Bed Bug Treatment Techniques

Bed bug removal can be downright difficult or daunting. It really does not matter if it's your first time dealing with the problem or not. Getting rid of bed bugs requires a proactive approach to the problem. For instance it is extremely essential that one understands how bed bugs live, grow, and multiply. Many people tend to think that bed bug infestation only occurs in poor neighborhoods, an assumption that is totally off the mark. The fact of the matter is that bed bugs can infest any place be it an upscale home, a nice hotel, or just a regular household.

Generally, the target areas where bed bugs normally hide include sheets, mattresses, box springs, bed frames, covers, closets, etc. It's critical that one uses a bright flashlight to identify or locate where these nasty creatures hide. There are many bed bug removal techniques or tips that can be used to get rid of the menace completely.

Use the integrated pest management (IPM) approach
Dealing with the bed bug menace isn't a walk in the park, and as such the best way to deal with the issue is to use an integrated approach. An integrated pest management approach entails using multiple tactics to address the disturbing situation. Some of the tactics used in such an approach include sanitation, application of chemicals, and the use of several preventative measures.

Use rubbing alcohol
Another fairly easy way of getting rid of bed bugs at home is to spray the bugs with rubbing alcohol. Essentially rubbing alcohol kills the bugs on the spot. The chemical also destroys bed bugs eggs instantly. Homeowners are advised to spray rubbing alcohol where the nasty creatures hide, then later call an exterminator.

Use steam
The use of steam is another easy bed bug removal tactic that should not be overlooked by homeowners. One can either get a simple device to generate steam from the local store or convert an electric kettle into a steam machine by simply attaching a flexible tube. Steam effectively kills bed bugs and their eggs instantly. Ideally one should thoroughly spray steam in seams and corners and all areas where bed bugs normally hide.

Vacuuming the house
Bed bugs can also be removed or killed easily by vacuuming the entire house. A vacuum cleaner can be applied on carpets, mattresses, walls and other surfaces. The use of a vacuum cleaner effectively gets rid of bed bugs and their eggs. Some of the target areas to focus on when vacuuming include; seams, mattress edges, tufts, box springs etc. After vacuuming its essential that one steam cleans the entire area so as to get rid of the bed bug menace completely.

Use insecticides
Insecticides or pyrethroids can be used to effectively get rid of bed bugs at home. The insecticides should be sprayed on spots or crevices where bed bugs hide for best results. Other bed bug treatment techniques include repairing cracks and crevices with glue, application of silica gel, discarding affected items, and enlisting the services of pest control professionals.

Treating a Bed Bug Infestation

Bed bugs are parasitic insects that infect the sleeping areas of humans and feed on their blood. They are small and difficult to spot; an infestation is usually discovered due to a rash or allergic reaction on the people they are feeding from. Getting rid of them can be tricky, especially in areas with a lot of adjacent dwellings such as apartment blocks as the bugs can move back in to a treated area from an untreated one. However, there are a range of approaches that can be tried and are often effective.

Chemical Treatments
It is thought that the drop in the bed bug population in the 1940’s and 50’s was a large part due to DDT treatments for cockroaches which also killed the bed bugs. However, this chemical is now banned, and the bugs had developed an immunity to it by the time it was outlawed in the 1970’s. This means that many other over the counter pesticides are also ineffective as they work in a similar way to DDT by acting on the nervous system of the bugs. A growth in immunity is likely with any pesticide, and bed bugs are becoming more resistant to modern pesticides all the time; chemicals that previously killed them may now only knock them out.

Change the temperature
Freezing or heating bed bugs are both very effective ways to kill them, as well as their eggs and adolescent stages. These methods are safer than chemicals and non toxic, so less disruption to your home is required. Freezing bed bug involves using CO2 gas to reduce the temperature to less than -100 degrees which kills the bugs on contact, they are then vacuumed up and removed. Freezing treatments can be used safely on all types of upholstery and décor without risk of damage. Heat treatment involves raising the temperature of the infected area to above 118 degrees to ensure that all the bugs, including the eggs, are killed. Heat treatment can damage some substances, and it is also necessary to disconnect heat sensitive fire alarms to avoid setting them off, and be very vigilant for fire risks.

