Do you need to get rid of bed bugs? Here’s a simple guide to detect and identify bed bugs in your Orlando home. Our experts include information about infestations, signs of bed bugs, and various treatment options.
If you’d like to know more, please contact Biotherm Green Solutions, Inc. today.
Bed Bug Identification
Bed bugs are parasites that thrive on humans and warm-blooded animals. These pests not dangerous, but bed bug bites can lead to infection and other health issues. They are not microscopic, but these sneaky bugs are difficult to see with an untrained eye.
A bed bug egg is a whitish color and the size of a poppy seed. Young bed bugs are nearly invisible because of their size and transparency. However, an adult bed bug has a brown, oval-shaped body the size of an apple seed, which elongates if it has fed on blood.
Life Stages of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs begin their life cycle as eggs. In only seven weeks, these pests move through five larvae stages of molting and growing. They mature after the fifth stage, and females lay 200 to 500 eggs during their lifetimes.
Signs of Bed Bug Infestation
If you suspect you have a bed bug infestation, start looking for physical signs like eggs, bites, odor, casings, and stains.
Eggs
The eggs are small and white but sometimes form a cluster. Pregnant bed bugs lay one to seven eggs per day and tend to wander. Infestation is easily spread to other homes this way.
Bites
Bed bugs are notorious for lurking in bedsheets. The pests find warmth attractive, and this is where humans are idle for the longest time. A prominent sign of bed bug infestation is waking up with small red bites on your arms, legs, neck, or back, typically in groups of three.
Odor
Bed bugs secrete pheromones with a musty smell. It is reminiscent of coriander spice, but by the time you smell it, the infestation is likely at its peak.
Skin shell casings
Before reaching adulthood, bed bugs go through five molting phases that leave exoskeletons.
Rusty red or brown stains
If you come across any red to brown spots, streaks, or patches on sheets or pillowcases, you probably have an infestation. These are blood and fecal matter that bed bugs excrete as they molt and forage.
Bed Bug Hiding Spots
Bed bugs are sneaky, hiding in the tiniest crevices. Areas are attractive where humans or animals rest since this is the bugs’ source of food. It is also how ‘bed bugs’ acquired their common name rather than being known as Cimex lectularius Linnaeus.
In houses, apartments, motels, and public transportation areas, bed bugs hide in:
· Walls
· Floors
· Curtains
· Mattresses
· Bed frames
· Clean and dirty clothes
· Baseboards
· Door frames
· Furniture joints
· Cushions
Helpful Bed Bug Tools for Hard-to-Reach Areas
Self-inspecting for bed bugs is easier if you have tools to help you look into small or awkward spaces. Luckily, you can use common household items.
· Flashlight: Illuminate the area to make it easier for you to spot bed bugs and their eggs.
· Credit Card: A plastic card, like a credit card, is an excellent crevice tool—insert it into cracks or tight spaces to check for bed bugs.
· Clear Tape: Bed bugs move quickly, and you need a way to capture them. Rather than trapping them under a cup, use strips of clear packaging tape.
· Hairdryer: A high heat setting on the hairdryer will repel bed bugs toward the sticky tape traps.
· Cell Phone Camera: Take pictures of whatever you find on your search so that the Biotherm Green Solutions exterminators can advise you on what to do about the infestation.
It is best to call our professional bed bug exterminators if you cannot safely inspect an area to find bed bugs, such as behind electrical outlets.
Professional Bed Bug Treatment
Throwing away your infested belongings won’t solve your bed bug problem—you need our exterminators. We focus solely on finding and preventing bed bugs at Biotherm Green Solutions in Orlando, Florida. Our solutions effectively kill bed bugs, and our most popular options include bed bug heat treatments and chemical treatments.
Heat Treatments
Common bed bugs can survive in temperatures starting at 46 degrees Fahrenheit, but die once their body temperature reaches 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Also known as thermal remediation, our heat treatment is effective, non-toxic, and mess-free.
It uses a mobile electric heater big enough to cover the square footage of the infested area. The heater is generally set to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and our team of experts will use industrial fans to circulate the heat. Once the place is hot enough, the bed bugs die.
Chemical Treatment
The alternative is our chemical treatment process, which may take several weeks. If you have the time and patience, this option is worth it because the effects are foolproof.
Biotherm Green Solutions’ chemical treatments happen in six steps:
1. Vacuuming: Our team removes all visible bed bugs and eggs, properly disposing of them offsite.
2. Chemicals: We apply multiple products to bed bug hiding spots, like your mattress, box springs, and furniture.
3. Sealing: After inspecting your house, apartment, or business, we will seal any tempting bed bug crevices.
4. Mattress Encasing: We install encasements on box springs and mattresses to protect your bedding in the future.
5. Monitoring: After the chemical treatment, we will set up monitors to be sure all it has eradicated the problem completely.
6. Follow-Up: Depending on the severity of your infestation, our extermination team may need several follow-up treatments.
Bed Bug Prevention
This is a simple guide to detect and identify bed bugs in your Orlando home, but there are other things you can do to prevent a bed bug infestation:
· Wash your linen often and look for stains
· Vacuum floors and box springs daily
· Inspect any hotel room before moving your belongings inside
· After returning from a trip, immediately wash and dry your clothing with high heat.
Contact Biotherm Green Solutions in Orlando, FL, Today
As one of the leading pest control companies in the area, Biotherm Green Solutions, Inc. is dedicated to bed bug extermination and prevention. We’ve served Orlando residents and businesses since 2010 as a locally owned, family-operated extermination company.
For a free consultation, call us at 800-280-5698.