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We’ve all heard the nursery rhyme, “Good night, sleep tight; Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” And while this may seem like a cute rhyme to tell children at bedtime, it’s also very true. Bed bugs are very real, and they really can bite. In fact, bed bugs are likely to bite because they feed off of the blood of animals and people, which is bad news for any people or pets lying in your bed. And, if bed bugs get to the point of infestation, it could become a real problem.

Bed bug infestations can be detected by either looking for the bed bugs, or signs that they have been in a certain area. When looking for signs of bed bugs, be sure to use a flashlight and check your entire bed, mattress and frame, and the small spaces in between them. Bed bugs like to hide in small, dark spaces so you’ll have to be sure that you cover every inch.

When you’re looking for bed bugs, you’ll be looking for either the actual bugs or signs that they have been around. Adult bed bugs are about a quarter of an inch long in length and usually have a thin, brown outer shell. If you don’t see any actual bugs, there may be other signs that bed bugs have been around the area. Those signs are female eggs, which can be plentiful at up to 300 a time. These are very small and many people might not be able to see them. Other signs of bed bugs might be rust from bed bug urine, or bugs that have been crushed. Shells and skin that have been shed might also be found in areas that bed bugs have been.

So, once you’ve found any of these signs, what do you do about it?

Start by washing anything that the bed bugs might have touched, or might be in and around. This includes things such as blankets, sheets, and pillows. If there are items that cannot be thrown into the washing machine, it’s best to just wrap these items in a plastic bag and leave them in the sun for several hours. This will be enough time to kill any of the bed bugs and their eggs that might be in there.

Bed bugs aren’t just limited to areas where there are beds and bedding. They can get into any area of the home where there are small cracks and crevices and can live anywhere, although they tend to prefer woody, well-lived in areas of the home. To get rid of these bed bugs, you may have to do a heat treatment. To do this, crank up the heat in your home to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and leave for several hours. This will also kill the bugs as well as any eggs. Be sure if you choose this treatment that there is nothing in your home that could get damaged from such intense heat.

These are a few simple measures you can take when you’re trying to fight off a bed bug infestation in your home. For very severe problems, or those that you can’t deal with on your own, it’s sometimes best to call in the professionals who have access to things such as pesticide and insecticide to remove any and all traces of bed bugs.

For a free Los Angles pest control inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to our website!

Bed bugs aren’t just a myth. For centuries they were a common pest, and in recent decades they have made resurgence here in the U.S.  These small, bothersome insects are named because they come out at night, often feeding on the blood of their hosts while they sleep, unaware.  As they bite to feed off your blood, they also release mildly poisonous saliva which can cause redness, swelling and serious itching. 

However, even greater danger lies in the diseases which bed bugs may carry and pass on through their bite.  There have been almost 30 types of diseases carried by bed bugs in the U.S. reported to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).  These include various viruses and bacteria as well as parasites.  Furthermore, they can cause sleep disturbances and in some very serious cases, blood loss and anemia in malnourished children.If you or your family is waking up with strange bites on their bodies, or if you find tiny spots of blood on your sheets make it a point to look in draperies, carpets and furnishings for traces of bed bugs. 

Bed bugs may also find their way into your luggage or electronics if you are traveling.  Hotels are notorious offenders when it comes to hosting bed bugs.  Additionally, when you buy used furnishings (no matter if you’ve purchased them from a reputable collector or not) it is a good idea to inspect them carefully for bed bugs before bringing them into your home.

In case you find them in your home, it is a good idea to contact a professional pest control service immediately.  Companies like Accuracy Plus California are updated on the very best methods and insecticides that can be used to eliminate bed bugs and prevent them from reoccurring.  For a free Los Angles pest control inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to www.accuracypluscalifornia.com.

Bedbugs went “underground” for several decades, disappearing from the average American household.  Only recently have they seen resurgence.  They are annoying little critters which make their home in your furniture, bedding, carpets, tapestries and other furnishings.  During the night while you sleep, they come out and feed on your blood.  One of the most common signs of bedbugs, then, is tiny blood spots on your bed linens.  You’ll also notice small, itchy bumps on your skin that are an allergic reaction to being bitten.

The best way to get rid of bed bugs is to not get them in the first place.  Bed bug prevention is fairly simple but you should be thorough:

• Inspect the items you bring into your house, especially if you like to buy second-hand or antique items.  Even if it looks clean, bed bugs survive by hanging out in cracks and crevices, so make sure you go through any new furnishings with a fine tooth comb before you bring it inside.
• There are specific bed bug protection covers made of plastic that you can buy, especially if you have regular guests or have other people house sitting for you on a regular basis.
• Even if you’ve had the same furnishings for years, it’s still a good idea to inspect it regularly (including wall hangings and art) to make sure no bed bugs have made themselves comfortable there.

