Bed Bugs

Once introduced, bed bugs often spread throughout a building. How did they get there? You have to remember bed bugs are efficient hitchhikers, so they could have come from anywhere. They hide during the day and come out to feed at night. A large infestation can become very active during the day and follow you by your normal breathing and body odours.

In hotels, the number one place for infestations is the backside of headboards mounted on the wall. Initial infestations of bed bugs are associated with beds, including around mattress buttons and beading, in box springs, bed covers, and a crack on a wooden bed frame. They are particularly fond of wood and fabrics, shying away from plastic and metal.

Avoiding hotels won’t keep you safe from these tiny pests. Apartment buildings are a close second to hotels. Even worse, bed bugs have been found in vehicles such as boats, trains, airplanes, and buses and in movie theatres where they wait for you at your seat.

Eventually, other places become infested, including wall hangings such as picture frames and mirrors, nightstands, stuffed furniture, baseboards, floorboard cracks, behind loose wallpaper, light switches, door and window frames, curtains/drapes, under carpets between the tac-strip and baseboard, conduits, etc. In large infestations, bed bugs were located in telephones, clocks, televisions, in items stored under beds, wall voids, electrical outlet boxes, attics, and other enclosed places. They will crawl over 100 feet to obtain a blood meal from you. If left untreated, the infestation will spread to adjoining rooms or apartments.

Because of their hitchhiking abilities, they will enter into a structure via used furniture or in the belongings of someone who has been in a bed bug-infested situation.

Humans are the number one snack of bed bugs feeding on any bare skin exposed while sleeping. Although bed bug bites are painless, many people are allergic to the bug’s saliva. A swelling usually results from feeding but no red spot. Swelling can be severe in susceptible individuals. However, some individuals never develop a reaction to bites or are exposed so long they no longer have a reaction to the bites.

Bed bugs can carry up to 25 different disease organisms. However, although suspected in the transmission of many diseases, evidence of transmission is lacking. The principal medical concern is itching and secondary infections from scratching.

Bed bugs can damage your business’s profitability. The top infestation locations are in hotels, youth hostels, and shelters. In these situations, infestations may become widespread. Apartments and single-family residences are a distant second, but infestations here can build up to tremendous numbers before being recognized. That is why at the first signs or complaints of an infestation, you should give us a call to prevent your infestation from becoming very severe and impacting your business’s operations.

You can do several things to attempt to eliminate bed bugs from your home or business on your own. However, due to their intelligence, small bodies and ease of hitchhiking, you will have a lot of work to ensure you have gotten all those pesky bed bugs and their eggs.

Here are the steps you can use at home;

1. Identify the infested areas
2. Thoroughly vacuum the infested area
3. Declutter (they may be in your clutter)
4. Seal up any hiding spots
5. Wash bedding and clothes in hot water for 30 minutes and dry on the highest heat setting for 30 minutes.
6. Use a steamer on mattresses, couches, and other places where bedbugs hide.
7. Pack up infested items in black bags and leave them outside on a hot day 35°C+ (good luck in our region lol). For the Grande Prairie region, bags containing bedbugs can be put in the freezer at 0°F (-17.78°C) or outside on a cold winter week. Leave them in there for at least 4 days.

Or you can let us do the work for you. We are here for you every step of the way, one call away.

Preventative Measures

Some simple measures to prevent a bed bug infestation include reducing all the places bed bugs can hide.

• Get rid of clutter.
• Vacuum often, focusing under and behind beds.
• Repair peeling wallpaper and tighten loose electrical faceplates.
• Seal cracks on wooden bed frames between baseboards, ceilings, windows, door frames, and furniture.
• Check any entry points on walls that you share with neighbours and openings that allow access to the inside of the wall.

Being careful about what you bring into your house is essential.

• Check every item, including used books, new furniture, and garage sale or antique store furniture; be very cautious with second-hand or refurbished items.
• New mattresses often share the same truck that carries away old ones, so ensure your new mattress comes sealed before it enters your home or checks it for bed bugs.
• Never take a mattress or sofa from a curb.
• Check items before you put them in your vehicle, and remember to check your vehicle after helping a friend move.

Check your home regularly for bedbugs. Regular inspection is essential to prevent infestations. Please visit the Government of Canada website to learn how to inspect your home thoroughly.