Treatment for Bed Bugs

Bed bugs

Bed bugs are small, nocturnal insects that feed exclusively off the blood of hosts while they are sleeping or stationary for long periods of time.  Bed bugs can range in size from 1mm / 0.04” (nymphs) to 6mm / ¼” (adults) and have six legs; they do not fly or jump.  Adult bed bugs are similar in size and shape to an apple seed and are easily visible if out in the open.  Prior to feeding, their bodies are very flat, after they have fed they become engorged, bed bugs can consume up to 7 times its body weight at one meal.  Newly hatched nymphs look very much like adults however they are almost colourless and gain their reddish brown colour as they mature.

Bed bug eggs are whitish, cylindrical and 1mm long (1/32") , they are hard to spot by an untrained eye.

These parasitic insects require special care to eliminate – they can live up to a year without a blood meal.  Female bed bugs, once impregnated, continue to lay eggs throughout their lifetime: A female may lay 1-5 eggs per day; in her lifetime anywhere from 200 – 500 eggs.

Bed Bug Sniffing Dogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Care Pest Control’s K-9 Unit has rescued dogs from animal shelters across North America.  These dogs were recruited for their excellent noses and small size.  Dogs smell in parts per trillion and are far more sensitive than humans; the K-9’s are able to find live bed bugs and viable eggs even when they’re hiding in small cracks, crevices, or inside wall voids.

Our K-9s have undergone extensive training on how to detect live bed bugs and viable eggs using their nose.  All of our K-9s and their handlers have certification from the National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association.  At Care Pest Control, we continue to complete daily training to ensure consistency and accuracy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chemical Treatment

Premium CARE Treatment

 

 

Any bed bug problem should begin with a K-9 inspection to identify which areas and items are infested with live bed bugs. Our dogs have professional training to specifically sniff out live bed bugs and viable eggs. The K-9 inspection provides for a faster and more accurate treatment of bed bugs in your home.

Based on the K-9 inspection, a comprehensive treatment proposal will be provided.  We will work with you to arrange a convenient day and time for treatment. You will need to complete some minor preparations prior to our arrival but our customized “preparation sheet” will help guide you through the requirements for your home.

Now you are ready for treatment. Our experienced bed bug technicians will treat affected items with a residual chemical, dry steam and/or a non-residual treatment. The affected areas with also be treated with residual chemical along all baseboards and a residual dust into wall voids using electrical outlets.

One week after the treatment, we will come back for a follow-up K-9 inspection. This will confirm that bed bugs have been eliminated or will identify any newly infested areas or items. If live activity is found, a second treatment will be applied. Our Premium CARE Treatment includes a 30 day warranty*.

 

Benefits of the Premium CARE Treatment:

 

 

• Focused treatments based on K-9 detection (live bed bugs and viable eggs) – this improves speed, accuracy and eliminates unnecessary treatments
• Customized preparation sheets reduce preparation time for our customers
• Pricing based on severity
• Each affected bed will receive a mattress and box spring cover
• 30 day warranty*

*some conditions apply, please Contact Care for details.

Heat Treatment

Care Pest Control is the first company to use electric heat to eliminate bed bugs.  Heat is an innovative, eco-friendly and extremely effective approach in the ongoing battle against bed bug infestations.  Heat treatments are effective with only one visit in most situations. Heat kills bed bugs within seconds once exposed to temperatures in excess of 49C / 120F. 
Read more about bed bugs heat treatment.

Some of the benefits of the heat treatment process include:

• No need to find bed bugs (all other treatments required bed bugs to be located before they can be treated)
• Kills pesticide-resisitant bed bugs
• Kills bed bugs that hide in sensitive items, such as electronics, fabrics, and furniture
• Kills eggs
• Eliminates the need for pesticides
• Control of bed bugs within a room or unit
• Green approach to bed bug eradication

How Does the Heat Treatment Work?

There are 3 elements to a successful heat treatment:

The Heat

Our electric heaters provide a sustainable approach to killing bed bugs at all stages of the lifecycle.  Our heaters:

• Provide safe heat distribution, they are regulated not to exceed 57C / 135F
• Increase room temperature at a slow and even rate, attracting bed bugs towards the heat source, and preventing them from dispersing into neighbouring rooms
• Increase room temperature at a slow and even rate, preventing damage to furniture, drywall and other items in the room
• Are permitted to be used in any building (Care Pest Control’s heat machines are not propane or kerosene powered)
• Are powered by a generator housed in a sound insulated trailer
• Are capable of reaching suites in buildings 25 stories high
• Are UL certified – UL is a global independent safety science company

Monitoring

The effectiveness of heat treatments is monitored with dozens of wireless temperature sensors, which transmit temperature data back to a remote computer terminal.  Monitoring:

• Ensures all areas or “zones” within a room, including furniture, closets, box springs, and any other potential bed bug hiding places are brought up to lethal temperatures of at least 49C / 120F
• Ensures temperatures never exceed 57C / 135F
• Allows us to record all temperature data at regular time intervals for all zones within a room for continual and post evaluation reporting for our technicians, supervisors and clients

Move Air

Once a room is heated to lethal temperatures, the heat needs to be moved around, similar to a convection oven, in order to distribute the heat into all the hiding spots where bed bugs may be harbouring.  We use high temperature fans to move heated air throughout the bed bug infested spaced, ensuring it gets into all cracks and crevices and high infestation zones.  With the gradual elevation of the temperature we can maximize the chance of success for complete bed bug elimination.

Post Treatment

To further monitor our results, we will provide a follow-up inspection using CDC Monitors and/or our K-9 Unit at least 72 hours after the treatment.  A full report of our findings, including treatment and inspection reports, will be submitted to the homeowner, property or hotel/motel manager for their records. 

Bed bugs have become a global challenge, infesting homes, apartments, hotels, and other institutions.  Early detection is one of the key drivers of success for getting rid of bed bugs.

If you buy, pick up or are given any used furniture or household items, inspect it thoroughly before bringing it into your home. Do not take home furniture that has been discarded in the street. Also, if buying a new mattress, inquire if the delivery truck also picks up old mattresses; if they do, consider alternative options. Inspect along creases and folds in the mattresses, etc. and along crevices in furniture for shell casings and fecal matter, which will appear as tiny black dots or specks.

Care Pest Control offers prevention products such as bed bug certified mattress and boxspring encasements and laundry bags. Encasements trap any existing bed bugs that might be inside the mattresses or box springs as well as prevent any new ones from entering and hiding in these areas.  The encasements are escape proof and bite proof.  This will make your ongoing bed bug control more effective. Care Pest Control also provides water soluble laundry bags for purchase. The use of these bags helps to eliminate the risk of spreading bed bugs and/or their eggs into hallways, common laundry areas, and vehicles, etc.

Care Pest Control feels that education is essential for managing bed bugs.  We offer in-house training for all of your housekeeping, engineering, resident and/or building management teams and all other appropriate staff in how to inspect, detect, report and act on a bed bug problem. We will discuss the biology, feeding habits, hiding spots and management strategies of bed bugs.