Charlotte Bed Bug Inspection
Identify Bed Bug Infestations
If you suspect that you have a bed bug infestation in your Charlotte home, you won’t want to give these challenging pests any more time to continue to multiply.
Step one of the solution is a thorough inspection of the home to find and identify the critters so the appropriate pest control solution can be implemented (Sometimes, what you think is a bed bug is actually another kind of pest entirely!). To help, in this post, we’ll share inspection techniques and ways to get rid of bed bugs, including the highly effective bed bug heat treatment that only needs one application.
If you need professional bed bug treatment in the Greater Charlotte area for your home or business, please contact us online or call 704-499-9922. We’re ready to get started!
Public Health Challenge
Bed bugs are parasitic creatures, biting people and feeding off of their blood, which isn’t something you want to happen to your family and guests, or to your customers. This pest, which has the scientific name of Cimex lectularius, is considered to be a public health problem by multiple governmental agencies, including these:
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Although bed bugs don’t transmit diseases in the way that, say, rodents or mosquitoes can, their bites can become infected, and people who have been bitten sometimes may be given the following treatments, according to the CDC: “antibiotics, antihistamines, topical and oral corticosteroids, and epinephrine.”
Ideally, then, it’s best to keep these critters from getting into your home or business in the first place. To help, here is information about bed bug prevention.
Identifying Bed Bugs
Fully mature insects are oval in shape, similar in size to an apple seed. Their coloring is on the reddish-brown spectrum. As for young bed bugs, they are extremely challenging to see because they’re so incredibly tiny.
Sometimes a homeowner believes they have a bed bug infestation but, upon inspection, they are really having problems with fleas and/or ticks. Other times, their home contains booklice, a critter that—rather than biting humans and feeding on blood, as bed bugs do—feasts on mold and mildew. Still other times, a carpet beetle is the culprit, eating carpeting, as well as wool, leather, felt, silk, and more. Long story short, what initially looks like a bed bug may be another creature altogether.
People can get welts when bed bugs bite and these bites can itch. The problem is, this is true of the bites of many other insects. So, the first step in solving a bed bug infestation is to find them and verify that they are indeed the problem.
Where Bed Bugs Hide
The EPA lists numerous places where these crafty creatures can hide. As their name implies, they often gravitate to beds, including in the seams, piping, and tags of mattresses and box springs, along with any cracks found on the headboard and bed frame.
Hiding places are much broader than just beds, however, including in upholstered furniture, plus in between cushions and in the seams of couches and chairs. Bed bugs hide in the folds of curtains and draperies; in electrical appliances and receptacles; in the joints of pieces of furniture, such as in the drawers; in places where wallpaper or wall hangings are loose; and the spots where walls and ceilings meet. Bed bugs, which are about as wide as a credit card, can even hide in the head of a screw. (Think about that for a moment!)
So, bed bug inspections typically need to go significantly beyond just checking the beds in a home.
Charlotte Bed Bug Inspection
As noted above, if you’re not used to hunting these insects down, it can be challenging to track down all of their hiding spots. Plus, if the infestation is in its relatively early stages, it can be difficult to find the bed bugs or even the signs of their presence.
Here are some signs that our trained technicians look for:
- Dried fecal matter is poppy seed in size and occurs in clusters around the corners or folds in the mattress or along the bottom edge of the box springs where the black cloth is stapled on to the box spring. These are typically dark droppings, brown or black in hue. You can also find them in bed frames and headboards. Plus, you can find droppings as far as eight feet or so away from the main nesting spots, especially if there are cracks and crevices that make good hiding spots.
- Exoskeletons of bed bugs are shed when the bed bug molts or matures. These can be described as a casing or shell, more transparent than the bed bugs themselves.
- Egg clusters are very small and tough to see without a LED flashlight and a trained eye.
- Blood smears on the sheets of the bed or on the mattress may be observed. Bed bugs are easy to kill by smashing them, so an infested bedroom may have these smear marks. They occur when a sleeping person rolls over or moves and smashes one in their sleep.
- A sweet odor that’s also a bit musty can be another sign of this pest.
- Bites can appear in groups or lines, including ones in zig-zag pattern. As noted earlier, other insects bite, so this isn’t a definitive sign. If the bites appear on skin that’s exposed while you sleep, this may make it more likely that bed bugs are involved.
For your professional bed bug inspection, contact us online or call 704-499-9922. We’ll take a thorough look and diagnose the issue. Once their presence has been verified, it’s natural to want to get rid of bed bugs, so we’ll tailor a plan that’s just right for your home or business in the Greater Charlotte metro area.
Professional Bed Bug Treatment in Charlotte
If you live in Charlotte or surrounding regions, contact Noosa Pest Management to schedule an appointment. The reality is that, by the time you suspect you have an infestation, the pests may be multiplying out of control. Our trained technicians will come to your home or business to inspect for problems and recommend the best bed bug treatment .
We’ll share information about our bed bug heat treatment if it’s the best choice to address your problem. This is a highly effective treatment because these pests can’t survive once their body temperature reaches 45°C (113°F).
Advantages of this treatment include how it allows you to get rid of bed bugs that are in all life stages, from an egg to a mature adult; how it’s totally environmentally friendly, leaving behind no unwanted residue; and how this almost always requires only one treatment, without the need for follow up visits—which can make it much more convenient for your schedule.
Plus with a bed bug heat treatment, the heat can get into places that would otherwise be hard to reach with more traditional treatments. In some cases, bed bugs can become resistant to chemical treatments, which can make heat treatments a real lifesaver.
Heat, when properly applied by professionals, is clearly the superior technique. Other treatments that could be recommended include liquid applications and freezing techniques. Our experienced bug exterminators will be glad to discuss our recommendations for your unique situation and answer any of your questions.
EPA Partnership
We are proud to be part of the EPA’s Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) and we have been since 2008. PESP was formed to help reduce the risks that can occur with pesticides and, because we focus on being good stewards of our natural environment, this partnership was a natural progression and outreach of our philosophies.
Here is what Thomas H Brennan, the Chief of the EPA’s Environmental Stewardship branch, said about Noosa:
“…I applaud the steps your company has already taken toward reducing the risks from the use of pesticides. To advance our common goals further will require a close collaborative effort. Your willingness to join PESP indicates your dedication to these goals. The Office of Pesticide Programs staff looks forward to working closely with you…I am convinced that in the years to come we will point with pride to a legacy of reduced pesticide risks brought about through the cooperation among Noosa Pest Management and the Environmental Protection Agency.”
Choose Noosa Pest Control Today
Our company was founded in 2006 to provide home and business owners with comprehensive pest control services in the Greater Charlotte metro area. Cities we serve in North Carolina and South Carolina include:
- Charlotte
- Mooresville
- Huntersville
- Cornelius
- Concord
- Fort Mill
- Tega Cay
- Rock Hill
- Indian Land
- Lake Wylie
- Clover
- York
If you don’t see your city listed, contact us, anyhow! We continue to grow our service area while still providing personalized attention to each of our customers, treating them like we’d like to be treated ourselves.
Ready to get rid of bed bugs in your home or business without the hassle? Call 704-499-9922 to speak to one of our educated specialists.
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