Putting The Heat On Bed Bugs In Knoxville

Putting The Heat On Bed Bugs In Knoxville

Knoxville is home to pests of all shapes and sizes. Among those pests are bed bugs. These small, flat, blood-feeding insects are some of the most problematic pests around. Not only are bed bugs difficult to prevent, but they’re often difficult to identify as well. 

 

Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation

Bed bugs are elusive insects. As a type of hitchhiking pest, bed bugs travel from place to place by crawling onto clothing, bags, or belongings. However, this means that bed bugs can only invade your property if you or someone you know brings them inside. Once they’ve entered your Knoxville home, there are a few signs you can look for that indicate that your home is infested.

  • Rows or clusters of small red bite marks on your skin

  • Spots of excrement on bed covers

  • Bloodstains on bedclothes, sheets, or pillowcases

  • Molted bed bug skins

  • Tiny white eggs the size of a pinhead

  • A strong, unpleasant musty odor, which usually indicates a larger infestation

 

Problems Bed Bugs Cause

What harm could one tiny bed bug do, right? Unfortunately, a lot. A single female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in its lifetime. If even one or two bed bugs are brought into your Knoxville property, you could have a severe infestation in less than 4 months. Early detection of a bed bug infestation is the best way to avoid most of the problems these tiny pests cause. Some problems bed bugs cause include sleeplessness, restlessness, and recurring bite marks. Many infestations aren’t discovered until after they have had time to become severe. Prolonged bed bug infestations can lead to health conditions such as anemia. (This disease is when there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells being circulated to muscle and body tissues.) The best way to avoid these problems is with professional bed bug treatment services.

 

Why You Need Bed Bug Heat Treatments

Bed bugs are resilient insects that often become resistant to chemical treatment methods. Also, these tiny pests are able to survive without a blood meal for up to five months. The most effective and efficient way to eliminate a bed bug infestation is with heat treatment services from Russell’s Pest Control.

Our bed bug heat remediation services use industrial heaters that are effective against even the largest bed bug infestations. These heaters radiate heat into areas where bed bugs like to hide, such as inside mattresses, electrical outlets, furniture, walls, and box springs. The bed bug heat treatments here at Russell’s Pest Control are eco-friendly and ensure the full elimination of your bed bug problems. For more information about our bed bug heat remediation services, or to ask us about any other pest problem, reach out to Russell’s Pest Control today. 

Bed Bug Awareness 2018

Bed Bug Awareness 2018

In the battle against bed bugs, public awareness is the greatest weapon we have to keep these tormenting pests out. Unlike many other bugs that infest our homes and businesses, bed bugs don’t crawl across our lawns, scale our outside walls, and come in through tiny gaps. They’re carried in by people. So, regular pest treatments aren’t going to keep these bugs out. We need to work together to stop the spread. As a part of bed bug awareness week, 2018, which is from June 3rd to the 9th, we’ve put together these helpful tips to stop bed bugs in their tracks.

Bed Bug Tips To Share

  • When you travel, always do a search for bed bug signs: black streaks or black patches, tiny white eggs in a batch or as singles, shed insect skins that are tan or rusty brown, dried blood stains, and the presence of bed bugs.
  • When traveling, be aware that bed bugs are attracted to clothing that has been worn. Be sure to put laundry in a plastic bag and seal the top.
  • When you return home from a trip, it is always a good idea to wash and dry your clothes on the hottest settings. This will kill bed bugs in all stages of development. Also, make sure to check your suitcases and other bags for signs of bed bugs, preferably “before” you enter the house.
  • Bed bugs don’t just feed on people, they’ll also bite dogs and cats. Be sure to look around your pet’s bedding for the above bed bug signs.
  • While a bed is certainly a good place to look for bed bugs, they can be in other places as well, such as behind baseboards or crown molding, inside outlets, wall voids, and furniture, underneath carpet edges, inside suitcases, and more. If you’re doing a bed bug search in your home, be thorough.
  • Since bed bugs can get into furniture, it is a good rule of thumb to do a detailed inspection of any used furniture you purchase, especially a mattress or box spring.

Bed bugs are a serious and growing issue in the United States. How bad are they? According to a 2015 study conducted by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the University of Kentucky, it was determined that 99.6 percent of pest control companies had treated for bed bugs in that year, compared to just 25 percent in 2000. Please help spread the word and put these tips into the hands of friends and family. Together, we can make a difference.

For professional bed bug remediation in Knoxville and Eastern Tennessee, start here.

