Marlborough
Bed Bug Control

Nobody likes bed bugs. You can encounter them nearly anywhere from travel, staying at hotels, getting used furniture, to even hospitals. Not to worry you say? You are just a bookworm? Well, unfortunately, even libraries are having to keep an eye out for bed bugs hitchhiking a ride on the Dewey Decimal System. Marlborough is no stranger to international travel, so we have to be on the lookout. Marlborough bed bug control starts with awareness and vigilance and ends with you saving your bugs for other parasites…..like mosquitoes.

Bed bugs are parasitic in nature and feed off the blood of a host. A host can range from humans to several other mammals however, the common bed bug prefers humans. Over time, the different species of bed bugs have adapted to have very specific tastes. Bat bugs like bats. Swallow bugs like swallows. You get the drift. Back to the common bed bug, Marlborough homes and businesses are a perfect place once they find a host to seek shelter and breed.

Whether inspecting for bed bugs in your home or business or checking out a hotel room before you settle in, Marlborough bed bug control inspections should look for:

• Cast Skins – when bed bugs grow from one instar (nymphal growth stage) to the next, they molt and leave behind their old exoskeleton.
• Live Bugs
• Eggs – look for small oval off-white to cream color eggs typically stashed in protective cracks and crevices
• Fecal Droppings – these look like small pepper flakes and may be found in mattress or other furniture seams, or construction joints
• Blood Smears – these are the least sure item, but they can be indicators to look deeper. Bed bugs often get squished by people reacting in their sleep or simply rolling over at just the right time.

Skin reactions – The most common reaction to bed bugs is small red legions on your skin around 2-5mm in size however they can be as large as 2cm. Typically you will see more bites around portions of your body exposed in your bed(not under your covers). For most people, the bites are not harmful. So far there has been very little evidence of systemic disease spread by bed bug bites. Keep in mind that not everyone reacts to bed bug bites.

Psychological implications – In cases of severe psychological reactions, the host can experience anxiety, stress, and sleeping issues. In some cases, the development of refractory delusional parasitosis can happen, as a person develops an obsession with bed bugs. The delusory parasitosis can even happen in the absence of bed bugs.

Anemia – These parasites only consume a very small amount of blood, however, if an infestation is severe enough anemia can occur. This can also be the case if there are underlying health conditions exacerbated by bed bugs.

Bed bugs are known for their resistance to chemicals commonly used. Marlborough bed bug control should use a combination of tools such as:

• thorough inspection
• accurate species identification
• pit fall and other bed bug traps
• bed bug certified mattress and furniture encasements
• bed bug lures to enhance trap effectiveness
• chemical controls in accordance with label
• heat treatment – bed bugs (in all life stages) are susceptible to temperatures in excess of 130 degrees Fahrenheit
• Freezing – some items are easier to freeze than heat. Keep in mind this is cryogenic freezing and not just opening the window during a snowstorm. Your pipes are likely to freeze before bed bugs would die.

Controlling bed bugs is a task typically left to the professionals. They are master hitchhikers (the bed bugs, not the professionals) and very difficult to eliminate due to their size (think watermelon seed), prolific breeding, and ability to hide in hard-to-treat places (sometimes they hide inside of alarm clocks or other electronics). Marlborough bed bug control should incorporate the bed bug pros at Rove Pest Control.