All posts in “sheets”

Traveling BedBugs

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Watch out when traveling:

Bedbugs are traveling about all the time, but during those periods when we travel more we actually hear about them more often as well. So pay attention and if you suspect them in your room, ask to move across the hotel. Don’t place you luggage on bed or on chairs, I place mine in the bathroom, far far away from any place where they might hide. When you return home, undo the luggage in the garage or back porch. No sense bringing them into your home – cause that will bring on added $$$$$$ for treatment. If you think that they got into your home ask for an opinion by a qualified professional pest management operator such as ProBest Pest Management – QualityPro since 2005.

Watch the video for more information regarding these little blood suckers – “Sleep tight and don’t let the Bedbugs bite”.

Oh and by the way, this is a job for someone who knows this bug. Don’t do foolish things like spread DE everywhere or use a blowtorch (I know some people have done this). Use common sense and call ProBest at 480-831-9328, this could be the smartest thing you did this whole year.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avSDlFSOSUs[/embedyt]

traveling bedbugs

Health Checks & Symptoms – Bedbug Awareness Week day3

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Health Checks & Symptoms

Health Checks – Well it’s that time of year, school is out and traveling begins. Whether at home or traveling for summer vacation, bedbugs could be a key concern. Although named for their habit of feeding on human hosts in bed. They can be found in all types of locations and items. To promote public awareness and to help avoid issues, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has declared June 4-10, 2017 as BedBug Awareness Week. ProBest Pest Management is joining NPMA in this important public education effort by sharing common signs of a bed bug infestation to keep an eye out for this summer.

“Just like people enjoy traveling in the summer months, so do bed bugs, and they love using personal belongings like suitcases, boxes and shoes as a hiding place, just to be near a food supply,” said Keith V. Birkemeyer aka Dr. Bug, at ProBest Pest Management in Gilbert, Arizona. “With these biting pests being easily transported, it’s important to know the top signs of an infestation. This way proper precautions can be put in place to know when it’s time to call a licensed pest control professional such as ProBest 480-831-9328 or call us at 623- 414-0176 to assess the situation.”

Concerns

Dr Bug shares the following signs and symptoms of a possible bed bug infestation:

Small red to reddish brown fecal spots on mattresses, upholstery or walls
Molt bed bug skins, their white, sticky eggs or empty eggshells
Red, itchy bite marks, especially on the legs, arms and other body parts exposed while sleeping
Very heavily infested areas may have a characteristically sweet odor

“During the summer, travel increases and so does the likelihood of encountering bed bugs. We strongly encourage the public to take extra precautions to avoid encounters with these biting pests,” added Dr. Bug.”

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ALNAR90u1w[/embedyt] [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUl3Iw6NoJ0[/embedyt] [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axi1d6sVv4M[/embedyt]

Photo by NPMA

Travel Bugs = Bed Bugs.

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A little play on words, what is the travel bug – Bed Bugs of course!

Well in just about a week people will begin the Holiday traveling season, traveling to see relatives or friends. Hopefully not many will be bringing back any hitchhikers like Bed Bugs. So with traveling just ahead of us, here are a few tips for safety from National Pest Management Association and ProBest Pest Management:

Thoroughly inspect the entire room with a flashlight before unpacking, including behind the headboard, under lights, and inside dressers, drawers, sofas and chairs. I prefer to leave my luggage in the bathroom and hand my clothes on the shower rod.
Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams and box springs, particularly at the corners, for telltale stains, spots or shed bed bug skins.
Place suitcase in a plastic trash bag during the duration of your trip to ensure that bed bugs cannot take up residence there prior to departure. *Tip: Pack clothes in zip lock bag for easy cleaning upon returning home.
Do not place luggage on upholstered surfaces. The safest place is in the bathroom in the middle of a tile floor or on a luggage rack after it has been thoroughly inspected. Do not use a luggage rack if it has hollow legs, where bed bugs may hide unseen.
If you notice bed bugs in your room, notify management and request to change rooms immediately.
Do not move to a room adjacent and/or directly above/below the suspected infestation.
When you return home, inspect your suitcases before bringing them into the house.
Vacuum your suitcase thoroughly before bringing indoors and storing away.
Wash all of your clothes – even those items you haven¹t worn – in hot water to remove any bed bugs or eggs that may have traveled home with you. Dry clean only clothes should be thrown in the dryer and run on high heat.

200x’s the sniffer – Bed Bug Dogs

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200x’s the sniffer – Bed Bug Dogs

I’m all about efficiency but the Bed Bug dogs got it going on. I had this school that thought they might have an issue with Bed Bugs and I thought WOW just how many places could a Bed Bug hide. Well I can now tell you – thousands maybe tens of thousands. From carpet tack strips to electrical outlets, from back packs and wall paintings to – well you get the picture right – anyplace where there is a crack or crevice. It only takes a small space ——————————– maybe that line right there to hide something like a Bed Bug. That dog Olivia was amazing, she went around the room with her handler and sniffed and sniffed, this would have taken me hours and I might have missed something.

Come on look at that face – only a Bed Bug should be scared!

What sucks your body and wallet dry?

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What sucks your body and wallet dry?

I know what you are thinking “Uncle Sam” or the Federal Government, right! The inevitable blood sucking tax man or could it be “Bed Bugs at the Federal Building in Cleveland, Ohio“. This last month it happens that the library in (Hamden, CT), Sinai Hospital, Firehouses and the Federal Buildings are being hit by these little biters.