Bed Bug Advice You Can Trust

Bed Bug Advice You Can Trust

The internet: it’s become a necessity for most everyone in the United States. It’s not uncommon to spend countless hours searching the web these days. It is really great for some things, such as finding DIY projects you can do around your home or sharing funny videos of people (or cats!). However, it can often be misleading for other stuff…for example, having a personal conversation with someone. It’s really hard to understand the tone in a person’s text, and without facial expressions to show emotion, messages can easily be misinterpreted. Another way in which the internet is horrible is when it comes to getting advice about bed bugs.

You can’t trust just any old website when it comes to bed bugs for a couple of reasons. First, you are usually hearing advice from other homeowners, as opposed to a pest control professional. While other homeowners can certainly share their stories, they don’t have the ability to give knowledgeable instructions with industry experience behind it. And no matter what they say, there is no do-it-yourself solution to rid your property of bed bugs. Second, internet users will often use Wikipedia as a reliable source of information about bed bugs—it is not! Again, Wikipedia is written by writers, not pest control experts, and contributions can come from literally anyone. Another reason to be wary is that many times there are articles online that are written just to push a product, none of which have been proven to work. It’s misleading advertising at best, yet many homeowners fall into this trap due to the urgency they feel to remove the bed bugs quickly and with as little fuss as possible.

Basically, homeowners be warned: when it comes to bed bugs, don’t go to the internet. Contact your local pest control company and they’ll help you find a solution and give you advice that is backed by years of experience and knowledge. In fact, for residents of Knoxville TN and Eastern TN, Russell’s Pest Control has been protecting your homes from bed bugs since 1971. Here at Russell’s, we take bed bugs very seriously, and over the years we have perfected the way we eliminate them from homes. Despite what DIY blogs and forums, or other homeowners may say, the best way to eliminate bed bugs is through heat. Many homeowners aren’t aware of this. Heat is a non-toxic method for killing bed bugs in all stages of development. It’s safer, faster, and more efficient than any other product or method. Unless you are a trained pest control technician, the use of heat is not safe for homeowners to try to use on their own. Some homeowners have even started fires trying to do so. It’s not only necessary to contact Russell’s Pest Control to fully eliminate bed bugs—it’s important because the safety of your home and family are in danger if you don’t. Our bed bug service includes an inspection, a careful review of the situation, determination of proper treatment process, and then total bed bug elimination. On the day of service, we will carefully place the heat sources around your home and maintain high temperatures (over 120 degrees Fahrenheit) for a period of 3-5 hours. The heat will reach into the deepest of cracks, and into floors, ensuring the 100%  elimination of all bugs. Not only that, but we guarantee our work; if the bugs return, so will we, at no additional cost to you. Don’t trust the internet, call Russell’s Pest Control instead.

Best Bed Bug Prevention Tips Of 2017

Best Bed Bug Prevention Tips Of 2017

Bed bugs are constantly in the news lately due to the growing population of bed bugs in both homes and public areas. Plus, everywhere you look there is someone saying they know the best way to prevent an infestation. Are you someone that has fallen for some of these time consuming and costly tips? Or maybe you’ve tried some of the over the counter products that say they can prevent bed bugs, but in the end, they fall short of their promised assistance in your fight against an infestation?

Well, bed bugs may not be so easy to deal with, but here are some tips that may actually help you avoid bed bugs this year. Avoid used furniture or mattresses, which could be hiding bed bugs inside, and without the proper treatment could cause an infestation. If you buy used clothing items, be sure to wash them in hot water right away to kill any bed bugs in them. When traveling, be sure to inspect your hotel room when you get there for bed bugs, carcasses, shed skins, and tiny maroon dots on bedding. Do not place your purse, briefcase or other items on the floor of public places, as this could be a place bed bugs will transfer from someone else’s things to yours. When you return home from a trip wash all of your clothing in hot water, and clean/vacuum out your suitcases and other luggage you brought with you.

Even if you follow these tips or any other DIY’s that you have seen or heard about in the news or on the internet, bed bugs can still sneak into your home, and once they’re in, you’re not going to want to fight them alone. Your best bet is to call on the professionals at Russell’s Pest Control in Knoxville and Eastern Tennessee. We have been getting rid of bed bugs for many years and have the expertise and technology to get rid of them completely. When you call Russell’s:

  • Our professionals will do a bed bug inspection to confirm their presence, as well as to pinpoint the areas where they are congregating.

  • They will review their findings and discuss a bed bug treatment plan with you.

  • On the day of treatment, our experts will use professional heat remediation equipment to eliminate all of the bed bugs.

