How To Deal With a Bed Bug Infestation In Oklahoma City
Bed bugs are one of the most common pests that can invade a home or a hotel. If you are wondering how to deal with bed bugs and you are based in Oklahoma City, you came to the right place. Here at Harmony Pest Control, we will share with you an article that discusses the topic of how to deal with bed bugs in Oklahoma City. If you think this article is beneficial for you, we encourage you to keep scrolling below to find out.
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small flat-shaped insects and use blood from a host as their food source. Their scientific name is Cimex lectularius. They are nocturnal insects because they are highly active during nighttime, preying on unsuspecting humans and animals that are asleep. They are red-brownish and are approximately 1mm-7mm in length. Their only food source is blood and they are adaptable and resilient enough that they can go for several months in between their meals.
An infestation can easily spread in a few weeks because a single healthy female bed bug can produce up to 500 eggs in her lifetime. The reproductive process of the bed bugs is known as traumatic insemination; the male will break through the female’s shell and inject the sperms into the body cavity. The female bed bugs will produce an egg a day after 6 to 8 weeks of insemination.
Bed bugs prefer temperatures around 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. With a steady supply of blood, bed bugs can mature in just a month and produce multiple eggs every year. Cooler temperatures and decreased access to a host can deter their development. The average lifespan of a bed bug is around 10 months.
How do bed bugs get inside homes and hotels?
There is a common misconception that people believed that bed bugs prefer dirty living conditions and they thrive in filthy environments. Most of the time, bed bugs can stay inside sofa cushions or carpets and as long as they have access to a host for blood supply, they can live and proliferate in a specific area.
Bed bugs can sometimes infest used furniture such as couches and sofa and when you buy and bring it home, and then the bed bug infestation can easily spread throughout your home. They are highly adaptable, they can get inside a suitcase, purse, or bags, which can allow them to infest homes and other areas easily.
Cross-contamination can occur in environments such as apartment complexes, motels, and hotels. Bed bugs are known for traveling in between rooms, so once a single unit becomes infested by bed bugs, it only takes a few weeks for the infestation to spread to other units.
When you stay in an infested hotel, resort, motel, or hostel, the bed bugs may go inside your luggage, bags, and clothing and come home with you.
The visitors and guests that stay in your home can easily take bed bugs with them and leave them in your home without you even knowing.
What are the signs of a bed bug infestation?
These are the signs to look out for if you are suspecting that there is a bed bug infestation in your home.
Since bed bugs are small, they can be hard to spot and notice at first. So make sure to keep an eye out for the following signs below.
- Physical evidence that there is a bed bug infestation in your home. They shed skin and leave black droppings in mattress seams and cushions.
- Bite marks, welts, or small red bumps in different areas of your body in the morning after waking up.
- Small bloodstains on your bed sheets or pillowcases.
- A musty scent in the room or around your bed which is often described as “locker room smell”.
How to get rid of bed bugs
Check the infested areas
Bed bugs can easily spread because they multiply fast. Because of this, you must do everything to find them and get rid of them before they start to reproduce.
Below are some of the areas to check for any bed bugs.
- Mattress seams and box spring
- Cracks and areas around the headboard and bed frame
- Areas between the sofa’s cushions and edges and seams of cushions
- The seams of the carpets and areas where the carpet meets the walls of your home
- The joints of furniture such as accent chairs, futons, and sofas
- Nightstand, dresser drawers, cabinets, and closet
To do a thorough check, you must use a flashlight when inspecting each area carefully. You must watch out for small dark or rust-colored droppings, the presence of live bedbugs, or tiny pale yellow eggs.
Remove the bed bugs
Once you found out that there is an infestation of bed bugs in your home, you must immediately contain them so that they won’t spread and reproduce. You can do it by using a vacuum to remove them.
You must vacuum the mattress, the interior areas of the dresser, and the seams of furniture, carpets, and other places that have signs of bed bug infestation.
Once you have thoroughly removed all of them, place all the contents of the vacuum canister inside a plastic bag and throw it away. This process will not completely remove the bed bug infestation because it will only pick up the live bed bugs. Make sure to check if there are eggs left in those areas as they may hatch and spread the infestation once again.
After vacuuming the affected areas, you can wash and dry the linens, clothing, and other textiles in hot water and use the high heat setting in the dryer. For furniture that cannot be washed and dried in a dryer, for example, a sofa, you can use steam to kill the remaining bed bugs.
Get rid of bed bugs
Here are some of the natural home remedies when there is a bed bug infestation in your home.
Get rid of bed bugs using heat or cold
Extreme temperature can be used to get rid of bed bugs in a mattress or other furniture. Get all the affected beddings or clothing and wash them using very hot water for at least 30 minutes. After the wash cycle is finished, dry the affected items in the drying using the highest possible heat setting for approximately 30 minutes.
On the other hand, you can place all affected items in a very cold place with at least 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave the items for at least 4 days to make sure that all the bed bugs have died.
Pros: Not toxic, fast, easy, and effective
Cons: Does not work for all affected items or materials
Use steam to get rid of bed bugs
You can kill bed bugs by using a steamer on the affected areas such as a couch, mattress, sofa, carpets, etc.
Pros: Safe, easy, fast, and effective and can be a useful preventative treatment for bed bugs or getting rid of bed bug infestation.
Cons: Can damage some materials such as fabrics, will require the use of a steamer which is not readily available in most homes.
Use covers for mattresses
Bed bug-proof covers for mattresses are available so you can use them in your mattress and box spring. When zipped up, it can prevent bed bugs from going inside and will kill all the bed bugs trapped inside. This can be useful in creating a protective barrier that will prevent bed bugs from biting you during nighttime.
Pros: Effective, affordable, not toxic, simple, fast, and easy to do
Cons: Does not get rid of the bedbugs from the affected mattress
Check all of the affected areas
A bed bug infestation is not easily removed as most bugs can hide in crevices and cracks of your home so it can last for weeks or even months to completely get rid of them. If you want to ensure that the treatment against bed bugs is working, you must do a thorough check of the infested area once a week for a few months. If you see any signs of bedbug activity in your home, treat the affected area again.
Hire a professional pest control company
The fastest, safest, and most effective way to get rid of a bed bug infestation in Oklahoma City is to hire a reputable pest control company like Harmony Pest Control Services. We have a professional team that will evaluate and inspect the bed bug infestation in your home and we will create a plan to get rid of all the bed bugs and make your home free from bed bugs once again.
If you are searching for a company that offers pest control services, you must check out Harmony Pest Solutions. If you are interested to know more about our services please check out this link. If you have any inquiries or questions regarding our services you can fill up this contact form here. You can also request a quote for any of our pest control services. We will be happy to help you make your home pest-free.
If you are based in Oklahoma City, you must check out Harmony Pest Solutions. We are offering pest control services in Oklahoma City, especially in areas such as Canadian County, Cleveland County, Logan County, and Mcclain County. If you are interested to hire us for our pest control services, please contact us today.
You can call us at (405) 285-0018 or send an email at harmonyokc@gmail.com. Our office is located at 16307 Sonoma Park Drive, Suite #6 Edmond, OK 73013. Make sure to choose a trustworthy pest control company to get rid of bed bugs and other pests in your homes.