So let’s reflect on this Bed Bugs are NOT going away, we must all be vigilant. They are popping up everywhere from libraries to hospitals, from movie theaters to high end cloths stores and everywhere in between. If you travel take care not to bring them home and if you get them, don’t waste your money on Do It Yourself (DIY) products – they can work but it’s the knowledge you need to treat effectively. Check out our website for further details on this pest at ProBest Pest Management.

Got Bed Bugs – Call ProBest Pest Management!

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The Verifi™ bed bug detector offers homeowners and property manager’s huge new advantages over traditional detection methods. Not only is Verifi a more affordable, more discreet way to determine if a bed bug infestation is present, it works around the clock to help give you continuous peace of mind.

Featuring replaceable attractants, the Verifi bed bug detector is the first device to provide ongoing detection for up to 90 days at a time. Your pest management professional can quickly and easily replace the attractants on a regular basis for year-round monitoring. Designed to fit behind beds and other furnishings and operate silently, the Verifi bed bug detector won’t disturb occupants in a room.

Even if you don’t currently have bed bugs, the continuous detection of the Verifi bed bug detector helps alert you to any newly-introduced bed bug populations at an earlier stage. Early detection of bed bugs can increase the success and decrease the cost of your treatment program.

Check out our website for further details https://callprobest.com/bedbugs

Bedbugs Put Police Cars Out of Service – Bed Bugs showing up in weird places…

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Bedbugs Put Police Cars Out of Service

I think it is amazing where we are finding Bed Bugs, they are showing up in ambulances, movie theaters and now police cruisers. So if you’re a police officer, EMT or just a regular citizen take care when and where you take a ride.

A FEW FACTS

Bed bugs get their name because they are commonly found in beds, but can also be found in other places. Dressers, baseboards, clothes, drapes, bed frames, wall mounted devices, tack strips/carpets, behind cracked paint or wallpaper.
Bed bugs feed on the blood of any warm-blooded animal.
They can ingest up to 7 times their weight.
A severe infestation can result in over 500 bites in a single night.
Bed Bugs are able to live up to 12 months without a meal, this is debatable in Arizona because of the lack of humidity.
They are immune to many of today’s insecticides, generally permethrins.
Many people can live with them without even knowing they’re there.
Their eggs hatch within 10 days and only take 30 days to become fully grown.
Females can lay up to 500 eggs over their lifetime.
Reported cases have increased over 500% the past few years.
Bed bug infestations are a traumatic experience for those attacked including increased stress, anxiety and insomnia – I call this the CREEP FACTOR.

What’s sleeping in your bed?

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What’s sleeping in your bed?

The more I watch TV the more it scares me, I hate those commercials that say “How old is your bed, if your bed is over 8 years it has 10 pounds of stuff in it”, just what I don’t want to hear. It’s bad enough thinking about dust mites or worse yet Bed Bugs but you spend a great deal of time in that bed.

When the Great Bed Bug scare came I decided we needed to invest in some mattress and box spring en-casements and let me tell you I can now sleep without the thought of those critters jumping around more than counting sheep. There are a few side benefits about these en-casements, here they are:

They keep things in and things out, now remember Bed Bugs just don’t live on beds.
They keep out urine, sweat and anything else you might spill on them. Accidents happen like babies sprouting a geyser or the accidental dog or cat issue.
Allergens especially within the bed can be kept to a minimal amount.
These en-casements are not like years of past, they are crinkly and make noise. They aren’t as hot either.

So think about an en-casement as a way to protect and maybe extend the life of that mattress and box spring.

Bed Bugs and other issues…

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Bed Bugs and other issues…

This article “Landlord Liability for Bed Bugs and Bed Bug Bacteria” appeared in the “NOLO Law for All” site and whether or not there is or is not a connection with MRSA, I think we should all be more vigilant in our encounters with Bed Bugs. So here are some of my concerns, as I see them. By the way I’m not an attorney or a medical doctor but I do report myself to be “Dr. Bug” but anyway back to what I consider the issues.

After having dealt with this issue for the last 3 years, I empathize for landlords because ultimately it comes down to the fact that no matter who brought them in, you are responsible. At the end of the day it’s your building and these littler buggers could move to another unit and the issues just start compounding. I will add my biggest recommendation – document, document and document. Keep excellent records and keep them in one place, handy to get to and again document everything.

Here is an excerpt from the article – please follow the link above to read the entire article, its well worth your time.

What This Means for Landlord and Tenants

The implications of this study for landlords and tenants are significant. A widespread bedbug infestation has always qualified as a habitability problem, which, if not addressed, enables tenants in all states except for Arkansas to break their leases and leave, without liability for future rent. Tenants in some states can withhold rent until the habitability problem is fixed or can take steps to deal with the problem themselves and deduct costs from the rent. Typically, however, landlords have a reasonable time to fix a habitability problem before tenants can utilize their remedies.

But, if bedbugs are proven to be vectors for staph infections on the order of MRSA, the stakes have been raised dramatically. A “reasonable time” may be much faster than previously thought. And if tenants contract an MRSA infection as the result of the landlords’ inattention to the problem, the tenant’s measure of damages goes way beyond what it would be if the bedbugs’ bites were merely annoying.

Here is the link to House Bill 2210