Apartment buildings and other buildings such as hotels, motels, condos, and townhouses that have bed bugs are faced with huge challenges when it comes to eradicating the infestations.  Shared walls allow bed bugs ample places to hide and multiply.  Multi-unit buildings allow bed bugs the opportunity to move from unit to unit establishing a presence.  Bed bugs use the electrical wiring, plumbing, and cables to travel with ease from victim to victim.

Many multi-unit buildings make the mistake of providing treatment to the unit that they believe that the bed bugs are infesting.  At the very minimum, the units above, below, and on each adjoining side of the known infested unit must receive treatment from a pest control professional in order to stop a bed bug infestation.  The best way to achieve eradication however is to treat the entire building at one time so that surviving bed bugs do not have the opportunity to re-establish themselves in the same or other units within the building.

Bed bugs are aggressive creatures that require an aggressive approach to eliminating their presence.  Many strains of bed bugs are pesticide resistant so they can be very difficult to eradicate.  A licensed pest control operator who uses Integrated Pest Management techniques can help eradicate bed bugs in all types of buildings.

A University of South Carolina student and her family have learned the hard way just how cleaver bed bugs can be.  According to WISTV.Com the student claims that she moved into an off-site campus apartment building at the beginning of the new school semester.  It did not take long for her sleep to become disrupted by bloodsucking bed bugs.  The nocturnal nibblers began their nightly attacks soon after her arrival.  The student claims that her furniture was new when she moved into the apartment complex so it is impossible that she brought the bed bugs in with her.

Unable to withstand the nightly attacks, the student moved back home while her apartment was in the process of being treated for the bugs.  Unbeknownst to her, the bed bugs apparently hitched a ride home to her mother’s house.  It did not take long for the bugs to infiltrate the family home as well.  The family has had to endure months of nightly attacks and costly bed bug treatments to try to rid their home of the nasty nibblers.  To date, both the apartment and the family home still have bed bugs!  You may read the article here.

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion.

When a homeless shelter becomes infested with bed bugs, there is not always a huge rush to provide bed bug eradication services.  More times than not, shelters are financially strapped and are unable to come up with the funds needed to kill the bloodsuckers.

KPRC reported on January 20, 2012 that women and children are being attacked by bed bugs at a homeless shelter in Webster, Texas.  Out of desperation to keep the bed bugs from biting her small children, “one woman claims she had to buy plastic crates to put her babies in so they don’t get bitten.”  Another woman said that her daughter “was in bed for one hour and she had 50 bites on her legs.”  You may read the article here.

Some types of pests, such as cockroaches, thrive in filth ridden environments.  Having bed bugs is not a sanitation issue, although clutter does provide ample places for them to hide.  Bed bugs survive solely on blood, preferably from humans.  Bed bug infestations are difficult to control without the help of a licensed pest control professional who has experience with bed bug eradication.

The America Psychiatric Association has found that many people who encounter bed bug infestations suffer from “Bed Bug Psychosis”.  ABC News reported on May 17, 2011, that a bed bug test study was completed on ten individuals who did not previously have bed bugs. According to the study “some participants experienced anxiety, depression, controlled bipolar disorder and monosymptomatic delusional disorder in which one imagines that bugs are crawling all over the skin.”  You may read the article here.

New Jersey pest control experts often encounter residents who are in a state of panic when they discover bed bugs in their home.  Unfortunately, this panic often leads to homeowners taking desperate and dangerous measures to try to rid their home of these blood suckers.  Having your bedroom invaded by bugs, that are attracted to your blood, that only attack you while your sleep, is a serious violation of your nighttime slumber.  Call Heritage Pest Control for full service bed bug removal services in northern New Jersey.

It is not uncommon for building owners to blame the tenants for the infestation saying that the tenants caused the infestation by bringing the critters in on their furniture or belongings.  It is not uncommon for tenants to claim that they were bed bug free prior to moving into a dwelling only to find that bed bugs begin to attack them after their arrival.

Hotels and motels used to be the main source of bed bug transfers.  Although they remain a place to keep a watchful eye out for, other locations are also a hot-bed of bed bug activity.  Modern day bed bugs can be found in a multitude of locations.  Hospitals, taxis, retail stores, trains, schools, college dorm rooms, airports, airplanes, libraries, and any other place where people tend to congregate are problem spots for bed bugs.

