Dec 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
The holiday season is a busy time for travel. People visiting family or taking holiday trips…it is a fun and exciting time. But there are precautions to take when traveling. Bed bugs have made a comeback in recent years and are a real concern for travelers. Not only are they a concern for while on a trip but bringing them home can cause thousands of dollars and loss of sleep.
But this shouldn’t discourage people from traveling. With knowledge and diligence, you can protect yourself and your home from bed bugs.
Tips for Avoiding Bed Bugs While Traveling:
- Research the hotel. If staying in a hotel do your research by reading reviews on the website and visiting The Bed Bug Registry. The Bed Bug Registry is a free, public database where people report bed bug infestations across the US and Canada.
- Keep luggage off of bed and floor. Place your luggage on a luggage rack, bathroom floor, or balcony when you enter the room. Placing it on the bed or carpet could give present bed bugs easy access to your luggage.
- Inspect your bed. Check the headboard, foot board, mattress, sheets, pillows, and comforter for little bugs or dark red or brown spots that mark a trail. Check seams and corners closely and the box springs. If you see scurrying, dead bugs, or dark colored trails, notify the hotel management immediately.
- Inspect your room. Check sofas and chairs, or other places that bed bugs could be found.
- If you find bed bugs after you’ve slept in the room, notify hotel management right away. They should launder all of your clothing and give you a new room immediately.
Preventing bed bugs from making their way home with you:
- Unpack your bag in the garage or on a hard, light colored surface. Do not unpack on the bed or carpet. This will allow you to see any bed bugs if they scurry out of your bag.
- Wash and dry all clothes as soon as possible on hot.
- Vacuum your suitcase.
- Although it’s unusual for bed bugs to travel on a person, shower before you sleep in your own bed.
If you suspect that bed bugs have made their way into your home, there is a solution. Northwest Exterminating has a dedicated team of experts that specialize in the treatment of bed bugs. Call the Mouse to get rid of bed bugs in your house.
Aug 17, 2012 | Bed Bug
So long are the days of only having to worry that your kids may get head lice in school…you can now add bed bugs to that list. You’ve heard about the risk of bed bugs when returning back to college but now bed bugs are popping up in elementary, middle, and high schools.
Bed bugs are making their way into schools through back packs. And while they can’t be transferred from person to person, they can be transferred from back pack to back pack.
The good news is that bed bugs are NOT a sanitation issue and they do not carry diseases. Bed bugs are not a sign of a dirty home but they are very difficult to get rid of.
If you are notified that there may be a chance that your child’s back pack has been infested do not panic…there are things you can do to ensure that they are not brought into your home.
- Do not bring the back pack, or other items brought from school, inside your home.
- Immediately wash and dry your child’s clothing.
- Empty out the back pack and run it in the dryer on high heat for 45 minutes to kill any bugs.
- Check your child’s skin for bites. If you notice bites, call a professional exterminator. A professional can inspect your home for bed bugs. If you do have bed bugs in your home they will be able to treat in an effective and efficient manner.
For more information on bed bugs visit the Georgia Department of Public Heath: http://www.health.state.ga.us/epi/zvbd/infest/index.asp
Jul 30, 2012 | Bed Bug, Pest Control
It’s a rite of passage for many college students to be on their own in a dorm or apartment. Parents go to inspect the new place of residency, making sure all is safe. But is it really safe? Dorm room bed bug problems are becoming increasingly more prevalent.
Bed bugs are small insects that are brown to reddish brown in color and broadly oval and flat in shape. Bed bugs harbor in cracks and crevices during the day and come out to feed at night. They prefer to feed on humans but will feed on other warm blooded animals. Typically, they can be found around mattresses, in box springs or their coverings, and in any crevice of a wooden bed frame, such as where members join. Before students move ANY of their belongings into their new home, they should check in and around wall hangings such as picture frames, night stands, stuffed furniture, baseboards, floorboard cracks, behind loose wallpaper, light switches, door and window frames, conduits, etc. Also check mattress covers for small, brownish stains. It would be wise to purchase mattress and box spring encasings as a precaution.
Bed bugs can be introduced into a structure via used furniture, clothing, boxes, suitcases, or other goods that are moved from residence to residence. Keep this in mind when your kids come home from college to visit. Make sure to check bags and boxes thoroughly before they enter your home.
