Pest Control Charlotte NC

Adult bed bug, Cimex lectularius (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Despite their name, “bed bugs” can be found in almost any part of your house and are often found far away from the bedroom. Bed bugs might be lurking in your bookshelves (avoid buying used books on the street for this reason) or in your couch (avoid buying used couches too!) or in other places too. There are several ways to tell if you have bed bugs – maybe you saw an actual bug or egg so you are 100% certain; perhaps you have woken up covered in bites leading you to believe you might have bed bugs; or maybe you have even had an inspector come to your house to confirm your fears. Either way, now that you know you have an infestation, you are probably wondering how to take care of it.

First, save a specimen. This might sound gross, but you should hold onto the physical bodies of the bed bugs in a Ziploc. Beyond helping the exterminator confirm the infestation, you might need to show them to your landlord or insurer so that you can recover your costs. You may never see an actual bug, so if you do, grab it. Take pictures of any damage as well.

Second, don’t switch to another bed in your house. Your first instinct might be to sleep elsewhere if the bed bugs are actually found in your bed. But unfortunately, all this will achieve is spreading the infestation. So don’t start sleeping on the couch, and definitely don’t stay at a friend or relative’s house. The bed bugs will be waiting for you when you get home and will have left some cousins wherever you went.

Third, consult a professional. Even if you are sure you have bed bugs, you should always get a professional pest control operator to come in, identify the pest and then treat it. Call them as soon as you suspect an infestation and get them into your home right away. Treatment takes time, so start sooner rather than later.

Fourth, check the other beds. Not everyone will know if they have bed bugs just by being bitten. Not everybody reacts to the bites in the same way, so there could be bugs in their beds without them knowing. Make sure your professional pest control operator does a thorough check of the home.

Fifth, don’t start throwing everything away. Not every piece of furniture in your home needs to be sent to the landfill. Ask your professional pest control operator what can be saved and what should be tossed. Once you know what cannot be saved, the professional can help you dispose of it properly and safely so as not to spread the bugs even further.

Sixth, do start washing your linens and clothing. Your clothing and bedding should be dealt with right away. Machine wash everything on hot and then dry them on hot for about two hours. Dry cleaning is also an option. Whichever option you choose, the key part is to put the cleaned clothing and linens in sealed, airtight bags until you are going to use them in your bed bug free house.

Finding out you have bed bugs is never fun. But if you follow the proper precautions and have patience, hopefully the bed bugs will be handled quickly and without major loss of sleep, furniture, and money.

About the Author: Michelle Lim has been writing about designer bedding for this website for years. When she’s not spending her time writing, she enjoys shopping and going on vacations with her boyfriend.

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Guest Post Published by Bulwark

eaten alive (Photo credit: The Guncle)

Charlotte Hotel Has Bedbugs

A woman reached out to Channel 9 News in Charlotte, claiming she got bedbugs from the Homewood Suites Hotel while she was in town during CIAA weekend.

The woman, identified as Stephanie Eason, claims she took the bedbugs home with her without even knowing it, and now they are now infesting her Raleigh, NC home.

Eason said she checked into the hotel on February 28, 2013. During her three night stay, her and her friend saw what appeared to be bugs crawling on the couch inside their room. She contacted the hotel staff, who immediately came and sprayed to room for bugs.

It’s about the room was sprayed, that Eason began noticing red welts on her legs. She determined them to be bites; bites from the notorious bedbug.

Charlotte Hotel Treated For Bedbugs

Eason contacted the County Health department who investigated the matter. It was determined that the Homewood Suites Hotel did in fact have bedbugs.

Before the Country Health Department had arrived, the Hotel had been very proactive in treating the bedbug infestation. The room had been closed down, along with three other adjacent rooms. The rooms were treated by pest control professionals.

Eason also sought the services of a Raleigh pest control professional to eliminate the bedbugs from her Raleigh home. She is seeking compensation for the incident, and working with the hotel’s insurance company.

Bed Bug (Photo credit: agrilifetoday)

Bedbugs

Bedbugs are malevolent bloodsucking insects that are easily transferred from hotels, buses, taxis, to apartments and homes. Bedbugs are reddish-brown in color. The are flat, and look much like an apple seed.

Bedbugs hide in the bedding, mattresses, carpet and furniture; emerging to feed on human hosts. Bedbugs need blood to survive, and are very resilient and hard to eliminate. If you fear you have brought bedbugs into your home, contact a pest control professional immediately.

Charlotte, NC Pest Control

General Pest Control

Bedbug Control

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Published by Bulwark

The DNC Convention—Charlotte September 4th

Charlotte has been crawling with excitement about this week’s Democratic National Convention, but the city isn’t the only thing crawling. Bedbugs have infested nine of the hotels being used by Democrats and convention-goers; crawling inside hotel mattresses, bedding, and furniture.

