Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals. They can be found anywhere in Redlands or Yucaipa. While not known to transmit diseases, their bites can cause itchy welts and significant psychological distress. These resilient pests are increasingly prevalent, and understanding their habits and the challenges of eradication is crucial for protecting your home and health. This post warns of the dangers of bed bugs and explains why professional intervention is typically necessary for effective elimination.

Identifying Bed Bugs

Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed (¼ inch), reddish-brown in color, and have a flat, oval shape. After feeding, their bodies swell and become more elongated and reddish. Young bed bugs (nymphs) are smaller and lighter in color.

Signs of Infestation

• Bites: Small, red, itchy welts on exposed skin, often appearing in clusters or a line. However, not everyone reacts to bed bug bites, making identification challenging.
• Live Bed Bugs: Spotting live bed bugs is a definitive sign of infestation. Look for them in mattress seams, box springs, bed frames, headboards, and other cracks and crevices near sleeping areas.
• Fecal Spots: Small, dark spots (resembling ink stains) on bedding, mattresses, or walls are bed bug excrement.
• Shed Skins: As bed bugs grow, they shed their exoskeletons. These shed skins are light brown and can be found in infested areas.
• Musty Odor: A heavy infestation may produce a distinct, musty odor.

Health Concerns

While bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases, their bites can cause several health issues:

• Itching and Skin Irritation: Bed bug bites cause intense itching, which can lead to scratching and secondary skin infections.
• Allergic Reactions: Some individuals experience more severe allergic reactions to bed bug bites, including blistering, hives, or swelling.
• Sleep Disturbances: The constant itching and anxiety associated with bed bugs can significantly disrupt sleep, leading to fatigue, stress, and decreased quality of life.
• Psychological Stress: Dealing with a bed bug infestation can be emotionally taxing, causing anxiety, shame, and even social isolation.

Why Professional Treatment is Essential

Unlike many other household pests, bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eradicate without professional help. Craig & Sons technicians are routinely trained and educated on the most effective methods. Several factors contribute to this:

• Hidden Harborage: Bed bugs are excellent hiders, concealing themselves in tiny cracks and crevices, making them difficult to reach with DIY methods.
• Resistant Populations: Some bed bug populations have developed resistance to common over-the-counter insecticides, rendering DIY treatments ineffective.
• Egg Survival: Bed bug eggs are extremely resilient and can survive even harsh conditions. Professional treatments are designed to target both adults and eggs.
• Thoroughness of Professional Treatments: Pest control professionals use specialized equipment and techniques, such as heat treatments, steam treatments, and targeted insecticide applications, to ensure thorough eradication.

The Southern California Climate and Travel

The warm climate in Southern California can contribute to bed bug survival and reproduction. Warmer temperatures can accelerate their life cycle, leading to faster population growth.

Travel is a significant factor in the spread of bed bugs. They can easily hitchhike in luggage, clothing, and other personal belongings. When traveling, it’s essential to:

• Inspect Hotel Rooms: Before unpacking, carefully inspect the bed, headboard, and surrounding areas for signs of bed bugs.
• Keep Luggage Off the Floor: Use luggage racks to keep your belongings off the floor, reducing the risk of bed bugs crawling into your luggage.
• Inspect Luggage Upon Returning Home: After traveling, inspect your luggage thoroughly before bringing it inside your home. Wash all clothing in hot water and dry it on high heat.

Bed bugs are a serious pest problem that requires professional intervention for effective eradication. DIY methods are often ineffective and can even worsen the infestation. If you suspect a bed bug problem, call us immediately at 909-335-1486. Early detection and professional treatment are key to preventing a full-blown infestation and protecting your health and well-being. Don’t hesitate to seek professional help—it’s the most effective way to eliminate these persistent pests.

The post How to Kill Bed Bugs appeared first on Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control.

Bedbugs are one of the most common pests in America and, unfortunately, are also one of the hardest pests to completely eradicate from a home once an infestation develops. The two keys to preventing extreme home bedbug infestations are to keep the bugs from entering your home and to have an infestation properly treated at the first signs of an infestation.

The post 3 Bedbug Myths and the Truths Behind Them appeared first on Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control.

If you have noticed small bites on your body after sleeping, you may have looked through your bedding to discover that you have bed bugs in your home. While you may be tempted to deal with the bugs yourself with at-home methods, you may find that the pests are harder to kill than you suspected.

Learn about a couple of reasons why bed bugs are so hard to exterminate by yourself without the aid of a pest control service.

