Bed Bugs – Pest Control Houston TX – Exterminator

Bed Bug Pictures - Identification

Bed bugs (bedbugs) are small nocturnal insects of the family Cimicidae that live by hematophagy, feeding on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts.

Bed bugs are very flat, allowing them to hide in tiny crevices. A crack wide enough to fit the edge of a credit card can harbor bed bugs.

In the daytime, they tend to stay out of the light, hidden in such places as mattress seams, mattress interiors, bed frames, nearby furniture, carpeting, baseboards, or bedroom clutter.

Bed Bug Life Cycle - Physical Characteristics

Adult bed bugs (or bedbugs) are reddish brown, flattened, oval, and wingless, with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance.

A common misconception is that bed bugs are not visible to the naked eye, but adults grow to 4 to 5 mm (one-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch) in length and do not move quickly enough to escape the notice of an attentive observer.

Bed Bug Bites - Feeding Habits

Bed bugs are generally active only at night, with a peak attack period about an hour before dawn, though given the opportunity, they may attempt to feed at other times of day.

Attracted by warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide, the bed bug pierces the skin of its host with two hollow tubes. With one tube it injects its saliva, which contains anticoagulants and anesthetics, while with the other it withdraws the blood of its host.

After feeding for about five minutes, the bed bug returns to its hiding place. The bites cannot usually be felt until some minutes or hours later, as a dermatological reaction to the injected agents. Although bed bugs can live for up to 18 months without feeding, they typically seek blood every five to ten days.

Bed Bug Treatment

In the past, fumigation with Cyanogas was used for bedbug control. This was very effective, but also very dangerous. This method is no longer used.

Fumigation - that is the use of poison gases - is costly, and though this has been tried as a method of control in isolated cases, it is transient. New infestation can be imported shortly after a fumigation has taken place. Fumigation does work, but it may not be practical, and may not be permitted in some jurisdictions.

Today, effective bed bug treatment may require a combination of methods for success. Techniques such as heat, steam and specialized dusts and liquids may be employed for the elimination of bed bugs.

Do-it-Yourself Bed Bug Treatments

Bed bug control is time-consuming detail work and requires a thorough knowledge of these pests, as well as the proper materials and techniques to control them. Some people have tried to control bed bugs themselves, but this rarely works.

Selection of Bed Bug Professionals

Due to their absence of bed bugs from North America for several decades, not all exterminators in this region are familiar with extermination techniques for bed bugs.

Care must thus be taken when selecting an exterminator, in order to select a professional that knows how to conduct proper bed bug removal.

Protex Pest Control is experienced at local bed bug control. So dont wait while the bugs spread to other rooms and your friends call us to do it right.

For bed bug inspection, bed bug treatment, or general pest control in the Houston area -

Call Protex Pest Control today >

Kingwood / Houston Pest Control 281-440-5355

The Woodlands / Spring Pest Control 281- 370-4772

Montgomery / Conroe Pest Control 936-273-0505

Tomball / Cypress Pest Control 281-370-4772

Bed Bug Lawsuit

Bed Bug Bites

Bed Bug Bites - Pictures

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Bed Bugs - Pest Control Houston TX - Exterminator