With over 30 years of experience eradicating bed bugs from homes and businesses in upstate New York, EnviroPest has become the trusted pest control service in Saratoga County. We pride ourselves on safe, organic-based, pest control that families and business owners can trust time and time again.
Saratoga County Pest Control
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Give us a call at the first sign of bed bugs in your home. In all our years of servicing the Saratoga community we haven’t found a bed bug job that we haven’t been able to solve. Every situation is different, so be build a solution tailored to your specific needs. Often this allows us to exterminate bed bugs on the first shot. But sometimes we need to keep at it with multiple applications. That’s just the unfortunate way treatment works as bed bugs can be hard to get rid of.
Since we offer a long warranty on our Saratoga services, you can rest easy knowing that we won’t stop until the bed bugs are gone.
Bed Bug Eradication Tips For Saratoga Home Owners
It takes a while to sit down and read information about bed bugs. The truth is most people are less interested in learning about bed bugs, or understanding how they got them, they want to know how to get rid of bed bugs. So, let’s walk through what it takes to have a bed bug free home.
Jump to A Section
- Facts about bed bugs
- How to identify bed bugs
- DIY vs a professional exterminator
- Assessing the infestation and coming up with a plan
- Preparing for extermination
- How to exterminate bed bugs
- What to do after treatment
How to Get Rid Of Bed Bugs | Bed Bug Exterminator Saratoga Guide
More than likely, you got here because you noticed bed bug bites (see what they look like). Even though each bed bug situation is unique, it’s important to remember one thing: the biology is always the same. As someone who has worked in the pest control industry for decades, the one thing you learn from experience is that you can count on the pest’s habit, behavior, and instincts. Understand how your enemy thinks and you will find your game plan. Pest control is no different. Let’s understand some quick bed bug facts so we can answer how to get rid of bed bugs.
Important Facts About Bed Bugs
- These pests are nocturnal meaning they only come out in the dark or at night.
- Bed Bugs are almost invisible to the naked eye until about the 4th stage of development.
- Their bites are almost impossible to detect or feel because they have anesthetic compounds in their saliva.
Step One: Identify
Let’s talk about how to look for bed bugs. I can’t stress enough how this should be done with diligence. Take your time and go slow. You will not find anything in the early weeks and months of an infestation. Remember that bed bugs are almost invisible to the naked eye. Well, that poses a specific problem when looking for them.
It is easier after bed bugs have taken a blood meal, but the eggs and the first three stages of development are almost impossible to see without some type of magnification. Take out your cell phone and download a magnifying app or get a magnifying glass. Put on some calming music and check the following places:
Where To Look For Bed Bugs
- Look in the seams of the mattress and box spring or around the mattress tags
- Check in the bed frame and headboard – check the cracks and crevices
- Review all baseboards and trim or any cracks in the walls or wood trim
- Inspect and take apart the entire couch
- Peek in every furniture joint and seam
- Open electrical outlets inside and out
- Peel and look behind wallpaper
- Pop and check pictures, posters and paintings, and anything hanging on the walls
- Baseboard heaters or radiators can be a big issue as well – check where pipes or electric go into the walls
Look for These Bed Bug Signs:
- Live bed bugs, which are reddish and about ¼-inch long (view our size guide)
- Dark spots about the size of a period — these are bed bug droppings
- Reddish stains on your mattress from bugs that have been crushed
- Small, pale yellow eggs, eggshells, and yellowish skins that young bed bugs shed
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Step Two: Control
If you are reading this section you most likely found signs of bed bugs. At this point you have some choices to make. Before you decide on the Do It Yourself (DIY) process and you start spending money or throwing out furniture remember, its important to consider why you might want to hire a professional exterminator.
- You don’t have a steamer and other needed tools which can greatly add to the cost
- Treating yourself may not solve the problem and you will have to hire a professional in the future
- You are not trained in the proper techniques and could impose health risks to your family and pets
- There’s no warranty to a DIY project. You will be left to foot the bill over an over until you solve the problem. Most professional pest control companies guarantee a pest free home.
No matter what you choose, the next step will be assessing the extent of the infestation.
Assess | Step Three: How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs In Your Home
Figure out what rooms you believe are infested and come up with a plan. Be sure to assume infestation and be aware that living rooms, couches and recliners can be concerning areas.
QUICK WARNING: Per Room Scam – This is when you get scammed by the per room guys. There are a few bed bug pest control companies in the area that charge per room. 4 bedrooms and adjacent rooms are usually more than a whole house contract and then they guarantee just the room so it works out for them because they can just charge every time they come back. I never understood why someone wouldn’t want to treat every area possible on the first application and do it right the first time. But hey, if you can get people to believe it’s only $149.00 for bed bugs then you can get your foot in the door and their wallets.
Vacuum like you’ve never vacuumed before. Start with the cracks and crevices. Take apart the bed and pull the mattress up. Look under baseboards and vacuum the curtains. Remember that the bed bug eggs, and bed bug nymphs, are practically invisible so it will feel like a pointless endeavor. Once you finish vacuuming, do it again.
Once you’re done with vacuuming the bed bug eggs and looking for adults start bagging up all the linens. Take these right to the washer and dryer and anything you can’t fit take to the garage or put outside in a bag. If you’re not going to use anything in the next 6 months, seal the bag and leave it. Any bed bugs inside will die after 6 months so save yourself the hassle. Go through the room and start the process of throwing out anything you don’t need.