1. Female Bed Bugs Reproduce at a Fast Rate

One reason why bed bugs are difficult to exterminate is that they reproduce at a rapid pace. This pace makes it difficult to keep up with the growing number of bugs in your home.

Consider that a single adult female bed bug can lay well over 500 eggs in its short lifetime. This number is then multiplied by the number of females already present in your house. The population of the bugs explodes exponentially, especially when you consider that nymphs reach adulthood in 21 days.

When combined, these factors could mean a population of thousands of the bugs at any given time. If you are unable to eradicate the problem quickly, the infestation will only continue to grow. The problem is that other factors come into play while trying to exterminate the bugs.

2. Bed Bugs Are Immune to Common Pest Control Poisons

Another reason that bed bugs are difficult to get rid of when you attempt to do it yourself is that they are developing resistance to some of the most common pest control poisons and treatments. Even if you purchase over-the-counter poisons that state they are specifically for bed bugs, the treatment may not work.

Over time, bed bugs have begun to develop a resistance to neonicotinoids and pyrethroids. Traditional bed bug treatments include these chemicals. Instead of using these over-the-counter poisons, speak with a professional pest control service that can recommend the appropriate treatment for your bed bug infestation.

3. Adults Are Capable of Going Without a Blood Meal for a Year

In an attempt to starve the bed bugs, you may decide to close up the rooms in which you have seen them. Since they need to feed on blood to survive, you may feel that if you deprive them of their food source, they will die.

Bed bugs, however, are very hardy and are able to adapt to harsh conditions. In the absence of food, the bugs will go dormant and wait for a new source for their next blood meal. When you attempt to cut off their food supply, adult bed bugs can go up to 550 days without blood.

Then, once they sense a warm body, they can become more aggressive. This increased aggressiveness leads to an increased number of bites. Plus, even if you try to contain the bugs, they will travel to find a food source and will spread throughout your house until they find it.

While you can take steps to minimize the infestation, a professional service is needed to ensure that the bed bugs are eradicated completely. Contact us at Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control, Inc., if you know or even suspect that you have a bed bug problem so that we may visit your home, discover the extent of the infestation, and offer you solutions for eliminating the bugs once and for all.

The post 3 Reasons Why Bed Bugs are So Hard to Exterminate appeared first on Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control.

You may take preventative measures to keep pests such as roaches, ants, and rodents out of your home. Unfortunately, those aren’t the only pests that can invade your home. You also need to worry about the little pests you can’t see, such as bedbugs.

If you haven’t had your home inspected for bedbug activity, now’s the time to do that, even if you haven’t seen any. Bedbugs aren’t always easy to spot. However, they can cause a lot of problems once they infest your home. Here are six things you might not know about bedbugs.

1. Bed Bugs Don’t Just Live in Beds

If you’ve checked your mattresses, and didn’t notice signs of bedbug activity, don’t think you’re off the hook. Their name may sound like they only live in beds, but that’s not the case. Bedbugs can be found throughout your home, including your carpeting, your dressers, and even in your couches. They can even be found in your kids’ stuffed animals.

2. They Can Survive Just About Anything

One of the problems with bedbugs is that they can be extremely difficult to get rid of once they’re in your home. That’s because they can survive just about anything. Many people think that wrapping their mattresses in plastic will take care of the problem. Unfortunately, if the mattress is already infested with bedbugs, they’ll just wait until the plastic is removed. Bedbugs can go several months without eating. They can also survive extreme temperatures.

3. They’re Attracted to Carbon Dioxide

If you have bedbugs but don’t see them during the day, they’ve probably taken cover in the creases of your mattresses or blankets. They could also be on your headboard or bed frame. However, once you go to sleep for the night, they’ll come out in full force.

That’s because bedbugs are attracted to carbon dioxide, which is what you emit when you breathe. Unfortunately, there’s no way for you to prevent the flow of carbon dioxide from your mouth or nose, which means you’re an automatic target as soon as you fall asleep at night.

4. They Leave Visible Bites

If you’ve noticed small red bite marks on your body when you awaken in the morning, chances are good that you have bedbugs. You might not be able to see the bugs, but you’ll notice the bite marks on your body. Most bedbug bites tend to occur on the exposed areas of the body, such as your neck, arms or legs. You may also notice a small amount of dried blood on the bite marks.

5. They Give You a Painkiller First

If you think that you can’t have bedbugs since you haven’t felt any bites at night, think again. You usually don’t feel bedbug bites. That’s because bedbugs inject you with a painkiller right before they bite you. The painkiller ensures that you don’t feel the bite. It also acts as an anticoagulant, which allows bedbugs to get more of your blood each time they feed.