Bed bugs are most active at night and bite any exposed areas of skin while an individual is sleeping. The face, neck, hands, and arms are common sites for bed bug bites. The bite itself is painless and is not noticed. Small, flat, or raised bumps on the skin are the most common sign; redness, swelling, and itching commonly occur. If scratched, the bite areas can become infected. A peculiarity of bed bug bites is the tendency to find several bites lined up in a row. Infectious disease specialists refer to this as the “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” sign signifying the sequential feeding that occurs from site to site.
Getting rid of bed bugs is not an easy process and most cases of bed bug infestations will require treatment by a pest control expert. If bed bugs are suspected in a dorm room, contact the RA (Residential Adviser) immediately and make sure that they use a pest control expert like Northwest Exterminating.
Do you have a child going off to college this year?
Apr 13, 2012 | Mosquito, Pest Control, Termite Control
The early spring has brought pests out in full force and we suspect that they will not be slowing down anytime soon. Not only are bugs annoying but they’re a health concern as well.
- West Nile Virus, Encephalitis, dog heartworm – mosquitoes
- Lyme disease – ticks
- Rabies – rodents
- Allergies & Asthma – cockroaches
- Food Contamination – cockroaches, mice/rats
- Salmonella – cockroaches, house flies
- Skin irritation and rashes – lice, fleas, bed bugs, mites
- Venomous bites & stings (that can be accompanied by severe or life threatening reactions) – black widow, brown recluse, scorpion, snakes
- Painful stings (that can be accompanied by severe or life threatening reactions) – fire ants, yellow jackets, hornets, wasps
Pests can carry diseases and cause areas to be unsanitary. These are issues of concern for both homes and businesses. Even the cleanest homes can have bug problems in an environment like this. Carpenter bees, mosquitoes, ants, yellow jackets, silverfish, and other pests have recently been invading properties. If you’re in the Atlanta, Columbus, Savannah, or Nashville area, call Northwest Exterminating. Our NorPest Green program was developed exclusively by Northwest Exterminating to get rid of pests using the lowest environmental impact possible. A Northwest representative will develop a customized plan to target those pests while maintaining the health of your home.
We are strategically placed throughout Georgia and Tennessee to service all areas of Georgia as well as parts of Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina. Visit us online or call 888.466.7849 to find the location nearest you.
Apr 2, 2012 | Mosquito, Pest Control
Spring is here and so are the pests. We’ve talked a lot about the unusually warm weather leading to higher numbers of pest sightings and our Ask the Mouse section on our website has been a great place for readers to ask questions about pests they are seeing. Mosquitoes, bed bugs, and carpenter bees are among some of the common household pests that are being seen this spring. Take a look below at some of our most common recent questions.
Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others?
Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and can sense it from up to 30 yards away. Researchers are still trying to find out exactly what it is that makes some people more attractive than others. Research has indicated that the amount of carbon dioxide in the breath, pregnancy, body temperature, alcohol and odorant markers based on blood type are the top attractants. Pregnant women are preferable because they exhale more carbon dioxide and tend to run a little warmer than the average person. It is also thought that alcohol increases body heat making a person more appealing. So be careful who you hang around at the next cook out.
My son’s coming home from college. What do I need to do to make sure he doesn’t bring home bed bugs?
Bed bugs are evasive and hard to detect. When your son brings home his clothes, make sure to leave them outside, in a detached building or in the garage. Immediately place the dirty clothes in the washing machine and dry them on high for at least 10 minutes. It is best to keep the luggage out of the house if possible. If you don’t have that option you can place the luggage in black plastic bags and leave them outside in the sun on a hot day. You can also do this with furniture. Bed bugs won’t tolerate temperatures greater than 120 degrees. Since bed bugs are tiny and can get into the smallest cracks, it is best to have a professional to inspect furniture and other items before you bring them into your house.
I found sawdust on my back porch. Does that mean I have termites?
Termites eat the cellulose part of the wood and don’t leave behind sawdust. Chances are you have a different pest, one of the most common is the carpenter bees. Carpenter bees get their name because they excavate clean round entrance holes, close to ½ inch wide, into soft wood such as pine, cedar, cypress and fir. The prefer to attack structural timbers and other wood products such as fascia boards, porch ceilings, decks, railings, siding, shutters, firewood, and other weathered wood. They tend to avoid wood that is well painted or covered in bark. They do not eat the wood therefore they leave behind the sawdust. They bore into wood to make galleries for nesting. If left untreated, they can cause extensive damage.
What other questions do you have for Northwest Exterminating’s Ask The Mouse section?
Have you seen mosquitoes, bed bugs, carpenter bees, or other pests in or around your home?