Heat treatment is very efficient, effective, and non-toxic. It eliminates bed bugs of all stages of development, reaches hidden bed bugs, can be done in a day, and leaves behind no residue. These are some of the many reasons that we use this type of treatment to assure you of complete eradication, which will give you peace of mind that your home is free of bed bugs once we are finished. Give us a call today to find out more about bed bug treatment and control in Knoxville and Eastern Tennessee.

A Whole Week In Honor Of Bed Bugs

A Whole Week In Honor Of Bed Bugs

The pest management industry is “celebrating” Bed Bug Awareness week from June 4th through June 10th. The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) designates this event every year to help spread awareness about bed bug infestations and how to protect yourself from this bug – particularly this time of year, as the peak travel season is coming up.

Why Bed Bugs Are a Bigger Concern When You Travel

When you think of bed bugs, you think of tiny, man-eating bugs that attack you when you’re asleep in your bed, right? That’s the perception most people have about bed bugs and the reason why many people unknowingly bring bed bugs into their home after traveling. You have to look at more than just the hotel bed when you’re checking for bed bugs!

Bed bugs can be found in the chair or sofa in your hotel room. They could be on the rug, in the closet, in the extra blanket or pillows stored on the top shelf of the hotel room closet, inside the dresser or end table drawers, and they can even travel from one room to another through the outlets.

So, as you put your suitcase down on the floor and move your clothes into the hotel dresser – you could be inviting bed bugs to travel home with you from the inside of your suitcase or on your clothing.

If you take public transportation to and from your destination, such as the train or a bus, you could unknowingly allow a bed bug or two to hitch a ride into your home. They’ve even been found in retail stores and pretty much any public place – making it necessary to devote a week to spreading bed bug awareness to the general public.

Bed Bug Infestation Troubles

You may think having just one or two bed bugs travel home with you isn’t a problem. They can’t possibly survive and reproduce enough to cause a full infestation right? Wrong! A single, fertile female bed bug can produce as many as five eggs per day… up to 500 eggs during her lifetime. Before you know it, that single bed bug that found its way into your suitcase and then into your bed can result in thousands.

If you notice a bed bug, bed bug skins (they molt and shed their skins), or tiny bed bug excrement on your sheets – you need to call the professional bed bug experts at Russell’s Pest Control. The sooner you treat the infestation, the easier it is to eliminate them completely.

Bed Bugs… The Year-Round Pest

Bed Bugs... The Year-Round Pest

Many people mistakenly believe that bed bugs are only a concern during certain times of the year, but bed bugs are actually a problem throughout the year. With Tennessee winters offering mostly mild temperatures, bed bugs are not exposed to extreme cold; and since they only need human blood to survive, you can experience bed bug infestations at any time of the year.

Blood Sucking Bed Bugs

Bed bugs survive on human blood. They don’t need a lot of it to survive, either. Adult bed bugs can live as long as a year without a meal! Even immature bed bugs can go for several months in between feedings. Female bed bugs lay one or two eggs every single day, meaning she keeps the species going at the rate of hundreds of bed bug eggs in her lifetime. If you have bed bugs, you can count on them living for a long time; and to get rid of them, you’ll need to enlist the help of pest control professionals.

How Do Bed Bug Infestations Happen?

Bed bugs are tiny. They’re about the size of an apple seed, which means they can hide in the tiniest of crevices, seams, and lining of your bedding materials. It also makes it easy for these pests to get into your home. They may hitch a ride inside on your clothing, if you’ve been exposed to bed bugs on public transportation, in hotels, or at a friend’s house. Bed bugs may get into your luggage. They can come inside from books you’ve borrowed from the library or on secondhand furniture or clothing. Once inside, bed bugs quickly breed and take over your home if they are not properly eliminated. Do it yourself methods will not work to remove a bed bug infestation.

Bed Bug Myths

If you think bed bugs die off in the colder fall and winter months, think again – especially in Knoxville, Tennessee where the winter weather tends to be very mild. Not to mention, people travel to Knoxville all year round from all over the country and can very easily introduce bed bugs to public areas, where they can then find their way into your home.

Bed bugs do not discriminate and are found in clean homes as well as dirty ones. Many people believe bed bugs will only infest a dirty home or hotel but that’s simply not the case. They do not care about the conditions of their environment. As long as there is human blood there, they are happy.

Also, bed bugs do not necessarily stay in your bedding. You can find them in your couch, chairs, and closets. They wander around like they own the place – which makes it even harder to get rid of them. If you have bed bugs in your Knoxville area home, your best option is to call Russell’s Pest Control for professional bed bug elimination.