6. Bed Bugs Can Travel With You

If you’ve wondered how bedbugs can find their way into your home, you should know that they can travel with you. Bedbugs will hitch a ride on your clothing, in your bags, and even in your luggage. Unfortunately, that means you can pick up bedbugs anywhere you go.

If you haven’t had your home inspected for bedbug activity, have that done right away. Contact us at Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control, Inc. We’ll inspect your home and eliminate the problem, which will give you peace of mind when you go to sleep at night.

The post Bed Bugs: 6 Things You Might Not Know appeared first on Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control.

45 percent of all bedbug infestations happen in college dorms . If your young adult lives on campus during the school year, understanding how to prevent them from bringing these invaders home is the first step in pest protection. Before your child comes home to visit, look at how both of you can reduce the bedbug risk.

At School

The student housing service, maintenance, or other similar college or university agency should take measures to stop bedbug infestations. However, they may not routinely inspect dorms for this type of pest problem. Instead, they may rely on information provided by the students, resident aides, or staff members such as housekeeping or maintenance employees.

Bedbugs in your child’s dorm can hitch a ride home on their belongings. While at school, your child can take these steps to stop the spread of bedbugs and lower the likelihood that they will bring the invaders home to you:

Learn the signs . Educate your child on the signs of bedbugs. This includes what they look like, along with red flags such as dark dots (bedbug waste) on mattresses or bedding, bites on a body, white-colored shed skin remnants, and small blood streaks on bedding. Know where to look . Along with the bed itself, your child should inspect the frame, the box spring, flooring, nearby dressers or nightstands, or other furniture in the room.

Declutter often . While bedbug infestations have little to do with a dirty environment, reducing the amount of clutter in the room can help your child to spot the bugs.

Talk to the school . If your child finds bed bugs, has consistent bites (with no other known cause), or sees signs of the invaders, instruct them to contact the school immediately.

Follow up . Make sure that the school inspects and remediates the problem. If they do not, ask your child to follow up.

Inspect belongings . Before your child comes home, make sure that they inspect all of their belongings for signs of bugs. Bedbugs are notoriously challenging to find. Your teen should use a flashlight to look through clothes, luggage, shoes, and anything else they bring home. Pack in plastic . If any question exists that your child’s belongings have had exposure to bedbugs, ask your child to bring home laundry, bedding, or other similar washable items in airtight plastic bags instead of reusable fabric bags or luggage.

The next steps in the bedbug elimination equation are ones the two of you (parent and child) should take together.

At Home

Along with taking measures to prevent or stop an infestation at school, you can also help to reduce the transfer risk when your child comes home. If your child’s dorm has a known bedbug infestation, consider leaving any furniture items behind. You can also try these bedbug barrier tips:

Wash immediately. Instead of piling your teen’s clothes in the laundry room (or worse, their bedroom), wash everything immediately including their would-be clean clothes. Use hot water and the dryer’s high heat cycle.

Inspect everything. Again, use a flashlight to inspect all luggage or other items that your child brings into the house.

Clean the bags. Thoroughly wash and dry fabric bags that your child uses to transport items or clothes in. If you cannot wash their luggage, carefully vacuum it or use a hand steamer.

Bedbugs are tricky creatures to catch and kill. If, despite your efforts, your college student still manages to bring home these hitchhikers, call a pest professional immediately for help.

Do you need help ridding your home of bedbugs? Contact Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control, Inc. for more information today.

The post Protect Your Home from Dorm Room Hitchhikers appeared first on Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control.

Bedbug infestation is on the rise across the world. They can now be found everywhere from the finest of hotels to public transportation. No matter how clean you and your home are, you have a chance of bedbugs invading your home.

For the best results, you need to call a professional exterminator. We have a wide variety of means at their disposal to get rid of these pesky creatures, but don’t be surprised if we talk to you about using heat treatment methods. These methods have been found to be some of the most successful at eradicating bedbugs.

What are Heat Treatments?

When looking for recommendations for addressing bedbugs in your home, you will learn that you should wash and dry your bed linens and clothing at the hottest temperature you can because heat can kill bedbugs.

Studies have shown that bed bugs and their eggs can be killed anytime the temperature is raised above approximately 115-120 degrees and maintained over a period of time. When the temperature is raised above approximately 122 degrees the bed bugs will be killed immediately.

