Pest of the Week- Bed Bugs!

Bed bugs have been around for a very long, long, long, long, long time. These creatures are nasty, but they are not dangerous. They were nearly extinct in America around 40 years ago, but in the past decade they have made a dramatic comeback causing an epidemic throughout America. 


Bed Bugs are parasites that feed on human blood. Because they feed on human blood at night they make their homes in beds. A mattress is a perfect hiding place for a bed bug and provides them with a good source of food every night. They hide in the seams of mattresses, cracks in bed frame, under chairs, couches, under rugs, edges of carpets, baseboards, and almost anywhere else.

Bed Bugs find their way into your home by hitching a ride in a suitcase or on your clothing. Infestations of Bed Bugs are on the rise and have been on the rise in large cities such as New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, and Des Moines for the past few years. Bed bugs were irradiated by the use of pesticides such as DDT but have returned most likely thanks to the banning of those pesticides and to worldwide travel.

Can I Get Rid of Bedbugs?

Bed bugs are extremely difficult to eradicate because of how well they hide and how resilient they are. There are some steps that can be taken though to eradicate and prevent infestations. But, due to the difficulty it is often best to call a pest professional.

How to Get Rid of Bedbugs without an Exterminator?

Removing mattresses and furniture from property, vacuuming and scrubbing infested areas thoroughly, washing laundry in hot water are all steps that can be taken to eliminate bedbugs. The longer you wait to take action the more difficult it is to get rid of bedbugs. They reproduce quickly and each night they will feed in hopes to reproduce. A few bedbugs and quickly turn in to an extreme nightmare each night. But, without knowledge of bedbugs and pest control products it is best to leave the use of chemicals to the pest professionals. Visit Get Rid of Your Bedbugs for more info.

What Will A Pest Professional Do To Get Rid Of My Bedbugs?

There is a wide variety of ways that pest control operators eradicate bedbugs. Chemical, heat, cold, steam, mechanical, and even dogs are used to sniff out the location.

Chemicals are applied to locations were the pests hide; in cracks and crevices, in the seams of mattresses, in bed frames, in walls, on baseboards. To be effective often multiple chemical treatments are needed. These are the most risky because a lot of chemical is often applied in the living space. Most often however these chemicals used are a type of pyrethrins which has extremely low toxicity to mammals.

Heat treatments have become a fad in large cities such as New York, Chicago, Las Angeles, and Des Moines.  These treatments can cost thousands of dollars but they are very effective. They are often best if used in large apartment complexes where chemical treatments have proven to be unsuccessful. The chemicals are often unsuccessful in large apartments because once an apartment is treated they run to the next.

Cold treatments are used by a large pest control company that claims the treatments kill the adult bedbugs, nymphs, and even the eggs. Not much information on how effective this method is though.

Our favorite tool in eliminating bedbugs is the bedbug dogs. These dogs are able to sniff out bedbugs and find them. This helps pest control operators locate the bedbugs and kill them. Finding bedbugs is almost the entire battle in eliminating bedbugs.

Overall, the best way to get rid of bedbugs is to contact a pest professional who has proven the ability to get rid of bedbugs and integrate some of the other steps we have mentioned that will help you get rid of your bugs.  


Visit our bedbug site. 

MUD DAUBER WASPS

Mud daubers are wasp-like insects that construct nests from mud. They make a variety of nests ranging from elaborate structures (i.e., multiple tubes several inches long or small vase-like nests attached to plant stems) to merely 'plastering' up existing cracks or crevices in wood, stone, or masonry. Many mud daubers will fill holes in round openings found in equipment and lawn furniture. There are three main species of mud daubers, the black and yellow, the blue mud dauber, and the organ pipe mud dauber.

DIET

Mud daubers use spiders for prey, but other species use a variety of insects ranging from caterpillars to cockroaches to stock the nests. Some related species that burrow into the ground catch large insects such as katydids and cicadas.

HABITAT

They create their nests in corners on walls outside the home. They will also find any other corner, or old nests to create their new nest. They are not social wasps. Though sometimes it may seem that multiple wasps are in the same spot, they are not a colony.

IMPACT

Mud daubers are not aggressive insects and rarely sting, unless they are threatened or inadvertently contacted. Although the venom is primarily for paralyzing and preserving prey, it is painful. The yellow and black mud dauber was rated a 1 on a pain scale ranging from 1 (mild) to 4 (severe), which was the same rating as the red imported fire ant.

Source: Wikipedia

SIZE: 5/8” to 1”

COLOR: Black and Yellow

Pest Of the Week!

This week's pest is the ant. The pavement ant is the most common pest that we have gotten calls for this week. Pavement ants are the little sugar ants that dominate your kitchen when you leave crumbs out. These ants can be very difficult to get rid of. It is possible to control ants on your own without the help of a pest control operator. At times, they can be very difficult to get rid of. If you are struggling with ants call us at 515-309-2089. We can get rid of your ants very fast. You can also check out our informational page at Downspestcontrol.info.