Bed Bug Control in Sumter

Eliminating Bed Bugs in Sumter, Claredon, and Lee Counties

 “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” is a well-known saying, but the truth is bed bugs in your home will bite you whether you like it or not. Bed bugs are relentless, and their bites leave itchy welts that are such a nightmare to deal with, they can keep anyone up all night. Bed bug infestations are on the rise across the country and if you are not too careful, your property can become infested.

No matter where you live or how clean and neat you keep your home, you can suffer from a bed bug problem. Even spotting a single bed bug should be a major cause for concern. A detailed inspection by an experienced specialist can uncover the level of infestation in your home and what can be done to eliminate it. The team at Sumter Pest Management are bed bug experts and can offer you effective treatment services to get rid of your infestation quickly.

Facts About Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are scientifically known as cimex lectarious. They gained their common name because of where they are most often located and where they attack humans the most—feeding on our blood while we are sleeping. Adult bed bugs are small brownish-red insects resembling an apple seed with legs. It can be hard to physically spot them, however, because bed bugs are only active at night and spend most of the day in hiding.

Bed bugs live together and are often bunched up in the hiding spaces they create either inside mattresses or other dark corners. The life cycle of the bed bug consists of an egg phase followed by nymphs that go through five molting phases before reaching adulthood. The female bed bug can lay about 200 eggs in its lifespan, making way for an uncontrollable invasion if there is no intervention.

Around the mid-20th century, bed bugs appeared to be totally wiped out from the United States thanks to the invention and utilization of the pesticide DDT. However, thanks to a rise in international travel, they made their return to the country. Bed bugs get around through hitchhiking onto luggage and other travel items, which is why they are a common problem at hotels, airports, theaters, and other places where people from many different parts of the world come together.

Bed bugs can multiply at an alarming rate, so even a few present in your home can become a major issue and would warrant a need to take action.

If you have noticed bed bugs in your home, call Sumter Pest Management at (803) 615-2308 or use our contact form to schedule a free detailed inspection.

How We Approach Bed Bug Control

Here’s a glimpse into our bed bug treatment process:

Inspection

A bed bug inspection shouldn’t be a quick glance over your bed, under your pillows, and in your dresser drawers. It should be a detailed scan of your home. This is necessary to determine how severe of an infestation is present and where to focus treatment. 

During our inspection, we will carefully scan your mattress, box spring, bed frame, head and footboards, and any bedding materials. Once the bed has been observed, we will check other areas such as the nightstand and dresser adjacent to your bed, the carpeting, curtains and drapes, and any other lounging furniture. Just because they are called bed bugs, doesn’t mean that they just infest beds.

If we find bed bugs and/or evidence of bed bug activity, we then inspect every room in the home to see how far the infestation has spread and which rooms will need to be treated. Upon completion, we will provide you with a free estimate for our treatment service. Once you sign off, we move quickly to begin treatment. 

Treatment

The key to successful bed bug control is to thoroughly treat all the cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide. It is important to be thorough and think like a bed bug. Treatment cannot begin until you prep the infested rooms using our easy-to-follow bed bug checklist.

Once the home is prepped, we use a multi-faceted approach to treating bed bugs to eliminate the infestation. This includes: 

• Bed bug treatment chemicals: During our treatment, we use two professional-grade bed bug control products: Crossfire and Apprehend. Crossfire is a spray that kills bed bugs on contact while Apprehend has a residual effect. This means that the product will remain effective long after you sprayed so if a bed bug comes across a treated area days after, they will contact the insecticide and die shortly after.
• Bed bug heat treatment: Bed bugs have a weakness to extreme heat. Temperatures of 140 degrees and above can kill bed bugs instantly. By utilizing heat treatment tools, we can apply high temperatures to infested areas and guarantee their elimination.
• Bed bug encasements: After treating the infestation, you want to rule out the chances of another invasion. Bed bug encasements are a helpful tool to ensure that. For an additional fee, we can place bed bug encasements around your mattress, box spring, and even your couches. Encasements wrap around these pieces of furniture and make it impossible for bed bugs to infest because it takes away all the hiding spots they are used to. The chances of reinfestation are greatly reduced.
• Follow up treatment: It is important to follow up after 10 to 14 days and check the hot spots for any sign of bed bugs. If activity is found, a retreat is recommended. These follow up treatments allow us to see how the bed bug activity has changed and to eliminate new bed bugs which may have hatched since the last application.