Bedbug infestations are growing at exponential rates—some reports say as much as 75% from the same time last year. The Bedbug Crisis Hotline has increased ten fold in the last 6 months.

Charlotte Bedbug Ranking

Charlotte has some ground to make up before its bedbug levels reach the likes of cities such as New York, Boston and Washington, D.C., where recent infestations have made national headlines. A recent survey ranked Charlotte as the 33rd most bedbug infested city. The top three infested cities are Cincinnati, Chicago, and then Detroit.

bedbug (Cimex sp.) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Online Bedbug Reports

The increase of bedbug activity in cities like Charlotte has led to the introduction of websites such as BedBugRegistry.com and BedBugReports.com Travelers can share their horrific hotel experiences in hopes of forewarning other travelers. BedBugRegistry.com shows 31 Charlotte-area hotels in which guests have reported bedbugs, including nine that will host at least 10 of the state delegations attending this week’s convention.

DNC Hotels

Of the hotels hosting convention delegates, the most bedbug complaints have been directed at the Charlotte Marriott City Center, where five reports have been reported in the last year. Visitors report finding bites days after their stays, and at least two have said they ended up bringing bedbugs home with them. Another report says the hotel refuses to offer compensation for laundry bills after a visitor had to have their clothes specially treated. Some of the other Charlotte hotels where Democratic delegates are staying, that are reporting bedbugs, include: the Double Tree by Hilton, Drury Inn & Suites Northlake, and the Charlotte-Center City Holiday Inn.

Traveling Tips

If you are doing some traveling in the coming weeks, make sure to do your online research on one of the aforementioned websites and see how many bedbug infestations are being reported at your hotel. For some great tip on avoiding bedbugs while traveling check out: http://pestcontrolatlantaga.com/2012/08/dont-let-bedbugs-ruin-your-vacation/

If you are in the Charlotte, NC area and having any trouble with bedbugs, contact a pest control professional today!

Bulwark Exterminating
1801 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 321-3716
bulwarkpestcontrol.com

A-1 Wildlife Control
Wilgrove-Minthill Road
Charlotte, NC 28227
(704) 334-1922
a1wildlifecontrol.net

A-A Wildlife Damage Control
301 Bradford Drive
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 608-6950
aawildlife.com

Orkin
5100 Reagan Drive
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 694-6655
orkin.com

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• Bedbug Prevention Tips While on Vacation

Bed bugs are infesting the country in alarming proportions. Since 1995 their population has increased worldwide. This parasitic insect that feeds on human blood causes a number of health issues ranging from skin rashes and allergies to psychological problems. They are extremely difficult to get rid of as they are nocturnal and like to hide. Most bed bugs feed on their hosts while they are sleeping so they can go undetected for quite a while before their presence is noticed. Since they are commonly found in beds, hence their name, having a mattress that resists them, such as a memory foam mattress, can help in the fight to eradicate them from your home.

Bed bugs enter homes through a variety of ways. Hitchhiking on people, pets, luggage and clothing is one way they make their way through the door. They also travel through duct work from infested areas to new habitats. Apartment buildings can be totally infested this way. If you bring items into your home from infested places the bed bugs can travel in on the items and create more havoc in their new environment. They also attach to wild animals and drop off near buildings where they make their way inside through cracks and crevices. One way to ward off their presence is by eliminating areas where they can hide and breed such as in inner-spring mattresses. Bed bugs burrow deep inside the space provided by the springs and the infestation begins. Mattresses that have a solid core like a memory foam mattress or a latex mattress do not provide a breeding area for the bugs to hide in.

Bedding is a place that harbors bed bugs. Conventional mattresses have air spaces inside which make a welcome home for these irritating insects. Once inside it is almost impossible to totally exterminate them. In most cases it is necessary to throw the mattress away. Using a memory foam mattress, a solid latex mattress, an air mattress or a water-bed will help to keep the tiny critters away. Wrapping a conventional mattress in a plastic covering can also keep them out of the bedding. Make sure to wrap the box spring as well.

The best way to keep your home free from bed bugs is to regularly be on the look out for signs of their presence. Watch for the black marks from bed bug excrement which they leave behind. If you smell an almond or ripe raspberry odor they may be in the immediate area. Vacuuming often and cleaning around baseboards, switch plates and other openings in walls may help to keep them out. Wash all linens in the hottest available water to kill off any bugs on them. Of course using a memory foam mattress or other solid core mattress will eliminate a breeding area in your bedroom. If you follow all of these things the bed bugs will hopefully move in with someone other than you.