The key is to keep a watchful eye out for these hitchhikers anyplace you go.  Always look for the signs of bed bug activity in your home and call a NJ pest control professional immediately if you suspect that you have bed bugs.

To avoid infesting your home or business with these bloodsuckers, New Jersey pest control professionals recommend that you take the following steps to ensure that your home remains bed bug free:

• Remove the belongings from your luggage outdoors or in your garage instead of inside of your home.

• Bed bugs can’t stand the heat!  Launder all clothing, even clean clothing, washing and drying them on the hottest temperature setting.

• Vacuum all luggage pieces carefully, paying particular attention to the seamed areas as this is where bed bugs tend to congregate and lay their eggs, which are extremely difficult to see.

• For added security, place your luggage in large garbage bag and store in the garage instead of the house.  When the temperature is warm outdoors, place the sealed bag in the direct sun to bake any potential bed bugs or their eggs to death.  When the temperature is cold outdoors, store the sealed luggage in the garage.

Bed bugs will multiply very quickly if they have the opportunity to enter your home.  If you see signs of a bed bug infestation (fecal matter, blood smears, shed skins, or live or dead bed bugs), it’s important that you contact a licensed New Jersey pest control expert that is trained in the removal of bed bugs.

Bed bugs are easy to pick up when you travel at any time of year.  Many travelers are discovering that bed bugs are easy to encounter in a multitude of locations throughout the United States and abroad.  Unlike other types of pests such as cockroaches, bed bugs do not have pads on their feet.  Instead they have claws which they use for gripping rough surfaces.  These claws prevent them from climbing on slick surfaces such as glass, ceramic tile, fiberglass, or porcelain materials.

When traveling, bed bugs will gain access to a suitcase, clothing, backpack, computer bag, and electronics, etc.  Because of their small stature and ability to hide with ease, most people do not know that they have bed bugs in their belongings when they are traveling home from a trip.  Once bed bugs are brought home it often takes a few months before a homeowner realizes that the pests have ambushed the home.  Many homeowners may awake with unexplained red itchy bite marks and be unaware that creepy bed bugs are lurking in the cracks and crevices of their abode.

Please check back on Wednesday for the conclusion.

The British Isles has had some unwanted bed bug notoriety recently.  A Forbes magazine article described a bed bug infestation on a British Airways airplane traveling between Los Angeles and London. A bitten passenger publicized the story on the internet and even started a website that showed her bite marks. Two of the company’s planes have been fumigated as a result of this incident.   

Northern New Jersey has more than its fair share of international travelers.  If you or another family member has brought this pest home you should reach out to a New Jersey pest control professional as soon as possible.

There are so many places for these creatures to hide in homes and they have developed a resistance to many of the chemicals commonly used by homeowners to fight insect infestations.  An experienced pest control professional will have the equipment and knowledge necessary to rid your home of bed bugs and be able to institute measures to prevent future infestations.

The research found that both thick hair and finer hair can make the bug’s goal of a bite more difficult. The researchers however went on to say that thick hair can give parasites a better place to hide so growing as much hair as possible isn’t a viable solution to the bed bug problem.

It would seem that more body hair means better detection of parasites, but not necessarily better defense. The professor mentions that men are more hairy than women but that has not made them any less susceptible to bug bites. They conclude that we retained the finer hair as a means of warning, so the bed bugs now may automatically go to less hairy areas such as ankles and wrists.

In northern New Jersey the fight against bed bugs can welcome all the help research can provide. If you have been experiencing bug bites overnight it can be a good indication that your home has a bed bug problem. A New Jersey exterminator can be a tremendous ally in this fight by using the latest available equipment to completely eradicate your bed bug infestation.

The biggest question for New Jersey residents who have been plagued by this pest have little to do with where they may have come from. The New Jersey residents who have experienced a bed bug infestation want to know how to get rid of this pest and how to prevent future infestations.

A bed bug infestation is something that can not be taken lightly.  A problem that is left untreated, even for a short period of time, can turn into a serious infestation that will cost a substantial amount of money and time to eradicate.

If you see signs of bed bugs in your home it is imperative that you reach out to an experienced New Jersey pest control professional as soon as possible.  A licensed pest control technician has the training and equipment necessary to eliminate adult bed bugs and their eggs as quickly and safely as possible.  Our expert technicians will also implement effective Integrated Pest Management strategies to help keep these pests from gaining access to your home again in the future.