Bed Bug Pesticide

First the good news: nature seems to be on your side. Bed bugs are not known to carry any diseases transmittable to mammals. Additionally, studies indicate that these nasty parasites prefer the blood of humans to those of household pets. This means that the health risks to your dogs or cats are relatively low.

However, that doesn't mean that your pets are immune. When humans aren't an available menu option, bed bugs will feed on the blood of other mammals. They can also use pets to hitch a ride and spread to a new location.

Here are a few tips on keeping your furriest family members safe.

Prevention: The Best Defense

You can save yourself the headaches of dealing with a bed bug infestation by taking some preventative measures.

There are some pet medications that protect cats and dogs from bed bugs (in addition to the usual ticks and fleas). If your pet is currently on meds, be sure to check the label. If it doesn't list bed bugs among the pests it protects against, assume that it doesn't repel them.

Perhaps the best way to protect your pets is to protect your home. One of the easiest things to do? Open the curtains and windows. Bed bugs hate fresh air and sunlight, so let in as much as you can. Making your bed in the morning will also help circulate air through your sheets, as well as let you check for any signs of an infestation.

Beyond the bed, make sure to vacuum at least every two days, keep clothing off the floor, and tend to dirty laundry promptly and often. Most importantly, keep your dog or cat off the bed - their fur will attract bed bugs to the mattress like a magnet.

What To Do If You Have an Infestation

If you see bites on your pet, inspect them closely. Bed bug bites are tough to distinguish from the marks of other insects, but they are usually small, red, and appear in a line instead of scattered. If you're not sure, check your linens (and your pet's bedding) for small spots of blood, feces, or shed skins the bugs may have left behind. If the results are still uncertain, take your pet to a veterinarian.

If you do find hard evidence of bed bugs, gather the linens in a plastic bag for transport, and then empty the bag into your laundry machine. Wash and dry at the highest temperature setting.

It's also a good idea to call a pest control service if you suspect your home has bed bugs. A professional exterminator can provide a thorough examination of your house and take the necessary steps if you do have a problem. But when making an action plan, be sure the exterminator knows you are a pet owner, so that no harmful pesticides or chemicals are used. Don't forget this, because bed bug extermination often requires more than one visit.

In the end, knowledge is your best weapon against bed bugs. Knowing what to do will save you lots of mental energy. With these tips in mind, you can keep dog tails wagging, cats purring, and safely cuddle up to your pets without worry.

Tim Taylor, President of Heritage Pest Control in Randolph, MA, is an expert in pest control, with more than 20 years of education and experience in residential and commercial pest control. Tim has an extensive background in entomology, and is a member of the National and New England Pest Management Associations and the Randolph Chamber of Commerce. Tim is also a 29-year member of the National Guard and is active in national and community activities including Pop Warner Football. Heritage Pest Control serves the greater Boston area including the suburbs of Brookline, Cambridge, Brighton, Allston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree and Canton. For more information, or to contact Tim, visit the Heritage Pest Control website at http://heritagepestcontrol.net or call 781-986-0701.

Fleas are a very cultured insect. They can live where ever they have a blood host to feed off of, either animal or man. They live on both wild and domestic animals. Some have a preference host, but any blood host will keep them fed. Fleas will get on your animals and catch a ride into your home. Once in your home they will quickly multiply. The fleas infest your furniture, bedding and carpets. When you are walking, sitting, or sleeping they attack you leaving groups of bites on your body.

Flea bites tend to be grouped together, because the flea tends stays in one area for random feeding. The most commonly found on your legs and ankles, because they jump from the floor to your legs. However, if they are on furniture the bites can also be found on your face and arms. Most flea bites are small red firm bumps. Some bites get small or large blisters in the middle of the bumps. They tend to be very itchy, especially to those that are sensitive. Young children and sensitive adults tend to react to flea bites with the large blisters. As with other insects fleas can be attracted to some people more so than others.

Getting rid of these gregarious insects is not an easy task. The pesticide bombs and sprays sold in stores for the do it yourself approach are not effective and require a tremendous amount of work. Most sprays and bombs require you to wash all fabric, kitchen ware, and any surfaces once the treatment is complete. Once you have treated your home and washed every surface of its contents and give your pet's flea treatments, nothing is more frustrating than finding that the fleas still share your humble abode and continue to feast on your ankles. Most of the home treatments do not kill the flea eggs. When you think the fleas have been exterminated and your home is safe, a few days later the flea eggs hatch. Then to your surprise, you find more flea bites on your legs from the new generation.

To get rid of the flea bite problem in your home you need to hire a professional pest control service and take your animals to be professionally treated. This is the most efficient way to rid your home of these pesky critters that continue to leave flea bites on you and your pets. An expert pest control service can evaluate your individual flea bite problem and provide you with a quick safe solution that will guarantee your flea bite issue is gone for good.

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There are several species of bed bugs that have shown a growing tendency to be resistant to the front line of commercially available pesticides, therefore for most infestations it takes a multi-step approach to reach your objectives and reclaim the bed from the insects. The first thing that should be known is that bed bugs are attracted to areas where they can hide until the night falls and it is time to feed. This can include crevices, cracks in the bed frame, and the area inside the mattress and the box spring of the bed. Therefore it is vital to inspect any such areas for signs of the bugs, and if they are found, it is necessary to clean the areas thoroughly, preferably by vacuuming. You should also perform an inspection of any luggage or clothing that may be harboring rogue insects, as an infestation can quickly reoccur if there are any bugs left in the house after the eradication process.

After having found out the extent of the infestation, the real work can begin. Any bedding should be removed and washed in hot water for no less than 30 minutes, and then dried completely on high heat. While the bedding is off, you should also treat the mattress, box spring and bed frame with a powerful insecticide to kill the bed bugs that have worked their way into these areas. After having done that, you can return the sheets and comforters to the bed, and you will be able to sleep soundly, knowing the bugs have been completely removed from the room.

As an expert, Whitney writes articles on various types of pest control. This article will help you know how to implement a do-it-yourself system at home to eradicate bed bugs. It can be tricky, but not if you know which professional grade products to use.