Clean up your bed
Physical methods of removing bed bugs can be done by anyone; vacuuming mattresses and all the crevices around your sleeping area can remove a good quantity of bugs and eggs, just be sure to empty the vacuum right away and dispose of the bugs before they can crawl out. Bedding and clothes can be treated in a clothes dryer, and furnishings can be steamed, as can gaps behind skirting boards and other places the bugs may be lurking. Preventative measures such as checking any new furniture and bedding carefully, and treating clothes in the dryer after visiting anywhere that may have bed bugs can also help.

Bed bugs are nasty things to share your bed with, but it is possible to get rid of them. There are positives and negatives to every bed bug treatment, so it is likely that a combination of the possible options will give you the best results.

The Life Span of Termites

Termites can cause an incredible amount of damage to your property in a short amount of time, but you'd be surprised how many people figure they can 'fix' the problem by themselves.

They try to fumigate on their own and then a few weeks later stumble over more termites. Which means more time has been wasted and more wooden structure damaged. Why is seeking professional help necessary to fully ensure that a damaging termite infestation has been truly ended?

Because of the problems posed by the lifespan of termites and how they reproduce. You don't get the entire colony, especially the Queen termites, they might not be visible for awhile, but they'll still be there, breeding and reproducing quickly until they make their presence know again by tunneling through the wood of your house in new areas.

A termite infestation starts with the arrival of the King and Queen termites. The male fertilizes the female constantly, who will be frequently laying eggs that hatch into pale white larvae. Over several molting stages these larvae grow and are transformed into several different types of colony termites.

Workers are sexually undeveloped and are the most numerically evident. Their job is to do all the eating away at wood to construct all the tunnels and chambers that the colony needs as well as feeding and carrying for the young larvae that just hatched. The soldier caste of termites have far bigger heads than workers and their mandibles are larger, which aids them in combat with other insect species. The nymphs, or alates, are black colored and are born with two pairs of large wings. Their job is to reproduce and aid the colony in increasing in size.

A colony is adaptable in its makeup of the three types of castes that comprise it. Depending on the need of the colony, one type of termite can actually transform itself into another. That means if there is an attempt to exterminate the colony that kills most of the workers and soldiers but misses the Queen termites and the nymphs, some of the nymphs will begin changing into workers and soldiers until the new generations of freshly hatched larvae are ready to assume those roles.

You can see why this would mean an extermination effort that wasn't professional, that only got 90% of the termites, but missed the Queen and some others, would in the end be a futile effort. Here's the last reason why you need professional help to ensure a termite infestation has been completely destroyed: While the other types of termites live just a year or two, the lifespan of the termite Queen is up to fifty years if the climate conditions are optimal. That Queen can lay up to 1,000 eggs a day if conditions are right.

With these facts about the lifespan of termites in mind, it's clear the best option when faced with a termite infestation of your home is to get experienced, professional pest control help to ensure 100% of the infestation is dealt with.

Link: Gentle Pest Control for Your Garden

Here's a great article I found about gentle pest control to use in your garden. The article is from Sunset.com, and you can check it out by clicking the above image!

Ins and Outs of Termite Fumigation

Termites are destructive and dangerous insects. If not taken due care of, they can cause extensive damage to wood and force you to spend large sums of money to make repairs on your home damaged by termites. If you discover you have termites in your home or office, take urgent steps to eliminate the problem with an efficient method of termite control such as termite fumigation.

