BED BUG CONTROL & TREATMENT IN SACRAMENTO

Get a Good Night’s Sleep Again, with Official Pest Prevention

Bed Bugs are not only back, but are becoming quite common. Schools, hotels, movie theaters, and even single-family homes find themselves with serious bed bug infestations these days. Attracted by the carbon dioxide emitted while humans sleep, bed bugs can be relentless, and put your whole family in a horrible situation.

Our Three-Step Bed Bug Extermination Process

Fortunately, Official Pest Prevention offers a three-step process for Sacramento bed bug detection and treatment.

• First, we will conduct a free inspection, to determine if bed bugs are indeed the source of your pest problem.
• Next, we will develop a plan, keeping you and your family in the loop and presenting all the best service options.
• Finally, once our inspection is complete and a plan has been developed, we will treat your property thoroughly, making sure your home is completely bedbug-free, so you can get a good night’s sleep once again.

If you are dealing with bed bugs in Sacramento, Fresno, or anywhere else in northern or central CA, contact Official Pest Prevention, and find out why we are trusted by homeowners across Northern California for yourself.

What You Need to Know About Bed Bugs

Bed bugs inject a chemical into their bite victims that numbs the bite area and encourages sleep. Virtually unable to wake up, the person is often bitten repeatedly by many bed bugs until morning. As opposed to flea bites, which tend to be centralized around your ankles, you may find bed bug bites on any exposed area of your skin. You may or may not notice bed bug bites as soon as you wake up, though you will soon detect itchy red welts on your skin if you are dealing with a bed bug infestation.

In addition to bite marks, common signs of a bed bug infestation include:

• Blood Stains: If your bed bug problem gets bad enough, you may start to wake up noticing blood stains on your sheets or pillowcases from where these nasty critters have bitten you.
• Excrement: Bed bug excrement has a dark or rusty color. You may notice signs of their droppings on your sheets, mattresses, blankets, pajamas, walls, and anywhere else a bed bug infestation is centralized.
• Eggshells: Bed bug eggs and empty eggshells tend to be minuscule, white dots, though they can also be opaque. Only a millimeter in length, bed bug eyes are extremely hard to find, though you may still be able to see them with the aid of a device like a looking glass.
• Skins: Shed skins tend can be found in any areas where bed bugs hide. These casings essentially look the same as empty shells, though they may vary in size and color and will get lighter the longer it’s been since the bed bug has eaten its last meal and molted. Large collections of shed skins tend to indicate you were definitely dealing with a bed bug infestation at some point, if not right now.
• A Musty Odor: Bed bugs release an offensive, musty odor from their scent glands. These odors, called alarm pheromones, have been described as smelling like coriander or cilantro. However, the greater the infestation is, the more your home will start to smell like moldy shoes or wet towels, so do not hesitate to call for an inspection at the first whiff of this distasteful odor.

In addition to bed bug extermination, Official Pest Prevention offers bed bug encasements for pillows, mattresses, and box springs. We also know from experience that bed bugs are not only found in beds. In fact, they may take up residence in carpeting, upholstery, drapes, furniture—basically anywhere there’s cloth. Ask us about treatment for furniture, too, and make sure bed bugs have been completely wiped off your property.

For Quality Bed Bug Treatment in Sacramento, Call the Official Professionals

For two decades, Official Pest Prevention has offered the best workmanship at the best price point in Northern California. We do our own quality control management, to ensure you are getting the best results, and go out of our way to treat both our employees and customers like family. Call today to take advantage of a pest control service special, and get ready to put your bed bug nightmare to bed.

5 Key Warning Signs And Symptoms Of Bed Bugs

Have you ever wondered, “Does my house have bed bugs?”

It’s a scary question for anyone to ask themselves, but the truth is bed bug infestations are a lot more common than you may think. There used to be a stigma that bed bugs could only be found in dirty homes, but no home is safe.

The most common way people get bed bugs is through traveling. Bed bugs are sneaky pests, which means they can hide in your luggage, purse, or even your clothes. Once you bring those belongings home, the bed bugs will crawl out and make themselves comfortable in their new environment.