Get Educated About Bed Bugs And School

Get Educated About Bed Bugs And School

We are seeing the signs everywhere. Much to the children’s dismay, it’s just about time to head back to school. The teachers and staff are looking at the calendar in disbelief that the summer has flown by too fast, and the kids are begging for a few more days to sleep in. Whether you have a kindergartener getting on that big yellow school bus for the first time or a college age young adult packing up their room to head to the dorms, you have a school supply list and a to-do list that is quite extensive. From pencils to crayons and dorm furniture to cell phone plans there’s a lot to keep track of. Check your list and make sure that bed bugs are on there too. No, you don’t want bed bugs, but you do need to address the issue of bed bugs for all school aged environments.

For your children that are in primary school, grammar school, middle school, junior high school, or high school bed bugs can be a factor. Bed bugs can be anywhere that people frequent; they don’t necessarily need beds to live. They have been discovered in such places as:

  • Libraries

  • Hospitals

  • Nursing Homes

  • Public transportation

  • Schools

  • Restaurants

  • Dormitories

  • Lounge/waiting areas

Bed bugs are hitchhiking pests. If someone has bed bugs at their home there is a potential that these bugs could come to school within that person’s belongings; like their backpack, book bag, or briefcase. As a parent, you can teach your children to be aware of the signs of bed bugs and you can also check with your school district for their bed bug policy. Here’s a notice from the University of Tennessee extension for school staff to help them to recognize bed bugs and to know the proper steps to take in the event of a discovery of bed bugs in their school or classroom.

For college students heading back to dorms or off campus housing, bed bugs are a definite concern. Students and parents should take the following steps to avoid bed bugs:

Be informed about the college or landlord’s bed bug policy before you agree to reside there. Be sure to inspect all of the living space for signs of bed bugs upon arrival, before you bring your belongings inside.

  • Keep your living space clean and tidy to limit the dark places that bed bugs can hide away in.

  • Keep other people’s belongings out of your living space because their stuff could have bed bugs in it.

  • Limit overnight guests because they can also bring bed bugs into your living space.

  • Regularly check your beds, bedding, and furniture for signs of bed bugs.

  • Alert college administration or your landlord ASAP if a suspected bed bug situation is discovered.

Be sure that bed bugs are on your radar this back to school season by educating yourself and your family about them. Avoid bed bugs at your home by avoiding them at school, and if the unthinkable happens and you think bed bugs may have somehow gotten into your home, give the experts here at Russell’s Pest Control a call. We have been keeping Eastern Tennessee protected from pests for almost 50 years and we would be happy to do the same for you.

Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

When bed bugs attack, what happens first? Most often, it is a search of the internet to find out more about these little blood eaters. The words, “Get Rid of Bed Bugs,” are typed in and page after page of information comes up about how to get rid of these invasive pests, and a false confidence is established. Why do we say false? Because most do-it-yourself bloggers will tell you a few facts about bed bugs and use these facts to guide you toward the products or solution they are looking to dispense, but rarely do they give the entire picture.

Here are some examples DIY facts that don’t connect to a solution:

While it is certainly true that bed bugs are drawn out by raised carbon dioxide levels in a room, that doesn’t mean that CO2 traps will eradicate bed bugs from your home. Sure, you’ll kill some bugs. Some of these traps actually work, but they don’t solve the problem. What the blogger failed to mention is that not all bed bugs come out of hiding to feed, and all the bugs that come out will not be killed by those traps. Bed bugs have been around for centuries, and in that time, they have learned how to avoid danger.

Another fact that is definitely true is that bed bugs need to crawl up into your bed to get at you. They don’t fly like mosquitoes. So, you may be directed to put traps under the feet of your bed to kill these bugs before they climb up and feed on you. Makes sense, right? But these traps fail in many ways. If there is a backboard on the bed, the bugs will crawl up and over that. If there are bed bugs already living in the mattress or crevices of the bed frame, they won’t need to crawl up. These bugs can also feed on you anytime they wish. They don’t have to feed on you at night, while you sleep. They can get you while you’re watching television on the couch. They can get you while you’re eating breakfast–or pretty much anywhere you sit or lounge.

There are also products that will kill bed bugs. Your DIY blogger may direct you to these, and when you find bugs lying on the floor, you think you’ve won the battle. The problem is, even if every bug were to come out of hiding and be killed by these products, a new infestation could begin with a batch of unattended eggs in your walls. That is not even taking into consideration that these pest products can be harmful when not applied properly.

We understand the desperate urge to get rid of bed bugs when they are discovered, but please don’t take the do-it-yourself route. Getting rid of bed bugs requires experience, specialized knowledge, and state-of-the-art equipment.

These bugs are enough of a nightmare when they plague you for a week. Don’t turn a week into months of torment. Get a professional bed bug treatment and eradicate those bed bugs the first time.