Here is how to go about termite fumigation:
1. Make sure that you really have termites in your house. You might notice damage to door frames and moldings and consider them to be the work of termites. Although these are signs of being infested by termites, there are several other insects that imitate actions of termites. It is advisable to hire services of a professional pest control company to confirm your fears. Most companies will do this inspection free of charge, in the hopes that you will purchase their termite fumigation services.
2. Clear the place to be treated by chemicals of all pets and family members. Products that kill termites can prove dangerously toxic to humans and animals, so the family, especially children, should remain away from the fumes. If needed, board your pets to make them stay away.
3. Take adequate protection against the toxic chemical that you will be handling, in case you decide to fumigate the house yourself. Wear clothes that cover most of your skin. Use protective gloves, safety glasses to prevent chemicals from entering your eyes, and a mask to cover your mouth and nose to keep fumes from entering your respiratory tract.
4. Apply the product to the infested area. Generally these products must be diluted and used as per instructions, so read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for the product that you have chosen. The best way is to spray it with a sprayer. Pest controllers' sprayers generally require between 100 and 200 gallons of solution. However if you are using a smaller spray, be ready to charge it again.

Preparing the house for termite fumigation is an activity that deserves special attention. Here is what to do to prepare your house for fumigation.
1. Remove any food from the cupboards and the fridge. Put the remaining articles in protective bags. There is no need to remove cans and bottles that are unopened.
2. Get all the plants and animals out of the house. Ask your friends or relatives to take care of your pets for a while or leave them in a kennel during the fumigation. Put plants in the home of a friend, or just put them outside if the weather permits.
3. Notify your neighbors so that they can keep away their children and pets from fumes that rise during termite fumigation.
4. Removes all mattresses, pillows, and stuffed toys that you may sleep with regularly, especially babies' mattresses and stuffed toys.
5. Take your extremely valuable possessions with you out of the house and make a checklist of the ones that you have left behind. This will come in handy when you hire a professional fumigation company and unknown people will gain entry into the house.

Fumigation is an effective method for complete elimination of termites in a house, but the house must be properly set to ensure the safety of its occupants. Fumigation requires that the home is fully insulated and sealed before releasing poisoned gas to kill termites. You must leave the house for 24 hours or more after the fumigation process and only return when a licensed practitioner has verified the safety of the house.

Video: How to Kill Cockroaches

Cockroaches are a pretty common pest in households, and certainly no one enjoys the sight of a cockroach scurrying along the floor of your garage or pantry.

Do you have a cockroach infestation in your home? Check out this helpful video on how to kill cockroaches and how to tell when you may need to bring in the big guns and call a pest control company.

DIY Pest Control Tips

The value of real estate hinges on how well it is maintained. Pests destroy key house structures or home accessories and they should be kept at bay. Pest control services can cost a fortune but not everyone needs them. You can opt for a DIY pest control and still gain the same benefits as those who go for professional exterminators. Here are techniques that you can use to get rid of common pests at home.

Use interceptors for bedbugs
Dealing with bed bugs is tricky because they tend to find a way of hiding where you cannot find them. It is better to prevent their infestation than to deal with their invasion. Know that pesticides repel the bug but rarely kills them. What you need are interceptors at places that will trap them. A good location for placement is at the foot of your bed.

Use boric acid and yellow light for roaches
For roaches, opt for boric acid that poisons them instantly. Spray it or cracks, crevices and in dark spaces inside cabinets. The acid is poisonous to people and pets and should be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It attaches to the surface of the insect and leads to death when ingested. When you go on a pest-killing rampage with insecticide, use a yellow light which is invisible to them. This DIY pest control trick will allow you to ambush them.

Use power to stop pest movement temporarily
Avoid any temptation to create homemade pest poisons by mixing poison powder with foods. You are likely to miss the right concentration and fail to get rid of the pest. Instead of creating pellets, you can pour the powder on cracks and crevices. Chalk, floor and comet cleanser works well. The powder acts as a physical barrier that prevents bugs and roaches from crossing over to spread in other parts of the house. This is a temporary relief that creates a dry environment unfit for insects. After sometime, they become clever and find alternative routes, so you need a backup plan.

Trap flies with vinegar
Flies can cause the most discomfort in a home because they indicate dirty environments. To get rid of them you can create a trap with vinegar inside a sealed plastic container that has holes poked in it. For better results, you should create a syrup mix of pure fruit juice, like apple juice, and vinegar.

