bugs – Unwanted Guest Quickly Becoming a Major Pest It pretty much covers what you need to do if you do get them.

With all that being said, do not let the thought of bed bugs mess with your vacation. You have worked way too hard to let that happen. Just keep your eyes open.

Wishing you the best of health
Mike Krause

The Allergy Store
800 771-2246

 

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Are You Bringing Bed Bugs Home With You?

The Summer travel season is upon us.  In my last post, I covered what to do when your kids are going to sleep away camp.  In closing, I mentioned that the camper’s bags and gear should stay in the garage until they can be  unpacked and inspected for bed bugs,. No one wants to bring bed bugs home with them.

There is usually a spike in bed bug infestations during the summer months as our population is more mobile.  The more we move around, the easier we make it for the bed bugs to move around with us.  You can pick up bed bugs from planes, trains, automobiles, and hotel rooms.  You want to make sure all you bring home are memories and some souvenirs but no hitchhikers.  I say bring home memories, don’t bring bed bugs home.

I have come up with a number of tips and tricks to make sure that no matter whether I travel to the high or the low places, I keep my home bed bug free.

Til Next Time!

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