A cold Northeast Ohio winter won’t stop a bed bug infestation. That means staying alert, taking precautions, and arranging for professional treatment if you suspect bed bugs are in your home or commercial establishment.
Recent statistics show that bed bugs continue to be reported in abundance in every major city in Ohio – more so than any other state. The Greater Cleveland and Akron areas rank in the top 5 for bed bug problems. That’s because bed bugs live indoors, are extremely resilient, and are expert hitchhikers, even climbing into bags in ride-sharing vehicles.
What to watch for
Bed bugs are small, reddish-brown insects about the size of an apple seed that typically gather in seams and crevices of mattresses, furniture cushions, and carpeting. They favor dark areas where they can get close to humans, as they feed exclusively on blood, but their habits mean you may not see live bugs. Instead look for evidence of their presence:
- Bed bug excrement, which are pinhead-sized dark spots that may leave reddish streaks.
- Tiny pale eggshells and skins that are shed as the nymphs grow.
- Rusty colored stains on mattresses and cushions.
- Pay close attention to mattress and cushion seams, behind baseboards and along carpet edges, behind switch plates, and within picture frames.
In commercial establishments as well as apartment buildings and schools, it is crucial to educate those who are in the buildings frequently both in what to look for and who to call. A professional exterminator is your best means of treating a bed bug infestation and preventing further infestations.
Treating bed bug infestations in Akron and Canton OH
Once bed bugs are established near a readily available food source, they will stay close to where they were spawned, often venturing no more than 20 feet in any direction. In urban apartment buildings, hotel rooms, and schools, this can become a serious problem very quickly.
Heat treatment by a professional exterminator is highly effective to rid a home, apartment, or hotel space of bed bugs. It also has the benefit of being pet friendly, environmentally safe, and needing minimal room prep before treatment begins. It works by raising the temperature of the interior space to 140 degrees, hot enough to kill the bed bugs and the eggs, even within crevices and walls.
If you believe you may have bed bugs, contact First Choice Pest Management for a thorough inspection and expert heat treatment that comes with a 30-day guarantee. First Choice provides proactive services that are especially beneficial to commercial properties, including apartments, hotels, and schools. Call today or click here for more information about the pest control and management services available from First Choice.