In general, keep everything in your house clean. That cannot be more true and application than when it comes to fruit flies. It is impossible to fail at this DIY pest control task. For mosquitos, you will need to clear your yard of any stagnant water and long grass.

Pest problems will not necessarily make you sick but they will cause nuisances that can make you lose your hair. No one loves the sight of insect droppings, and the sight of wandering roaches. Since the cost of exterminators continues to escalate as household budgets become tight, the best way forward is though DIY pest control. Before you proceed, you need to know the techniques that work. After reading carefully the highlighted techniques above, you now know how to handle common pests at home. Go ahead and restore your house to its worthy status by kicking out the pests.

Pest Activity Infographic

Cool infographic showing when certain pests are active during the year!

Identifying Termites

How can I get rid of termites? This is one of the most popular questions that are usually raised when it comes to home improvement. Termites are a type of pestilence that everyone hates. They are very destructive and they do this in different ways. Termites love to nest and breed in moist areas, moving from one place to another. They can render useless whatever they come in to contact with. Be it windows, doors, wooden furniture or roof tops, termites are very ready to do some damage. In short, nothing escapes the wicked act of these tiny insects. However, there are various ways to deal with these insects, but you have to learn the termite identification process.

The termite identification process is a very important step to eradicate termites once and for all. Even though you want to hire professionals to help you kill termites, it is you who will identify it beforehand. Termites are composed of several groups, the soldiers, reproductive, and worker termites. They all have different appearances. The soldiers have mandibles while the reproductive have wings. However, worker ants have no wings and they are smaller than the reproductive termites. Worker termites are the most numerous and are the main wood eaters.

Worker termites are popularly called wood termites because they love living in woods. They can thrive in dead logs or branches. Wood is more like a precious commodity for termites because they have nowhere else to live, eat, and thrive.

The reproductive termites are also known as queen termites. Their main purpose is to reproduce for the termite colonies. An average termite queen will lay thousands of eggs every year and it would live for as long as thirty years. Perhaps this little knowledge about termites will help you during the process of termite identification.

Termites are different from flying ants. Although some termites have wings, there are certain differences in their physical appearance. You can see the difference between a flying ant and a termite if you look carefully. The antennae of ants are straight, while those of termites are in a beaded form. Termites have grayish white wings, while ants have transparent wings. There are other distinguishing factors between flying ants and termites.

If you are a busy person, it is important that you find a termite control company to help you identify and eliminate termites from your home. Termites can do more than damage your furniture. These termites dig holes through pieces of dry wood or furniture. When this happens, your home furniture will begin to look unattractive. A professional pest control company can use the process of fumigation to kill any insect that may be present in the home. This involves the use of chemicals, which is usually spread all over the dwelling to kill the infestation. This process of pest control must not be performed by a lay person, so call a professional fumigation or pest control company if you are finding it difficult to identify and kill termites.

10 tips to protect yourself from bed bugs

Here is a great video with 10 tips to protect yourself from a very common type of pest: Bed bugs.

Enjoy!

Signs you Might Have a Bed Bug Problem

When it comes to detecting symptoms of a bed bug problem, there are a few crucial things that need to be taken into consideration. Many higher level hotels have been confirmed through a number of different news reports for having bed bugs. They can be anywhere or in any object such as clothing, drapes, furniture, curtains, and bedding. They tend to expand through crawling and rapidly contaminate various rooms in a house. They can also be found in drawers, boxes, suitcases, and a lot of other places. Thus, their presence can never be predicted, as they can be anywhere. What most people hate is waking up in the morning with the signs of bed bug bites all over their body. Now, the most important question is how one can find out if bed bugs are the culprit. In order to determine the real culprit behind all those bites, you can see different bug bite pictures to find out the real problem source.

Bed bug bites raise red bumps that are extremely itchy and uncomfortable. The bumps can also be inflamed and often show up in a row or in a clustered fashion. While some people may not be able to notice the bed bug bites for days, the others could easily end up developing serious reactions such as hives and blisters. To be able to identify what the actual cause is, you must look at different bed bug bite pictures available over the Internet to find out what they look like. Moreover, it is strongly advised that you should never scratch the affected areas, as scratching could augment the infection and spread it to the other areas of the body. Calamine lotion is the best solution to east out the itching.

