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How to Identify, Prevent and Treat Bed Bugs | Bed Bug Awareness Week

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler
how to identify bed bugs

Bed bugs are an increasingly common problem in Texas. And summer just makes it worse. As we plan our vacations and get ready for adventure, there are some tiny travelers that want to hitch a ride. For Bed Bug Awareness Week (June 3-9, 2018), learn the tips and tricks for identifying, treating and preventing bed bugs.

Luckily, with some knowledge and quick action, you can identify and treat your bed bug problem and prevent an infestation.

Continue reading to learn about:

  1. Bed bugs, what they look like and how they thrive
  2. Bed bug prevention
  3. How to treat bed bugs if they do occur
  4. Working with a pest control professional

What Are Bed Bugs?

While not completely microscopic, bed bugs (cimex lectularius) are still extremely hard to spot. Bed bugs are very small, wingless insects with a flat, reddish body. Like mosquitoes, they feast on human blood. Because of this, one of their absolute favorite places is bed and … Read Full Post »

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Bed Bugs in Your Home, Practical Tips for Uncovering Them

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler
Bed Bugs in your home

Here at ABC Home & Commercial, November is our peak time for bed bug treatment. Every summer vacations are taken, leaving travelers like you at risk of bed bugs in your home with them. Bed bugs become very active in the late summer and fall before it cools down for winter. By the time November rolls around, they have been enjoying the hot humid North Texas summer for a few months.

Bed bugs don’t discriminate. They will live just about anywhere and bite anyone. Anyone who has slept where other people have slept before could get bed bugs. Even the nicest 5-star hotels are susceptible to infestations. The best way to prevent bed bugs is to check for them anytime you travel before you come home.

How Do You Get Bed Bugs in Your Home?

Bed bugs usually travel place to place by latching onto clothing or luggage after you have … Read Full Post »

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How You Get Bed Bugs

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station
how you get bed bugs

The last line from a children’s rhyme,“Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” can become all too real when bed bugs infest your home. Bed bugs are becoming more common as populations grow, travel increases and the bed bugs spread to new areas. Learn how you get bed bugs and what you can do to prevent them. 

How You Get Bed Bugs

You may have only heard of bed bugs from the children’s rhyme, or from recent new reports about bed bug infestations in cities across the country. It may not seem like a big problem, but several U.S. governmental agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), have declared bed bugs as a public health concern, even though bed bugs do not spread disease the way ticks and mosquitoes do.

So, what should you know about these pests? Where do they live? … Read Full Post »

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Where Do Bed Bugs Hide On Your Body?

. Posted by in • Orlando
where do bed bugs hide on your body

Bed bugs. Chances are good that you’ve heard of them or even had a friend who ran in with these pests that love to bite humans, feeding on their blood and leaving an itchy, painful rash behind. For most of us, the idea of bed bugs sends a shiver of fear up the spine, yet many people don’t know much about this insect, its habitat, or its habits.

Can you find bed bug eggs in hair, and can these pests live on clothing or our body? Do they fly or cause diseases? And how difficult are they to get rid of once they’ve invaded your living space? The more you know about bed bugs, the better you can protect yourself and your home from a bed bug infestation.

A common question homeowners ask is, “Where do bed bugs hide on your body?” Let’s address this query first. Bed bugs hide primarily during … Read Full Post »

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Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?

. Posted by in • Orlando
how do you get bed bugs

Bed bugs are on the rise across the country. Although these tiny, reddish-brown parasites have always been a common pest, experts believe that the increased ease of air travel and the outlawing of strong insecticides have allowed their numbers to surge again. Where do bed bugs come from, and what attracts them? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you get these pests out of your home – for good.

Where do bed bugs come from?

Bed bugs were once thought to have medicinal properties and were initially documented in the first century. Once confined to the tropics, these parasites moved with humans, so they can now be found across the globe. The spread of bed bugs is also linked to the fact that the animals are resilient since they can survive for long periods without food. Bed bugs are prolific, and the animals can mate with close relatives – even … Read Full Post »

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What do Bats have to do with Bed Bugs?

. Posted by in , • Austin
Where do bed bugs come from?

 

What would you say if we told you bed bugs come from bats? Seems crazy; shocking even! We know. But as unbelievable as it sounds—it’s true. The bloodsucking bed bug’s origins do in fact, trace back to bats.

Our team at ABC Home & Commercial may know a thing or two about bed bugs, but we realize that many of our neighbors here in Austin aren’t so in tune with this headache-causing pest.

Whether you’ve dealt with a bed bug infestation in the past, or have yet to encounter the creepy crawlers in your home, understanding where the pests come from and why they’re in your home is your best bet for keeping your home safe.

Let’s take a look together at how and why such tiny creatures can create such a big problem.

Historical Figures

According to a study conducted at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, scientist found that bats were the first ancestral … Read Full Post »

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Bed Bugs Be Gone! Checklist to Prepare for Treatment Success.

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
how to kill bed bugs

As a new homeowner, the last thing you want to think about is a bed bug infestation. And hopefully, you won’t need to. But in a big city like San Antonio where bed bugs (and pests in general) are prevalent, it’s best to be prepared for any situation.

Bed bugs spread easily and most commonly found in spaces where people sleep or spend the majority of their time, like homes, hospitals, schools, and hotels. Their small size allows them to go unnoticed; it’s the red, itchy bites they leave behind that reveal their camouflage. But despite their tiny size, bed bugs can cause a big headache—and an even bigger problem if left untreated.

Here at ABC San Antonio, we take great strides to ensure your home is bed bug-free after just one of our Heat Remediation treatments. And while our experts can take on any challenge, you’ll have to do your part … Read Full Post »

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Vacation Season is Bed Bug Season

. Posted by in • San Antonio
bed bug season

There is a bed bug “season” after all.

Schools out for summer and many families are ready to head out for the busiest travel season of the year. We are all for bringing home vacation souvenirs. But there’s one thing we hope all our customers can avoid this summer: Bed bugs.

Most of us never imagine that we’ll pick up dreaded bedbugs and bring them into our homes after a trip to the beach. Prevalent in the pre-WWII era, bed bugs were nearly wiped off the map in the 1950’s due to increased use of pesticides and better hygiene.

They’ve made a comeback starting in the early 2000’s, with a widely publicized epidemic after the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Authorities claim the reasons for the surge in bed bugs are varied – population increases in cities, the ease of global mobility, and pesticide resistance all bare some responsibility.

How do you get bed bugs after a … Read Full Post »

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Are Bed Bugs Resistant to Pesticide?

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station
how to kill bed bugs

Bed bugs are a painful nuisance, and can be tough to eradicate in your living space. Below we’ll examine what bed bugs are, what they need to survive, and how you can get rid of them if you’re unlucky enough to have them in your home.

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are small bugs about the size of an apple seed, and may either appear flat or rounded depending on when they had their last meal. They can look like ticks, but don’t attach to the skin. They are nocturnal, and can be difficult to find during the day, when they hide in crevices, within floorboards, and under cushions. Their bites commonly cause itchy welts or rashes, and can leave a trail of bites across the skin.

When trying to determine whether or not bed bugs are the cause of your bites (that can also be mosquitoes, fleas, spiders, or other insect … Read Full Post »

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Bed Bugs: They Spread Like Wildfire

. Posted by in • San Antonio
bed bugs can infest any home in Texas

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 … Read Full Post »

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