Bed Bugs, the Persistent Adversary

by Kevin Smith Author

Resistance

As it turns out, bed bugs are really hard to kill. Attempting to go it alone would be equivalent futility to throwing marshmallows at a tank. Over the past 20 years, the US has seen a resurgence in bed bugs across the board. Some of that increase may have to do with the fact that bed bugs have become increasingly resistant to most powerful pesticides including the previously-banned DDT. Even the two most commonly used pesticides, bifenthrin, and chlorfenapyr, are becoming less effective over time. If you're waking up with small, itchy, red welts, you may need a bed bug exterminator in Jacksonville, FL.

How Did They Get Here?

You just can’t figure it out. You keep a relatively clean house, you’re not a filthy person. How did a mild-mannered, middle class, everyday American household get bed bugs? Bed bugs are sneaky. Did you stay in a hotel or motel lately? If so, you may have picked up a hitchhiker. Maybe it was that rummage sale coffee table that was such an incredible deal that you couldn’t pass it up. Bed bugs don’t just live in beds. In wood furniture, they can squish themselves between joints where legs and braces attach to table tops. In your home, even if you dispose of the mattress, they can lie dormant behind woodwork and trim, patiently waiting for you to go back to sleep.

Now What?

You’ve been paranoid about bed bugs and for good reason. You found one. Now what? Vacuum everything in the affected area and bag up your mattress, box spring, and pillows. Either drag them out into the sun or get some excessive heat inside the bags. Temperatures over 120 degrees will kill the bugs. Inside your home, enlist steamer cleaners in every single nook and cranny. Apply over-the counter bed bug sprays and get all your sheets and blankets in the dryer for multiple spins.

It Didn’t Work

You’ve done all you could do, and you still have bed bugs. You need to call in a bed bug exterminator in Jacksonville, FL. Often, a professional exterminator will start the process by bringing in a dog to sniff-out the heart of the infestation. Electric heaters that can raise the room temp to over 120 degrees will be instituted, as well as pesticides not available to the average consumer. Most exterminators will return at least two times to make sure the problem bugs are eradicated.