The most important benefit of bed bug bite pictures is that they will help you determine the symptoms. When you know the symptoms, treatment becomes a lot less stressful. If you want to ease out the inflammation and itching in the affected area, there are two effective ways of doing that. In first method, crush vitamin C tablets into powder, add some water to prepare a paste, and then apply the paste over the infected region. In the second method, you can use tree oil. Owing to its antiseptic properties, it is fairly efficient against inflammation.

Use Google or Flickr for finding bed bug bite pictures. These are the most authentic and quality sources for getting the desired images. Finding these images in Google is very simple; all you have to do is type the keyword in search bar and click the “images” tab. It should give you enough pictures to do the analysis. Flickr is a photo sharing website where you can find various different images of victims of bed bugs bites. This is an efficient technique for confirming if you need to seek bed bug control. Thus, it goes without saying that this is the only way you will be able to seek proper medical treatment for bed bug bites. Other skin rashes and infections need to be treated differently.

Do-It-Yourself Termite Control

If you notice any signs of termite infestation in your house, then termite treatment should be started as soon as possible. Termite infestation can prove to be dangerous for your household as a swarm can easily destroy furniture in your home. Here are do-it-yourself termite control tips for both home and business owners.

First, watch out for termite tubes. The presence of pencil-thick tubes made of mud on the exterior surfaces of your home is a clear indication that there is a termite infestation. 

The second step in do-it-yourself termite control is determining the type of termite swarm nesting close to your property and choosing the right method of treatment for that particular type of termite. There are three main types of termites: the subterranean, Formosan, and the dry-wood termite. The latter two are easily identified by their fecal pellets which closely resemble sawdust. The dry-wood termites are mostly found in the attic but can easily spread quickly to other parts of the house.

If, on the other hand, you notice mud tunnels made by termites on the walls or near the basement, you can be sure that a subterranean termite swarm is close nearby. These require moisture for survival and that is why they are mostly found underground, in damp locations or wet wood in the house. Subterranean termites are larger than the dry-wood ones. The Formosan termite is found in the southern parts of the US but is more common in parts of Asia. The identification of the termite type is important as control measures vary depending on the type.

As you're interested in the best do-it-yourself termite control measures, it is imperative for you to undertake a study on the available options. You can do an online check on the appropriate termite treatment method. The most common methods of termite control include fumigation, liquid treatments, termite baits, and borate.

Liquid pesticide is the oldest method used for termite extermination. The pesticides are either in two forms: repellent and non-repellent. Repellents prevent entry of termites in your property whereas non-repellents kill termites that have already infested your premises. Liquid pesticides for termite control, also referred to as 'termiticides,' are pumped in the cracks of buildings and on the ground.

Termite baits are a much newer concept in termite extermination. Other than being environmentally friendly, this method is very effective. This is how it works: the bait, which consists of a number of plastic stakes, is inserted in the ground at strategic points around the property. The stakes contain growth inhibitors which result in eventual death of the termite.

Preventive measures such as borate treatment should also be considered. In borate treatment, sodium borate is mixed with water and then applied on all wooden surfaces. The chemical kills the protozoa present in the digestive tract of the termites. Consequently, they die of starvation.

Unlike other termite extermination methods, fumigation is meant to combat dry-wood termites. The method is also best left to professionals. However, here’s a quick termite tip: divert water away from your property to prevent it from accumulating around your home's foundation. This way you'll make it less prone to termite infestation. Clear all vegetation, shrubs and stumps around your property - there should be no direct contact between wood and soil.

Those are the do-it-yourself termite control measures home and business owners should take to protect their property.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!

I'm a single gal living in a small house by myself and have had to deal with quite a few pest problems. I've pretty much had to learn from scratch what pest control is and how to protect my home from gross buggers like termites and cockroaches, so I decided to start this blog to help other ladies learn about pest control.

I'll have my first post up really soon, and I hope you enjoy!