If you find that your bed bug prevention has failed and you actually have bed bugs in your home, your best bet is to get a professional pest control service to come in and diagnose your problem.  They will be able to give you recommendations for managing your infestation and preventing further incidents.  Remember, having bed bugs is not a reflection of you or of your personal cleanliness.  Anyone can end up with bed bugs in their house, so don’t hesitate to call someone right away to help you get rid of them.

For a free Los Angles pest control inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to www.accuracypluscalifornia.com

Bedbugs are on the rise, and although they have been around for centuries few people today know much about them.  After the second World War, the increased use of pesticides in the U.S. caused the infestations go become practically non-existent.  But recent years have seen bedbugs making a comeback.   It helps to know what to look for so that you can isolate the problem and address it before it causes serious problems for your family.

The adult bedbug is usually less than ¼ inch, and females can produce between 1-5 eggs per day.  The eggs hatch after an incubation period of ten days, and the babies can feed up to five times before reaching adult size. Bed bugs feed on the blood of both humans and animals, usually during the nighttime hours when they can feed undisturbed.  They locate their victim by sensing the warmth of their sleeping body and the carbon dioxide given off from exhalations.

 After biting their victim, the bed bugs secrete a small amount of saliva into the bite to prevent the blood from coagulating.  The saliva causes the skin to itch and become swollen, and may even lead to infection.  Bedbugs can leave a series of small bites or just one or two in random places on your body. 

During the times when they are not feeding, bedbugs hide in openings in your walls, in artwork, in baseboards or furniture (including mattresses).  If you happen to be staying away from home in a hotel or on a cruise ship, you can check your quarters for bedbugs with a flashlight, which should reveal crawling insects, blood spots, excrement or evidence of molting.

A few more facts about bedbugs:

• Bedbugs can live anywhere they have a source of blood on a regular basis.
• Bedbugs do not transmit diseases; however their bites can be itchy, swollen and uncomfortable.  Repeatedly scratching them can lead to infections.
• One of the first signs of infestation is small blood spots on bed linens. 
• Bedbugs are not necessarily sign of lack of cleanliness.
• Bedbugs may be able to go more than a year without blood.  That means that if you buy used furniture, it should be inspected thoroughly regardless of how long it has been sitting at the dealer’s store.
• The saliva of a bedbug contains an anesthetic which numbs the sensation of its biting.

If you suspect an infestation, it is recommended that you call a professional pest control company.  They will have special tools and the experience to identify problem areas in your home right away.  Treatment may take several visits, and you may also be required to remove or destroy furniture, clothing, rugs or artwork which is infested.  At the very least you’ll want to thoroughly clean your home along with your pest control treatment to ensure you are getting the most benefit from it.  For a free Los Angles pest control inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to www.accuracypluscalifornia.com.

Bedbugs aren’t just a made-up critter that parents warn their kids about before they head off to sleep.  These lentil-sized creatures are well adapted to living in company with human hosts, often making their homes in furniture, mattresses and pillows.  They are active during the night and feed off the blood of unsuspecting humans and animals while they sleep.  Their bites may show up as small, irritating welts hours after they occur.

Many pest control companies have a hard time addressing bed bugs because the chemicals used to kill them in the past have been banned due to their toxicity.  Additionally, the public has begun demanding greener, healthier ways to do everything—and that includes pest control.   One way to address infestations is to increase the temperature in a room with industrial strength heaters and then suck the dead bugs out with a powerful vacuum.

Recently, however, an amazing innovation in pest control has been developed:  the use of dogs to sniff out bedbug infestations.  An experiment done at the University of Florida found that dogs were able to locate live bedbugs in hotel rooms 98% of the time.  Dogs have been used for years to sniff out termites, but only recently since there has been a rash of bedbug infestations in the U.S. have they been used specifically for these pests.

The dogs used can be almost any breed, including mixed breeds.  They must go through a training process, working with a handler that uses a food reward system.  The effort pays off, literally.  There are currently only around 100 bed bug sniffing dogs at work in the U.S. today and a dog with trainer can cost between $200-400 an hour.  But for hotels and other businesses it is worth it because it means foregoing harsh chemicals, closing down for fumigation, and replacing furniture that doesn’t need to be replaced.

For a free inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.