Just the thought of bed bugs in your Bay Area home may send you into a panic. Although there are many DIY techniques and approaches to ridding your home of bed bugs, you don’t have to tackle an infestation alone. Keep reading to learn about the best way to combat a bed bug infestation.
Are These Bed Bugs?
First, you should be able to distinguish a bed bug from other critters that might infest your home. Bed bugs are brownish in color, and their bodies are small, oval-shaped, and flat. After they feed, they become rounded and reddish.
DIY Bed Bug Control
When faced with a bed bug infestation, many home and business owners decide to get rid of them independently. One reason people choose to DIY pest solutions is that the infestation may not seem as bad as it is. Bed bugs are small and able to hide in the seams and cracks of furniture. Because of this, when home or business owners initially assess the situation, they don’t see the problem in its entirety.
The most common reason for DIY pest control is because it is believed to be cheaper. Not only can DIY pest control quickly get expensive, but it can also be extremely stressful.
Here are some commonly seen recommendations for non-chemical DIY bed bug methods:
- Putting items in sealed bags into a freezer below 0º F for several days to kill bed bugs.
- Using heat to treat a bed bug infestation, such as putting clothing and other fabric items in a dryer on its highest heat setting or placing items bags inside a hot car if you live in a hot climate.
- Using a steam cleaner to treat areas that cannot be bagged or put in the dryer, such as the nooks and crannies of furniture and cracks in the walls.
You can also use chemicals such as pesticides, foggers, and desiccants. However, using chemicals can pose health concerns for you and others in your household or business. Also, once you move away from the non-chemical methods, you will see costs rise.
Spray pesticides can cost $20+ a bottle. You will most likely need multiple bottles, depending on the severity of the infestation. Add the amount of time, stress, and items you might have to throw away, and you will find yourself at a loss. Adding to the downsides of trying to use DIY solutions for a bed bug infestation is that these methods will only treat a small percentage of the population, leaving those hidden to continue multiplying and growing the infestation back to its original size in no time.
Bed Bug Pest Solutions
Instead of DIY solutions that will cost you time, money, and peace of mind, the best solution is to call the professionals at Bay Pest Solution to keep your Bay Area home pest-free. Bay Pest Solution uses an effective treatment program to rid your home of bed bugs:
- First, Bay Pest Solution will inspect your home or business to ensure they are dealing with bed bugs and not a different pest. This will also allow us to tailor a plan for your property.
- If you have a smaller infestation, Bay Pest Solution can use chemical treatments to treat the areas where the activity is detected.
- For larger infestations, heat treatment will allow the professionals to eliminate any hidden bed bugs.
When it comes to severe infestations, the professionals at Bay Pest Solution will turn to fumigation. Fumigation is a process that should always be planned and handled by professionals.
Save yourself from the time, money, and hassle of DIY pest control, and contact Bay Pest Solution to have a professional inspect your home or business for bed bugs.