Did you wake up this morning to a bed bug bite? If so, you can guarantee your home is infested with bed bugs. These opportunists insects take advantage of vulnerable travelers more than any other individual. More bed bug infestations are reported by motel, hotel, inn, bed & breakfast, and cabin rental property managers than any other business owner. If you have recently returned home from a vacation or business trip, you can contribute your bed bug infestation to your travels.
While you may have discovered a bed bug bite on your body, it is likely you never caught the culprit in action. Bed bugs exhibit nocturnal behavior, although it is not a nocturnal insect species. The insect feeds at night while its host is asleep, which is why you woke up with a bite on your body.
Now is the perfect time to start searching for bed bugs. If you have already gone through the inspection process to no avail, your only option is to have the bed bugs come to you. There are several techniques that have shown some promise in drawing bed bugs out of their hiding places. These include the following:
- You can always mimic the bed bug’s feeding schedule, stay awake a night to capture the culprit in action. This is a difficult task even though you know the bed bugs’ schedule. Humans emit a pheromone that tells bed bugs they are asleep. This is how the bed bug knows when it is safe to approach its host.
- Center your bed away from all walls. Install CO2 monitors in areas pointing them in the direction of suspicious areas. Bed bugs are drawn to CO2, enticing them out of their hiding places.
- Install adhesive traps around the CO2 monitor, so the bed bugs get captured as they emerge from their hiding places.
- Install heaters near areas that are thought to be bed bug hiding places. Direct the heater toward the suspicious area and wait at least 20 minutes. Bed bugs are drawn to heat, so they will be enticed to come out of hiding.
- Utilize a floor or clothing steamer to drive bed bugs out of hiding. Direct the hot steam toward the area you believe to be a hiding place. Wait at least 15 minutes to give the hot steam enough time to penetrate deep into the surface where the bed bugs are hiding.
- Utilize a bed bug detector to determine if bed bugs are present in specific areas of your home. Place the device in suspicious areas for several hours before relocating to another area.
- If you detect dark spots on your bed that appear to be bed bug exoskeletons, dried blood, and fecal matter, we recommend putting your bed linen through a full washing and drying cycle. Select the maximum temperature mode for both the washer and dryer. Each cycle should last at least 15 minutes, which is necessary for the full eradication of life bed bugs.
If your attempts are unsuccessful, do not hesitate to reach out to your San Francisco extermination team. We offer free pest inspections, consultations, and estimates.
