Bed Bug Control

The Problem

Bed bugs have been around since the 11th century and have learned to live and thrive with man. Bed bugs are most commonly found in facilities that house transient populations like hotels, dormitories, hospitals and nursing homes.

They easily travel on your clothes, inside your suitcase and even move between rooms and apartments using the wall voids and the plumbing and utility access points.

A bed bug's bite is not usually painful and is NOT known to transmit any diseases, but you may get an infection from scratching the bite. If you are allergic to the bed bug's saliva, this may be a bigger problem. Bed bugs love warm-blooded species, we are their favorite but they will also feed on mice, rats, guinea pigs and birds. Fortunately, your dogs and cats are not as appealing.

A bed bug infestation can be extremely messy with dark red blood stains and brown fecal stains on mattresses, bed linens and even on the walls. Smell is another unpleasant side effect of the infestation, the odor emitted from the insect's scent gland gives off a sweet and musty smell.

Inspection and Identification

Description

The bed bug has a flat oval shaped body measuring up to a ¼ inch in length. Before it takes a blood meal courtesy of one of your family members, it is brown and flat. Once it sucks the blood, it becomes engorged and turns dark red and grows from the size of a poppy seed to a droplet of blood.

Identification

The infestation usually starts in and around the bed. Their flat bodies allow them to hide in the mattress tufts, seams and around the mattress buttons. As the infestation grows, the bed bugs venture out and can be found in the headboard and side tables. They will travel up to 15 feet to take a blood meal. You will see dark red and brown spots on the mattress and on the linens, but to know if the infestation is currently active, you will need to find at least one live crawling insect. The sweet musty smell may not be present until the infestation becomes intense.

Truly the Solution

1. Once our Inspector has found evidence of past and present bed bug infestations the area will be prepared for the treatment
2. Truly's IPM (Integrated Pest Management) uses a patent pending high pressure misting system that pushes control material into the seams and cracks where bed bugs hide. Mattresses and box springs along with any upholstered furniture will be treated.
3. Truly recommends the installation of an encasement system to protect your bedding. If you have already had bed bugs, the encasement seals the pests already inside where they will die in a few months. It also seals bed bugs out so the beds can't become infested again. This is definitely a cost effective alternative to buying new beds.
4. The treated area will be re-inspected in ten days. If any activity is detected, necessary control measures will be performed followed by re-inspection.

Prevention of a re-infestation

Unfortunately, you can be re-infested by any guests with bed bugs on their clothes or in their suitcases. The good news is, Truly Nolen's products will prevent bed bug eggs from hatching and will control adult insects. Our service technicians will show you how to recognize the infestation so you are able to get in front of the problem early on. They will teach you where to look for the early warning signs of repeat infestations.