Bed Bug Control Experts In Oklahoma City
Get Rid of Bed Bugs Fast!
Bed Bug Control is becoming one of our most requested pest services. We have never talked with anyone happy to find bed bugs, but they were delighted when we got rid of them. Bobbi Ray’s Termite and Pest Control OKC are experts in locating, identifying, and eliminating bed bugs from your home. Don’t start throwing out beds and furniture; call us first. Our heat treatment using the newest technology available ensures complete elimination.
Traditional methods we use for more minor infestations with guaranteed satisfaction. All our products are family and pet safe. Do you have bed bugs? Give us a call at 405-887-2685, and we can help. Learn more about identifying bed bugs and what you can do below.
How To Identify Bed Bugs
What Bed Bugs Look Like
- Bed bugs are tiny and are hard to identify
- Adult bed bugs are brown in color
- After 10 minutes of feeding on blood, their color ranges from red to dark brown
- Bed bugs are oval in shape (see photo)
- Adult sizes are 4 to 7 mm in length
- Nymphs (young bed bugs) are translucent white or yellowish until they feed
What are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are insects that feed on human blood during the night. Their bites have a variety of health impacts, such as skin rashes, allergy symptoms, and psychological stress.
The effects of bed bug bites range from redness to visible blisters. Small in size and brownish or red in color, their oval body shape changes when they feed. However, bed bugs tend to smell and turn darker brown or red after feeding for a few minutes.
The Life Cycle of a Bed Bug
Female bed bugs lay eggs in cracks along the seams in fabric on sofas, beds, and other furniture people use often. The adult female will lay 200-250 eggs on average during the two to four months. Bed bugs eggs hatch in six to ten days.
The nymph will feed on blood immediately after hatching. In the beginning, the nymph is white or pale yellowish in color. As it goes through five molts, it eventually becomes an adult bed bug. Each molt sheds its exoskeleton several times. Nymphs must have a blood meal before they can molt, often feeding at least once a day.
Bed bug nymphs can survive a few days or months without a blood meal. On the other hand, adult bed bugs can live up to a year without a blood meal.
Can You Feel a Bed Bug Bite?
You cannot feel a bed bug bite. Although, some people are affected psychologically, believing there are bed bugs biting them. People do not react to bed bug bites in the same way. Some have no reaction at all, while others will have large welts after being bitten. Itching may occur, but the welts are what bothers people the most. Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell the difference between a bed bug and a flea bite, the bites look the same.
Bite Marks
The first sign of a bed bug infestation is bite marks on the skin. Most people are bitten on the arm or leg, occasionally they will bite a person on the stomach or face. Furthermore, even if someone is fully dressed bed bugs will get under the clothing and sheets to feed. However, you can be bitten anywhere on your body. Unfortunately, other insect bites and spider bites look the same. Humans that are allergic to the anesthetic bed bugs injected into the skin prior to feeding will cause swelling and itching.
How to Prevent Bed Bug Infestations
Prevention of bed bugs is far easier than exterminating them in your home. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a list of suggestions for the prevention of bed bugs on its website. We have listed a few below.
- Check second-hand furniture, clothes, and beds for bed bugs before taking them inside.
- Be careful at laundry facilities. Make sure you dry your clothes on hot for at least 1 hour.
- Inspect hotel rooms, bedding, mattresses, box springs, and furniture. You can place your luggage in the bathtub while you check your room.
- Vacuum frequently and dispose of the bag outside the home or office.
Preparing for Bed Bug Treatment
We will give you a list of things you need to do before we arrive. It is essential to complete these steps before we begin treatment. Any bed bugs that survive will reproduce, which in turn, an infestation will begin again. We will help you ensure the area is ready to be treated before beginning. Any clutter or clothing on the floor or in bins can prevent total eradication.
Bed Bug Heat Treatment
Bed bug heat treatment has drastically improved. We operate fans inside the isolated area, raising the temperature to 132 degrees. Raising the temperature with this technology using an electric heater can reduce the time of the treatment. Hot water washing will not kill termites. We recommend drying for one hour on high heat.
Heat Treatment Setup
Setting up heat treatment fans strategically for maximum bed bug eradication is vital. The above photo shows the fans around the infestation’s main source. Prior to beginning the treatment, all bed linens will be removed and washed with hot water.
Using Pesticides in Bed Bug Treatment
Although safe for family and pets, people ask questions about our pesticides. Both compounds available are lethal to bed bugs and flush them out of their hiding places to kill them. The best results using these pesticides include the disassembly of beds to reach seams, box springs, and hiding spots on the bed frames.
Bed Bug Spray Treatment
Bed bug sprays we use are non-repellents because the bug does not know they are there. Non-repellents are transferred from bug to bug with chemical spraying. In addition, they have been proven effective in bed bug exterminator treatments.
Bed bug hiding places can be on any part of the bed. Using a powerful light to ensure complete saturation of the bed (photo right) increases our effectiveness during treatment with pesticide spray.