Bed Bug information: The Good and the Bad and the More Bad.
So you have bed bugs...or at least you think so. Well, your world just ended! Everything you had going for you is now in the rearview and anxiety, worry, sleepless nights, drained bank accounts, bites and all that go with bed bugs are just up ahead.
Now what?
I'll just google it. Here we go "bed bugs"...or "how to kill bed bugs"...or "bed bug exterminators"..."pest control"..."what are bed bugs"..."DIY bed bugs"...
Then with every passing day you search and search, buy more products and within only a couple days or maybe weeks and months, you are now officially out of your mind, an absolute expert on bed bugs (because you saw it on the internet), and several hundred dollars slimmer in your wallet. Low and behold...you still have bed bugs and you are no closer to getting rid of them despite your attempts!
Time to call Total Shield? You bet it is or at least your best local pest control. Which by the way is Total Shield LLC if you are in Maryland or Pennsylvania!
But wait!!! What about bed bug information?
Well here it is, probably 90 percent of products out there DO NOT WORK for bed bugs. It is a sad fact. To top it off, probably 50 percent or more of the information about how to get rid of them is FALSE! Then a good portion of how they behave and what they actually do is just inaccurate as well.
Let's go over a few of the big ones that almost all of my customers bring up. Remember, everyone is an expert because of; "Insert your favorite search engine here" (Bing, Duck Duck Go, Google, Yahoo)
I heard I should put mattress covers (or anything remotely similar) on the bed - One, they do absolutely nothing to get rid of bed bugs. Nothing. They only protect the mattress or help the looks of an old one. Unfortunately, bed bugs live and hide in well, everything. Anything and everything. So your $35-50 investment to cover each box spring and mattress, maybe recommended or even sold by your pest control guy is better spent in the garbage. Just toss the money in the garbage, maybe the disposal or give it directly to the trash guy once a week! If bed bugs only lived on the bed, mattress or box spring, they might work. But 90 percent of all my clients had mattress covers, so if they worked, at all, I don't think my services would have been needed. If you put a cover on, the bed bugs will simply live elsewhere, a lot of times, on the outside of the cover itself. Worthless!
I read that bed bugs hate tree and pure oils and incense and fabric softener sheets - They do hate them, but they like feeding and living more! They deter bed bugs. That is all. However, bed bugs will feed and when they get hungry enough, all the oils, and fabric softener sheets and DIY or "Natural" remedies and sprays are worthless. All the while bed bugs will continue to lay eggs and become more numerous as time goes on and unfortunately so will the days putting up with having these stupid things! Meanwhile, you could get rid of your hard earned cash by burning it in a firepit and at least you'll get some warmth from it!
I saw that Bed Bug spray kits (and there are many!) will kill bed bugs and their eggs - Right. And so you ordered this kit and that kit, this spray and that spray, bed bug bombs and snake oil and remedies galore. Certainly most of those sprays kill on contact. However, the ones you see are just the tip of the iceberg! For every one you see, ten perhaps hundreds of bed bugs are hiding elsewhere. They can keep a massive population down a bit, but you'll never get rid of them. If you feel like wasting money this is definitely a good way! Read more about why this is the case here Why Does Heat Kill Bed Bugs Better Than Sprays (totalshieldllc.com).
My neighbor told me this stuff called Ditimtis, Dimondaticious earth, Daltimence powder - what the heck is it? - Right...it's called "Diatomaceous Earth". Yes it can work on bed bugs, or in theory it can anyway. It works by scratching the fragile exoskeleton and dehydrating the bug when it crosses over it. A bug may die seval days later. I am sure on occasion, "Diatomaceous Earth" (or DE for short) has worked to rid a home of bed bugs by itself. However, just like sprays it takes a long time, many months in fact and a lot of diligence. Most of the time, from all the wrong info on the internet, DE is used improperly. It literally needs to be applied in such a way you almost cannot see it! Like a poof of dust you can hardly see. Most people dump this stuff all over and you see it piled up and covering everything. Not only is this not correct but it at that point is a breathing hazard. To say the least I have had 50 percent of my treatments with DE all over the place and guess what? They still had bugs. Some bottles of DE and other powder like poisons even say to apply generous amounts in the instructions. Well that is one way to sell more product now isn't it?
My pest control guy said I have to get rid of all my furniture, it'll help with the treatment - that's unfortunately a common theme especially from guys who spray chemicals. It really is another word for help me help you get rid of your problem for you because I am not entirely confident my treatment will work. Here's the thing, whether you do sprays or heat if it is done right you shouldn't have to get rid of any furniture. Plus, if you do get rid of furniture or belongings, it costs money to replace it! If you do a heat treatment you shouldn't have to get rid of anything at all! Using Total Shield LLC for your heat treatment I have never once recommended getting rid of any belongings and we've been 100% successful getting rid of bed bugs. The difference is with sprays you have months ahead of you, with heat, you are free and clear that day!
There is a lot more bad information out there than good and you really need to read between the lines and question some of the stuff you see and hear. Especially if you are seeing the info on an advertisement! Every bed bug bomb I have seen states it will "kill the eggs too" when in fact bombs are one of the worst things you can do to try and kill bed bugs. Bed Bug bombs don’t work. According to a recent study conducted by The Ohio State University. Roach bombs are the same, don't use them, they just don't work, period. But they will sell them to you all day long!
Here at Total Shield LLC we will give you good information all day long. I have talked with many customers and even people who are using another service about their issue an just give them the facts. If you need to know more about bed bugs give us a call even if we are not in your service area we can steer you in the right direction. We'll give you the best info on getting rid of your bug problem especially bed bugs!