Bed Bugs

Premium Pest Solutions

Haley Pest Control of Lawrence Can Help Rid Your Home of Bed Bugs

Most homeowners of this generation have never seen a bed bug. Until recently, they were also a rarity among pest control professionals. Bed bug infestations were common in the United States before World War II. But with improvements in hygiene, and especially the widespread use of DDT during the 1940s and ‘50s, the bugs all but vanished. These pests remained prevalent, though, in other regions of the world including Asia, Africa, Central/South America, and Europe.

In recent years, bed bugs have also made a comeback in the U.S. They are increasingly encountered in homes, apartments, hotels, motels, dormitories, shelters, and modes of transportation. International travel and immigration have undoubtedly contributed to the resurgence of bed bugs in this country. Changes in modern pest control practices—and less effective bed bug pesticides—are other factors suspected for the recurrence.

Punctual & Experienced Pest Management Professionals

Regardless of the type of property you have, our Lawrence bed bug control specialists at Haley Pest Control can help. We’ve been eliminating infestations since 1975 and this experience enables us to quickly identify the location of the infestation and determine an effective solution.

Bed Bug FAQs

The best way to keep yourself safe from a bed bug infestation is to know what to look for. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions we get about bed bugs:

What do bed bugs look like? Bed bugs are small, brownish, flattened insects that feed solely on the blood of humans and animals. Adult bed bugs are about a quarter-inch long and reddish-brown, with oval, flattened bodies. They are sometimes mistaken for ticks or cockroaches. The immature nymphs resemble the adults but are smaller and somewhat lighter in color.

Can bed bugs fly? Bed bugs do not fly, but they can move quickly over floors, walls, ceilings, and other surfaces.

Where do bed bugs lay their eggs? Female bed bugs lay their eggs in secluded areas, depositing up to five a day and 500 during a lifetime. The eggs are tiny, whitish, and hard to see without magnification (individual eggs are about the size of a dust spec). When first laid, the eggs are sticky, causing them to adhere to substrates. Newly hatched nymphs are no bigger than a pinhead. As they grow, they molt (shed their skin) five times before reaching maturity. A blood meal is needed between each successive molt. Under favorable conditions (70-90°F), the bugs can complete development in as little as a month, producing three or more generations per year. Cool temperatures or limited access to a blood meal extends the development time.

What do bed bugs eat? Bed bugs are very resilient. Nymphs can survive months without feeding and the adults can survive for more than a year. Infestations, therefore, are unlikely to diminish by leaving premises unoccupied. Although bed bugs prefer feeding on humans, they will also bite other warm-blooded animals, including pets.

When are bed bugs the most active? Bed bugs are active mainly at night. During the daytime, they prefer to hide close to where people sleep. Their flattened bodies enable them to fit into bed frames and headboards. They do not have nests like ants or bees, but they do tend to congregate in habitual hiding places. Characteristically, these areas are marked by dark spotting and staining, which is the dried excrement of the bugs. Also present will be eggs and eggshells, molten skins of maturing nymphs, and the bugs themselves. Another likely sign of bed bugs is rusty or reddish spots of blood on bedsheets, mattresses, or walls. Heavy infestations may have a musty or “buggy” smell, but the odor is seldom apparent and should not be relied upon for detection.

Where do bed bugs hide? Bed bugs prefer to hide close to where they feed. However, if necessary, they will crawl several feet to obtain a blood meal. Initial infestations tend to be around beds, but the bugs eventually may become scattered throughout a room, occupying any crevice or protected location. They can also spread to adjacent rooms or apartments.

Bed Bug Bites & Concerns

Bed bugs usually bite people at night while they are sleeping. They feed by piercing the skin with an elongated beak through which they withdraw blood. Engorgement takes about 3 to 10 minutes, yet the person seldom knows they are being bitten. Symptoms thereafter vary with the individual. Many people develop an itchy red welt or localized swelling, which sometimes appears a day or so after the bite. Others have little or no reaction. Unlike flea bites, which occur mainly around the ankles, bed bugs feed on any bare skin exposed while sleeping (face, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, etc.). The welts and itching are often attributed to other causes, such as mosquitos. For these reasons, infestations may go unnoticed for quite a long time and they can become quite large before being detected.

