Bed Bugs: They Spread Like Wildfire

We all know that bed bugs are a nightmare of a hassle. But there are few things the average person doesn’t know about bed bugs.

For example, did you know that you can have bed bugs and not even know it? Sometimes these bugs don’t bite, and even when they do, not all people react to bed bug bites in ways that are visible to the naked eye.

And while bed bugs are found in people’s beds (and other parts of the home), they are not always hiding in or under the mattress.

ABC has been in the integrated pest management business for years. When it comes to truly problematic pests, like bed bugs, we have quite a few stories to tell.

The Case of the Invisible Bed Bug Bites

A couple in a duplex asked for ABC’s help with bed bugs when they realized they had an issue last year. Of course, because the unit is part of a larger duplex, to treat their home, we had to treat their neighbor’s unit as well.

We met with the older gentleman next door who happened to be handicapped, and he was shocked to learn of the bed bug issue. He said this wasn’t an issue for him at all, but he wanted to help in any way that he could. Because we know our bed bugs, we suspected that his unit had an infestation as well. And we were right.

Much to the man’s surprise, he was not reacting to the bed bug bites, but we could clearly see the bugs around his home and in his bed.

We completed a full heat remediation treatment on both sides of the duplex. In the meantime, the man (and his wheelchair) stayed elsewhere. When the treatment was complete, both the couple and the man returned home. When they did, we realized we forgot something!

We knew right away that the man’s wheelchair needed bed bug treatment upon his arrival home. We inspected it and found bugs. We conducted a spot-treatment with chemicals and re-inspected the wheelchair and the man’s belongings. All of the customers had no more bed bug problems after the second treatment.

The problem with bed bugs is that they travel with humans (and their wheelchairs). That is why these pesky insects are so difficult to exterminate.

Bed Bugs Aren’t Microscopic, Just Hard To Find

Another misconception about bed bugs is their size. Bed bugs are very small, but not microscopic, like mites. Adults are about the size of a pinhead. If you know what to look for, you can see them. The real dilemma with these bugs is that they are excellent at hiding, often taking refuge in tiny cracks and crevices in wood and drywall.

One time, a commercial customer who owned an apartment building called us to inspect for bed bugs after lots of complaints form tenants. The apartment manager had called two other pest control companies in San Antonio before trying a third time with ABC. More and more residents were complaining about bugs, which means they were starting to spread. Bed Bugs are a huge problem in San Antonio, where we have new apartment complexes popping up every day to accommodate for our huge population.

There was one apartment unit that we thought might be ground zero for the bed bug infestation. We went in and initially couldn’t find anything in the usual places — in mattress crevices and folds, electrical sockets, and baseboards. The inspector decided to take apart every piece of wood he could.

Finally, our bed bug specialist found what he was looking for. The tenant’s bed frame was full of bed bugs, a massive infestation. We conducted a heat treatment on the entire building, and the apartment manager says there hasn’t been an issue since.

Don’t Wait. Bed Bugs Spread Fast

Bed bugs travel from room to room, unit to unit, and building to building by latching onto people’s clothes and belongings. You’re doing yourself, your tenants, and your neighbors a favor by contacting ABC for bed bug control services.