Bed Bug Control: DIY or Hire Professionals?

Bed bugs are not just terrifying pests! Anyone who has encountered these scary little devils will tell you that they are a real nightmare! Besides being hard to control, bed bugs are plain disgusting, causing very itchy bites worsen your skin look in time.

Perhaps one of the creepiest facts about bed bugs is that they feed solely on the blood of warm-blooded animals, with humans being their preferred host. In fact, two bed bug species scientifically known as Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus feed exclusively on human blood. But the worst news is that bed bugs have developed resistance to commonly used pesticides, making it difficult for home and business owners to eradicate them on their own. On top of that, these bloodsuckers are skilled at hiding. Their small size and unique ability to flatten their bodies allow them to hide in tiny cracks and crevices, which makes locating and treating them even harder.

Before we can dive into DIY vs professional bed bug control, let’s first explore why these creepy crawlies are incredibly difficult to control.

Why Are Bed Bugs So Difficult to Get Rid of?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers bed bugs a public health pest. Although they do not transmit or spread diseases, these nuisance pests cause physical and mental health issues.

Unfortunately, the world seems to be having a bed bug epidemic, with infestations increasing drastically every year. Pest experts at Maximum pest control services in Hamilton Ontario believe that the rise in bed bug infestations may be due to increased travel, lack of knowledge on how to prevent bed bugs correctly, ineffective bed bug control measures, and increased resistance of bed bugs to pesticides that are not strong to help solve the issue.

That said, here are more reasons why bed bugs are so difficult to control:

Resistance to Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids

In the early 1950s, the development of pesticides containing pyrethrin or pyrethroid active ingredients started to take center stage in effective pest control. DDT, the first commercial pyrethroid insecticide, was an especially effective bed bug killer, and for the longest time, infestations became rare.

But come 2001, DDT was banned worldwide due to its adverse effects on health and the environment. This saw a re-emergence in bed bugs, and the pests once again became common. Sadly, following decades of exposure to pyrethrin and pyrethroid pesticides, bed bugs developed a resistance to the active ingredients. This makes it pretty difficult to control them with over-the-counter pesticides.

They Are Prolific Breeders

Bed bugs have a very horrible reputation, and this reputation is well deserved considering their annoying behaviors. When they infest your home, these ancient pests can breed and multiply rapidly! A single female bed bug can reproduce up to 4-7 eggs per day. Bed bug eggs can hatch and become fully mature adults in as little as 20 days.

Generally, one female bed bug can cause an invasion of at least 5,000 bed bugs within 6 months. This means that unless controlled fast and effectively, a bed bug infestation can become severe, making it hard to eradicate it effectively.

They Can Live Long Without Feeding

Bed bugs are such a hardy and resilient pest! If you thought you could leave them to starve in your house, think again. These notorious invaders can survive for many months without a blood meal, typically because they use up energy very slowly. Hence, they can linger in your furniture, bed, mattress, luggage, and other items for a long time until they get in contact with a human host again.

On top of that, they have a high cold tolerance thanks to their unique ability to lower the freezing point of their body fluids. A new study shows that bed bugs are less susceptible to freezing – they can survive short-term exposure to temperatures as low as -25 ℃. Because of this, bed bugs are a challenging pest to control using the DIY approach.

They Are Smart

Bed bugs are smart little creatures who know how to stay out of view during the day. They are elusive, meaning they could be living right beside you as we speak, but you’re unaware of their presence.

These reddish-brown insects have a flat shape that allows them to wedge into tiny cracks on the bed, mattress crevices, curtains, carpets, picture frames, and other unimaginable places. While their exceptionally small size makes it hard to detect an infestation, their proficiency in hide-and-seek makes it hard to outsmart them.

DIY Bed Bug Control: Will It Work?

As mentioned above, bed bugs are incredibly difficult to control! Technically, the success of your DIY bed bug control plan depends on the level of the infestation. Yet, bed bugs are nocturnal night crawlers, meaning that it’s hard to notice or even suspect an infestation — unless it has burgeoned in size.

So, if you’ve noticed bed bugs lurking in your home, the high chances are that the infestation is already severe, and the best thing to do is to engage a pro. But if, for some reason, you’re still hell-bent on getting rid of the pests on your own, here’s a quick DIY bed bug control guide:

• Inspect your entire home to identify all infested areas
• Seal all bedding, clothing, curtains, and other fabrics that have been exposed to the pests in a plastic bag.
• Take the bags out and only open them when tossing the fabrics in the washer. Wash the fabrics thoroughly in extremely hot water and dry them. Consider freezing fabrics that can’t stand very hot water.
• Items that can’t be placed in the washer, such as shoes and stuffed animals, should be placed in the dryer on the highest heat setting.
• Dismantle the bed and drawers and vacuum them thoroughly. Proceed to vacuum your mattress and the entire house. Dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag in the outdoor trash can immediately after you’re done vacuuming.
• Using a flashlight, inspect noticeable cracks and crevices (on walls & furniture) and use a blow dryer at the highest setting to kill the pests. Be sure to seal the cracks using caulk.
• Finally, spray the infested rooms and maintain high temperatures to kill any remaining bed bugs.

Professional Bed Bug Control Services: The Most Effective Way to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

By now, it’s obvious that there’s only one effective way to get rid of bed bugs for good — engaging a pest control expert. Sure, the best bed bug pesticides might come in handy, but bed bugs are smart pests. While most bed bugs are resistant to pesticides, others will just hide until the spray dries up and is no longer effective.

The good news is that Maximum Pest Control Services Professionals bed bugs exterminators removal service have been in the field for many years helping clients get rid of them one with many happy clients. They are highly skilled and knowledgeable in all bed bugs’ tricks and behaviors. In addition, they have access to the most effective and safe pesticides that kill bed bugs in all their stages. After thoroughly inspecting your home, the assigned technician will customize the most effective treatment plan that guarantees long-term protection from pest infestations. Call Maximum Today (905) 582-5502 or go to the contact us form and leave your message.