The possibility of bed bugs increases if the affected individual has been traveling or had acquired used beds or furnishings before the symptoms started to appear. Bed bugs are also suspected if you wake up with itchy bites you did not have when you went to sleep. Conversely, it is important to recognize that not all bites or bite-like reactions are due to bed bugs. Confirmation requires finding and identifying the bugs themselves, which often requires the help of a professional, like our Lawrence bed bug control experts.

A common concern with bed bugs is whether they transmit diseases. Although they can harbor pathogens in their bodies, transmission to humans is highly unlikely. For this reason, they are not considered a serious disease threat. Their medical significance is mainly limited to the itching and inflammation from their bites. Antihistamines and corticosteroids may be prescribed to reduce allergic reactions, and antiseptic or antibiotic ointments may be given to prevent infection. Infestations also may cause anxiety, embarrassment, and loss of sleep.

Controlling Infestations

Bed bugs are challenging pests to control. They hide in tiny places, so inspections and treatments must be very thorough. In most cases, it will be prudent to enlist the services of a professional pest control firm, like Haley Pest Control. Our experienced Lawrence bed bug control specialists know where to look for them and have an assortment of pest management tools at their disposal.

Owners and occupants will need to assist us in important ways. Affording access for inspection and treatment is essential, and excess clutter should be removed. In some cases, infested mattresses and box springs will need to be discarded. Since bed bugs can disperse throughout a building, it also may be necessary to inspect adjoining rooms and apartments.

The most common place to find a bed bug is where they get their name from—the bed. They often hide within the seams, tufts, and crevices of the mattress, box spring, bed frame, and headboard.

A thorough inspection requires us to dismantle the bed and stand the components on edge so that we can examine both upper and lower surfaces.

During this inspection, we look for:

The bugs themselves
The light-brown, molted skins of the nymphs
Dark spots of dried bed bug excrement

Box springs afford many places for bed bugs to hide, especially underneath where the fabric is stapled to the wooden frame. Oftentimes, the underlying dust cover must be removed to gain access for inspection and possible treatment. Unfortunately, the successful treatment of mattresses and box springs is difficult and any infected components should be discarded. Cracks and crevices of bed frames should be examined as well, especially if the frame is wood. This is because bed bugs have an affinity for wood and fabric as opposed to metal or plastic. Headboards secured to walls should also be removed and inspected. In hotels and motels, the area behind the headboard is often the first place that the bugs become established. Bed bugs also hide among items stored under beds.

We also recommend that any upholstered chairs and sofas are checked regularly, including seams, tufts, skirts, and crevices. Sofas can be major bed bug hotspots, especially when used for sleeping.

Nightstands and dressers should be emptied and examined inside and out, then tipped over to inspect the woodwork underneath. Oftentimes, the bugs will be hiding in cracks, corners, and recesses. They also like to reside along baseboards.

Other common places to find bed bugs include:

Along and under the edge of wall-to-wall carpeting (especially behind beds and furniture)
Cracks in wood molding
Ceiling-wall junctures
Behind wall-mounts, picture frames, switch plates, and outlets
Under loose wallpaper
Amongst clothing stored in closets
Inside clocks, phones, televisions, and smoke detectors

The challenge is to find and treat all places where bugs and eggs may be present. Bed bugs tend to congregate in certain areas, but it is common to find an individual or some eggs scattered here and there. Persistence and a bright flashlight are requisites for success. Inspectors sometimes also inject a pyrethrum-based “flushing agent” into crevices to help reveal where bugs may be hiding. A thorough inspection of a home, hotel, or apartment may take up to several hours.

Bed Bug Treatment Procedures

Bed bugs were treated years ago by wholesale spraying of beds, floors, walls, furniture, etc. with DDT. This practice is no longer permitted. Thoroughness is still very important, but treatments today are generally more targeted and judicious. Inspections and treatments must be very thorough. It often takes hours to properly inspect and treat a bed bug infestation, and follow-up visits are usually required.