Since it’s easy for anyone to bring bed bugs home with them, learning the signs of an infestation can help you stay clean and safe. The sooner you can recognize that you have a problem, the easier and faster it will be to fix it.

Do you want to know how you can tell you have a bed bug infestation? Keep reading to learn the top 5 signs.

1. Bites: How to Tell If I Have Bed Bug Bites

The most common way people discover they have bed bugs is finding bites on their bodies. Since lots of bugs can bite, it’s helpful to learn how to identify bed bug bites so you can understand what’s inside your home.

Bed bugs prefer to bite exposed skin, so your arms, shoulders, neck, face, the bottom of your legs, and any other areas that aren’t covered by blanket are their easiest targets. Bites typically come in clusters and sometimes there can be a distinct zigzag pattern. The bite itself isn’t painful, but you can experience itchiness, redness, and swelling once your skin reacts to the bite.

2. Droppings: What They Look Like and Where to Find Them

Since bed bugs feed on blood, this means their droppings are dark and have a similar appearance to coffee grounds. If you poke it with your finger, you may even be able to smear old blood. Bed bugs don’t like to travel far from their food source, so you’ll most likely find their droppings on your sheets, pillowcases, bed frame, nightstand, and any other furniture that’s close to your bed.

3. Eggshells and Other Body Parts

The bed bug life cycle involves shedding many shells as they continue to grow. Bugs have exoskeletons, which means the shells they molt look the same as a live bed bug. Bed bugs and bed bug shells are reddish-brown, round, and around 4 mm long. Bed bugs have a shape, color, and size that’s similar to an apple seed, which can make identifying them and their shells easier.

4. Bed Bugs Themselves: How to Find Their Hiding Spots

Bed bugs are sneaky, so you probably won’t ever see one unless you notice these other telltales signs first then decide to go searching for them. If you think you may have these other symptoms, finding the bed bug lair is the quickest and most definitive way to confirm if you have an infestation.

To find bed bugs, you’ll need to have a flashlight on hand because you’ll be looking in dark, hidden places. Since bed bugs need to be close to their food source, the mattress should be the first place you look. If you lift up your mattress, you may be able to spot them close to the corners.

If your mattress is clean, you should move onto the headboard next. All you have to do is shine your light behind it and look for any movement. Other areas that are worth investigating include the underside of your furniture near your bed, inside outlets, within your curtains, and behind any paintings you may have.

5. You Travel a Lot Or You Know Someone Who’s Had an Infestation

Since bed bugs won’t invade your home unless you travel or know someone who’s had bed bugs, you can help prevent an infestation by being cautious. Now that you know where bed bugs like to hide, you should start getting into the habit of inspecting your hotel rooms whenever you travel. Whether you’re staying in an old motel or a luxurious 5-star resort, any room can have bed bugs.

If you do find bed bugs in the room, your luggage could now be a transportation vessel. This means you should never bring your luggage inside your home once you return. If you can’t discard some belongings, you’ll have to unpack outside, inspect carefully, and sanitize as best as you can. Washing your clothes in hot water with detergent then drying on your hottest setting should be enough to kill any hitchhikers.

What Should You Do If You Have a Bed Bug Infestation?

Bed bugs are notoriously tricky pests. Not only are they great at hiding, but they can survive even the harshest and most thorough at-home treatments. This is why it’s best to call a professional right away since pest control companies have tons of experience with eliminating bed bugs efficiently.

The biggest risk of trying at-home treatments is that you’ll be giving the bed bugs more time to reproduce, which makes treating the infestation harder. In addition, humans can develop an allergy to bed bugs over time. If you keep receiving more bites, your body can start experiencing more severe reactions, such as blisters, hives, or even difficulty breathing.

Does Your Home Show Signs of Bed Bugs?

Although it’s unnerving to think about bed bugs calling your house their home, it’s important to educate yourself on the symptoms of an infestation. As long as you stay calm and get professional help immediately, you’ll be able to keep your house clean and safe.

If you’ve discovered bed bugs or any other unwelcome pest in your home, Official Pest Prevention would love to help you with any job. Contact us to learn more about our services, our available specials, and to schedule your free inspection today.