Monday, June 17, 2013

Guidelines for the Control and Prevention of Bed Bug Infestations

Bed bugs, control can be expensive and time consuming. Identify bed bug infestations will prompt more rapid treatment by ampm exterminators  and, thereby, prevent bed bug populations from spreading throughout the facility. A prompt response to the problem will reduce the financial burden of bed bug control to facility owners
Bed bugs are elusive and usually nocturnal (peak activity usually occurs around 5:00 or 6:00 a.m.), which can make noticing them difficult. They often lodge in dark crevices, and the tiny adhesive eggs can be nestled by the hundreds in fabric seams. Aside from bite symptoms, signs include fecal spots (small dark sand-like droppings that occur in patches around and especially beneath nests), blood smears on sheets (fecal spots that are re-wetted will smear like fresh blood), and the presence of their empty molted exoskeletons.

Bed bug Exterminator preparation | Tips on Controlling and preventing bedbugs
We recommend that you follow manufacturer’s specifications for cleaning all items. We cannot provide specific cleaning techniques
for personal items
Clothes, blankets, and linens should be laundered. Items such as shoes, luggage and other materials
not treated with pesticides also need to be vacuumed with the stiff brush attachment or washed with
essential oils .It is very important that you vacuum and clean on a regular basis to prevent
another infestation.
Bed bugs residing within the laundered items; therefore items should be
washed in hot water, regardless of normal washing directions, and should be dried on
high heat for 40 minutes or more. For those who have the ability to measure the
temperature of the water in their washing machine, or of the hot air in their dryer, the
target heat range is 140°F.
All furniture and appliances in the dwelling need to be pulled away from the
baseboards, and in the effected rooms with bedbugs all furniture containing potential
hiding crevices, such as bookshelves and desks, be emptied and left open for the
exterminator to spray.
How do I get rid of bedbugs?
Professional pest control operators can use a variety of tools to control bedbugs. These include liquid insecticide sprays, aerosol insecticide sprays, insecticidal dusts, diatomaceous earth, pressurized carbon dioxide snow, and steam and heat treatments. Whichever treatment is used, it will only be effective if physical control methods and preventative measures are used together.
How do I make sure they don't come back?
Avoid moving to another bedroom. While you may feel a strong need to do so, surviving bedbugs could tag along which might lead to another infestation. Instead, continue to use the same bedroom, monitor carefully and often for any surviving bedbugs, and take the steps below to protect yourself from being bitten.
Completely enclose your mattress and box spring in zippered bed encasements available from allergy or pest control supply companies. Put duct tape over the zipper, because zippers have a space where bedbugs can enter or escape. Mattresses can also be wrapped and sealed in plastic film. As long as the encasement stays intact (no rips or holes), the bedbugs will not be able to get through it to bite you and will eventually die. It is a good practice to keep the mattress enclosed this way for a full year.
Coat bed legs with double-sided carpet tape or petroleum jelly, or place the legs of the bed in leg protectors or glass jars with a bit of baby powder to trap the bedbugs on their way up or down the bed leg. Commercially available bed leg interceptors are available and are a way to detect bedbugs.
Use white or light-coloured sheets. This makes it easier to spot them.
Remove headboards completely.
Paint existing wood furniture, including baby cribs, white for easier detection. (Use only paint that is safe for use on baby furniture.)
Replace upholstered furniture with metal or plastic, or material that can easily be cleaned with soap and water.
How do I avoid bedbugs when travelling?
Do a complete inspection of the room before bringing luggage, pets or other items in.
Do not put your luggage on the bed. Place your luggage on a tile floor (like in the bathroom), away from any upholstered (soft) surfaces.
Once you have checked the luggage stand (including where the straps are attached to the metal bars), keep your luggage on the stand instead of unpacking your belongings and placing them in the drawers.
Inspect the sleeping area. Slowly lift up each corner of the mattress and examine the creases and tufts of the mattress and box spring, behind the headboard and the wall behind the bed, the pillows, bed coverings and bed skirt, the bed frame and legs.
Use a flashlight to inspect the inside of the closet, paying special attention to any cracks or crevices.
During your stay, place your shoes in an open area. Do not store anything under the bed.
If you find signs of bedbugs, notify the front desk and ask for another room, or stay somewhere else. If you change rooms in the same hotel, make sure your new room is not next to the possibly infested room.
Before bringing luggage into your home, place it on a hard surface away from any places bedbugs could crawl to and hide, and check it carefully.
Unpack your clothing and check personal items (like hairbrush and cosmetic case).
Wash all clothing and fabric items in hot water, regardless of whether you wore them or not.
Dry non-washable items in the clothes dryer on the highest heat for 30 minutes.
Vacuum your luggage. Throw out the vacuum bag in a sealed garbage bag right away. Wash any vacuum cleaner brush or nozzle attachments you used in hot water with detergent. For a bagless vacuum cleaner, empty the dust collector into a garbage bag, throw out the bag immediately, and also wash the dust collector in hot water with detergent.
Avoid bringing your laundry in a cloth bag unless you plan to wash and dry the bag. Use light-coloured plastic baskets that are easy to inspect when they are empty.
Do not set your laundry basket on the floor, or near the seating area or trash cans. Place your basket on top of the washer and check it thoroughly before putting clean laundry back into it.
Check any chairs before you sit down.