As mentioned earlier, owners and occupants have important pre-treatment responsibilities. Reducing clutter is a necessity. Belongings strewn about rooms afford many places for bed bugs to hide, and they impede inspection and treatment. Infested bedding and garments will need to be bagged and laundered (120°F minimum), or discarded since these items cannot be treated with insecticides. Items that cannot be laundered can sometimes be de-infested by heating for several minutes in a clothes dryer. Other times can be wrapped in plastic and placed in a hot, sunny location for at least a few days (the 120°F minimum target temperature should be monitored in the centermost location with a thermometer). Bed bugs also succumb to cold temperatures below 32°F, but the chilling period must be maintained for at least two weeks. Attempts to rid an entire home or apartment of bed bugs by raising or lowering the thermostat will be entirely unsuccessful. Most housecleaning measures are of little benefit in bed bug management.

Site-specific vacuuming, however, can help remove some of the bugs before treatment with insecticides. Bed bugs (especially the eggs) can be difficult to dislodge. Optimum results will be achieved by moving and scraping the end of the suction wand along infested areas, such as seams, tufts and edges of bedding, and the perimeter edge of wall-to-wall carpets. Afterward, dispose of the vacuum contents in a sealed trash bag. Steam cleaning carpets may be helpful for killing bugs and eggs that other vacuuming may have missed.

While the measures mentioned above are helpful, insecticides are important for bed bug elimination. Pest control professionals treat using a variety of low-odor sprays, dusts, and aerosols. (Baits designed to control ants and cockroaches are ineffective). Application entails treating all areas where the bugs are discovered, or tend to crawl or hide. Some bed bug species are parasites of bats or birds, and may bite people if the wild hosts are no longer available. If bat or bird bed bugs are involved, roosting and nesting sites should also be treated and any animals should be excluded from the building.

Do I Have to Throw Out the Bed?

Eliminating bed bugs from beds can be a challenge. If there are holes or tears in the fabric, the bugs and eggs may inside as well as outside. There are also restrictions on how beds can be treated with insecticides. For these reasons, our Lawrence bed bug control experts recommend that beds be discarded, especially when heavily infested or in poor condition.

Whether the bed stays or goes, encasing both the mattress and box spring is helpful if bugs are still present. Zippered encasements—available at bedding and allergy supply stores—deny bed bugs access to inner, hidden areas and entrap any bugs already inside. Many pest control companies, including ours, treat seams, tufts, and crevices of bed components, but will not spray the entire mattress surface, bed sheets, blankets, or clothing.

Vacuuming (discussed previously) may further help to remove bugs and eggs from mattresses and box springs that cannot be discarded. Some pest control firms also treat beds with portable steam machines. The technique can be useful, but affords no residual protection and does not kill bugs or eggs hidden within.

Fumigation is another way to de-infest beds and hard-to-treat items, but the procedure is not always available. In extreme cases, entire buildings have been fumigated for bed bugs. The procedure is costly, though, and involves covering the building in a tarp and injecting a lethal gas.

Avoiding Infestations

Discarded beds and couches might be infested and should be left alone. The cryptic, mobile nature of bed bugs facilitates their dispersal. Homeowners should be wary of acquiring used furnishings, especially beds and couches. Curbside items should definitely be avoided, and secondhand items should be examined closely before being brought into the home.

Concerned travelers may want to check their bed for telltale signs of the bugs—a common practice years ago. This would entail examining the bed sheets and upper and lower seams of the mattress. Some professionals also suggest removal and examination behind the headboard, a frequent hiding place for bed bugs in hotel rooms. If they are detected, travelers can request another room. Concerned travelers may also want to elevate suitcases off the floor (such as on a luggage stand). Inspecting or vacuuming luggage upon arriving home is less useful since it is hard to detect bed bugs inside a suitcase.

Although the incidence of bed bugs in the United States is increasing, they remain rare in comparison to most other household pets. Familiarity can help to avoid infestation, or at least prompt earlier intervention by a professional.

Haley Pest Control offers Pest Control and Termite Control in Lawrence, KS and in Topeka, Kansas, Baldwin, Eudora, Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Leawood, Shawnee Mission, Stanley, Ottawa, Kansas City, Basehor, Linwood, Tonganoxie, Mclouth, and Perry-Lecompton. We offer Pest Management and Exterminator services for the following counties: Douglas, Johnson, Jefferson, Franklin, Shawnee, Wyandotte and Leavenworth , KS.