If the furniture is getting thrown out be sure to destroy or label it to avoid someone else picking it up off the street or out of the garbage and getting your infestation. You know what they will have to go through. Place a mattress cover over your mattress. Be sure it’s a bed bug approved mattress cover. Check out covers and order them for every mattress in the house.
Step Four: Prepare
To prepare for bed bug treatment, move all furniture a foot away from the wall. Make sure you take apart and remove all the drawers of the dresser. Be aware once you spray you need to seal off the area and probably leave the home regardless of the chemical you have decided to spray.
Step Five:
Option 1 Spray
There is some concern about what type of chemical we are going to use. We use adulticide and we use an insect growth regulator (IGR). These will get rid of the eggs and reproductive cycles happening to insects with complete life cycles. Unfortunately, these products are restricted and only for use by a registered company and technician in New York State. I will tell you that I get a lot of calls for people that are desperate to find out what products to use.
A lot of folks ask about Crossfire or other products and if we can sell them something. We can’t sell it and products like Crossfire used to be available through amazon, but they were moving pesticides across state lines illegally so that whole thing has stopped. Guess what, there is a reason the products are restricted for use by the public.
Types of products used to treat bed bugs
- Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most common chemicals for bed bugs. There has been resistance to them so be aware it may not work.
- Pyrroles like chlorfenapyr kill bedbugs disrupting their cells.
- Neonicotinoids damage the bugs’ nervous system. are man-made versions of nicotine. The answer to the resistant bed bugs.
- Dessicants destroy the bed bugs’ protective coating. Two examples of dessicants are silica aerogel (Tri-Die and CimeXa) and diatomaceous earth. These products can take a few months to kill off all the bugs.
- Foggers or bug bombs kill bed bugs, but they can’t get into cracks and crevices where these bugs hide. They can also be toxic to humans if you use them incorrectly. Read the label carefully. Leave the room before you set off a fogger. Don’t burn your house down!
- Plant oil-based products like EcoRaider or Bed Bug Patrolare less toxic than chemical insecticides, reviews are always great online but they have a hard time getting rid of eggs cycles and nymphs.
Happy hunting but be aware the word guaranteed is thrown around a lot. Also READ THE LABEL, there is nothing worse than going to a home or talking with someone that has kids or pets and hearing that they over sprayed and just used the stuff like its water. Don’t put your family at risk or exposure. Overapplication is pointless and a health risk that’s worse than the bed bug problem or bed bug troubles you had in the first place.
Option 2 Steam
Remember to buy a steamer because steaming is hard without one. Make sure it’s a unit that can reach 115 degrees and start steaming every square inch of the entire room and all the target rooms. Then do it again. Don’t miss a spot. Be sure your clothing is getting washed in hot water and the dryer will kill bed bugs even without washing from the heat. Be sure to run on the heat cycle! Use this checklist when steaming:
- Steam and wash any fabric in the room that isn’t going through the washer / dryer – Stuffed animals, drapes, etc.
- Steam the entire baseboard, room and cracks and crevices in the entire room and target rooms
- Take bed apart and be sure to steam the entire bed
- Remove all drawers and steam inside and outside of dresser; Turn upside down
- Don’t forget about the closets – be sure there is nothing in the closets
- Steam like you’ve never steamed before
Step Six: Monitor & Reapply
Ok, so this is where the patience kicks in. I would sleep somewhere else for a few days and give the product a chance to work. Keep in mind when moving anything back into the room that you have about a 25% chance that you have killed them. This is just a percentage that I use after dealing with bed bug extermination for over 10 years. There is no statistic on the success rate of individuals. Most people aren’t excited to share their Saratoga bed bug problem with their friends. Before moving back in do another inspection.
Step Seven: Call Enviropest
If you’ve gotten here you are either looking for another way to kill bed bugs or are deciding whether or not to call a pro. Remember these are just some guidelines and some ways to go through the standard process. Whatever you choose for your Saratoga bed bug problem, we wish you the best and please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns.
(518) 503-4800
TOLL FREE – (855) 438-3684
*Available 24 Hours 7 Days A Week
Who Are We? BED BUG EXTERMINATORS IN SARATOGA!
EnviroPest is a Saratoga pest control company that has served the local community for over 30 years. We have handled over 300,000 problems for customers over the years, and above all remain dedicated to our local community. Our staff and personal touch have made us the largest locally owned company in Saratoga and we are grateful every day to be a part of this wonderful community and its pocket towns.
ABOUT ME: Being in the pest control industry for over 30 years, sometimes it feels like we have seen it all. I feel a passion in sharing our pest feedback, tips and making your lives healthier. Feel free to give me a call directly at our office and let me know if I can help you, your family or your business with any Saratoga, NY pest control needs.
Office – (518) 503-4800
Call Today! (855) GET-ENVIRO
If you discover any signs of bed bugs in your home, contact EnviroPest for immediate relief. Our certified team is educated in the most advanced bed bug protocols and equipped with the state-of-the-art resources necessary for complete eradication of these pests. We’re the exterminators NY trusts and we look forward to discussing your issue.
