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Squrirel in attic.

Don't let squirrels tear up your attic and soffits! Get fast pest removal and repair. Find out more...

Bed Bugs Biting?

Bed bugs in New Jersey are a problem.

Ask about our affordable treatment options for your bed bug problem. Get real help now...

Bed Bug FAQ Page

NJ bed but eating.Not only can getting bed bugs be extremely distressing to an individual but the preparation needed to be ready for a bed bug extermination appointment can be considered time consuming and additionally stressful. That being said to solve your bed bug problem we need your help. We cannot solve your bed bug problem without your intervention and preparation. The frequently asked questions on bed bugs provided on this page will help you to understand the problem and to prepare to partner in their extermination.

Q. Why can't I exterminate bed bugs myself?

A. Bed bugs are mostly impervious to home and garden pesticides. Commercial products approved by the EPA for use by licensed pest control professionals must be used to eliminate bed bugs. Multiple pest control products, each requiring precise application techniques for safe and effective use, must be correctly applied to successfully eliminate bed bugs. Successful extermination of bed bugs takes knowledge of bed bug biology and behavior, training in the safe and effective use and application of professional bed bug control products, and experience using those products in the field. Bed bugs extermination is a job for licensed pest control professionals.

Q. Are bed bugs attracted to dirty homes or garbage?

A. No. Bed bugs are attracted only to the human blood on which they feed. They use your body heat and exhaled carbon dioxide to locate human victims.

Q. Can I get bed bugs at a store, my office, or at the movies?

A. Yes, but only if the store, office, or theater is infested with bed bugs. Bed bugs must be brought into a store, office or theater by an infested individual or migrate from an adjacent infestation site.

Q. Can bed bugs infest my car?

A. Yes. Anyplace that is exposed to bed bugs can become infested. Bed bug infestations have been found in cars, taxis, trains, cruise ships, airplanes and buses.

Q. If I sleep on the couch or in a different bed, will I be safe from bed bugs?

A. No. Changing where you sleep will just spread bed bugs to other parts of your home. Bed bugs usually stay within 10 feet of their food source, but they will travel a considerable distance to find a food source. If you relocate to the couch or a spare room, bed bugs will follow you there.

Q. Do bed bugs live on my body?

A. No. Unlike lice and fleas, bed bugs do not live on your body. Bed bugs only crawl on your body to feed. After feeding they scurry away and hide in crevices near your bed, in your mattress, or inside your box spring as well as other places in your room near the bed.

Q. Will bed bugs bite my pets?

A. If your home is heavily infested, bed bugs may bite pets, but they prefer human blood and will only attack pets when humans are not available.

Q. Why is so much preparation required before each bed bug treatment?

A. Pest control products must come in contact with the bed bugs to kill them. Bed bugs are excellent hiders that love clutter. Removing clutter, bedding, clothing, etc. that provides hiding places for these pests prevents bed bugs from escaping treatment products and allows bed bug control experts to access and treat all areas where bed bugs might be hiding

Q. Why are two treatments necessary?

A. Two reasons: Bed bug eggs are impervious to pest control materials, making a second treatment necessary to kill larvae that have hatched after the initial application. Also, because bed bugs hide in tiny cracks and crevices, behind baseboards, inside walls and ductwork, and other places that are hard to reach, a few bed bugs may escape the initial treatment. A second treatment eliminates well-hidden bugs and hatchlings.

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Bed Bug Pre-Treatment Preparation

We know that it is a lot of work to get ready for a bed bug treatment.We know that proper preparation for a bed bug treatment is a lot of work, but the work is crucial for successful extermination of your problem. The key to successful bed bug extermination is proper pre-treatment preparation. Pest control technicians must be able to reach all the small cracks and crevices where bed bugs like to hide. Anything that might provide harborage (or hiding place) for bed bugs and allow them to escape treatment must be eliminated. It is essential that northern New Jersey home owners or tenants properly prepare their homes for treatment prior to the arrival of Heritage Pest Control's bed bug treatment expert.

The home or apartment should look like it is ready for painters to come in with full access to all closets and walls. Failure to properly prepare the treatment area can allow bed bug infestations to repopulate. Incomplete preparation by the resident will force treatment to be rescheduled, incurring an additional fee and may void any applicable warranty.

Before each of the two bed bug treatment applications we will perform, home owners or tenants must do the following:

  1. Completely empty all closets, dressers, night stands, vanities, shelves or other furniture in all rooms that will be treated.

  2. Strip all bedding and place the items in plastic bags to carry to your laundry room. Immediately wash all items in hot water and dry on high heat for at least 30 minutes. Place laundered bedding in sealed plastic bags. Do not replace on bed.

  3. Take down and launder curtains near the infested beds or couches. Carry all items to the laundry in plastic bags and launder in hot water immediately. Dry on high heat for at least 30 minutes and immediately seal curtains in plastic bags. Do not re-hang.

  4. Either wash all clothing in hot water and dry on high heat for 30 minutes or place in a hot dryer for 30 minutes. Clothing should be carried to the laundry in sealed plastic bags and laundered immediately. Remove clothing from dryer immediately, place into plastic bags and seal tightly.

  5. Any bedding, curtains or clothing items that must be dry-cleaned, should be taken to the cleaners in sealed plastic bags. Make sure you tell the cleaners the items have been exposed to bed bugs so they can take proper precautions.

  6. IMPORTANT: When clothing, bedding and other potentially infested items are transported through your home, they should be placed in tightly sealed plastic bags to prevent spreading bed bugs to other parts of your home. Transport bags should be immediately enclosed in a clean plastic bag and immediately removed to an outdoor trash container. Only use new, unused plastic bags to store items after laundering or cleaning.

  7. Remove outlet and light switch covers.

  8. Remove pictures and wall hangings from walls and leave them on the floor leaning against the wall for treatment.

  9. Disassemble wooden bed frames to expose bed bug hiding places and leave the bed unassembled for treatment.

  10. Vacuum the floor, mattress, box spring and carpeting. Immediately seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and dispose it of in an outside trash receptacle.

  11. Beds and other furniture must be pulled away from the wall, leaving at least a 4-foot corridor to give bed bug technicians space to maneuver.

  12. Using a fresh vacuum bag, vacuumed areas exposed after the furniture is moved. Immediately seal the used vacuum bag in a plastic bag and dispose of it in an outside trash receptacle.

  13. Place any clutter or trash in sealed plastic bags and discard the bags in an outdoor trash receptacle.

  14. Make arrangements for pets and children to be off the premises during your bed bug treatment.

We want to get rid of your bed bugs, but need your help to prepare your personal items and the living spaces we will treat. Typically a bed bug treatment will be done two or three times for complete extermination with a waiting period of about two weeks between each treatment. This preparation must be done before each treatment.

Some bed bug victims will leave all bagged items sealed and move the minimum of items back into the treated room until all extermination treatments have been completed. We highly recommend that after the first bed bug treatment that all mattresses and box springs be encased in Protect-A-Bed products. These special bed bug bite-proof covers will then stay on your bedding for the life of the mattress and box spring; effectively locking in any bed bugs that are left and preventing them from re-infesting your sleeping area.

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