Unfortunately, when your home is invaded by bedbugs, numerous items within your home can’t be washed and dried, even with the best heating systems installed. And you really don’t want to turn up your thermostat until the heat in the interior of your home reaches these heat levels.

Even if you could raise the temperatures of your home high enough, bed bugs are smart enough and small enough to secrete themselves in nooks and crannies that are cooler, which often means that the bed bugs burrow even deeper into the crevices of your home, making them even harder to kill in the long run.

How are Heat Treatments Applied?

When a professional pest control service comes to your home to assess and treat your home for bedbugs, they have the ability to apply heat to various areas of your home. When heat is applied in combination with chemical treatment, it has the greatest chance of eradicating these creatures from your home. Some of the methods used include the following.

Steam Treatments

Using specialized equipment, a flow of hot steam can be used to treat objects such as your box springs, bed frame, drapery, and comforters. Steam will not cause damage to these delicate items. Unfortunately, one of the downsides to steam is that it does not penetrate deep enough to treat thick materials that the bed bugs can burrow in.

Hot Boxes

Another piece of equipment that may be used is a hot box. A hot box resembles a large oven and works essentially the same way. Items such as boots, shoes, luggage, drawers of clothing, small pieces of furniture, and more, can be inserted into the box for a specified period of time to kill the bugs that may be residing within these items.

Whole Home Heat Treatment

If you have had an infestation for a period of time, or you have a heavy infestation, an exterminator may recommend that your whole home be treated with heat by using equipment to raise the temperature throughout your home to the levels that have proven to be lethal to kill bedbugs.

Treating your whole home will address all of the places that bedbugs may be hiding. You may be asked to remove certain items from your home that will be unable to withstand these levels of heat. These items can be treated by other means.

Unfortunately, bed bugs are resilient. Although chemicals are normally used in conjunction with heat to ensure that you get the best results, you may still see bedbug activity after treatment and may require more than one treatment in order to ensure they are gone.

At Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control, Inc. we will do everything we can to ensure that your home is bedbug free. Give us a call today so we can get started helping you get rid of your bugs.

The post Do Bed Bugs Need Heat? appeared first on Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control.

Bed bugs are pests that, in spite of their name, can be found in many different nooks and crannies throughout your house. These are one of the most dreaded pests because they spread disease, bite people and pets, and are difficult to eliminate.

Many people fear finding bed bugs in their home, but they don’t know exactly what to do in when they find them. This guide will help you figure out your next steps.

The Signs of Bed Bugs

The most common signs of bed bugs are small, red bites that tend to appear through the night. You might even see the bugs hiding in the seam of your mattress, hanging out on the couch, or even walking through the carpet.

Bed bugs are typically red to brown in coloring. The bugs are less than 3/8 of an inch long and they can appear round because they are so wide. Young bed bugs can be quite a bit smaller and more difficult to spot.

Don’t Panic

It is easy to begin panicking if you think you see a bed bug or bed bug bite. While difficult to remove on your own, our pest control professionals can remove bed bugs. There is no reason to become anxious.

Don’t Use Outdoor Bug Killers Inside

Outdoor bug sprays are not at all suitable for killing bed bugs in your home. They can actually make you or your pets sick, and they might not even kill the bed bugs you are targeting.

Don’t Simply Throw Out Infested Items

Simply throwing away furniture infested with bed bugs will not solve the problem. Bed bugs may be lurking in other areas, so throwing out the items does not mean you no longer have bed bugs.

Our pest control experts will explain how to clean your linens and bedding, ensuring that everything is washed in hot water and dried in high heat. Like lice, bed bugs must be thoroughly removed.

Don’t Forget to Clean Smaller Items

Bed bugs don’t only live in bedding, couches, and mattresses. They can also make a home in stuffed animals, rugs, carpets, and even shoes. You need to wash these items as well.

Clear Out Items from Under the Bed

Keeping clutter under your bed only gives bed bugs more hiding places. In fact, it is beneficial for you to clear all types of clutter from the home, preventing bed bugs from building a hidden home.

Vacuum Repeatedly

Vacuum the area surrounding your bed and other furniture after you find bed bugs, and then clean out the vacuum bag outside. Make sure not to track bed bugs back into the home.

Sleeping Somewhere Else

Unfortunately, it is quite easy to transfer bed bugs to a hotel or another house. Many people actually bring bed bugs home from vacations! Avoid moving from place to place unless you want to discover that your friends and family members now have bed bugs as well.

Save Bed Bugs

Find the bravest person in your home and ask them to capture a bed bug. If you are able to save some in a jar, please do. You can show them to our experts to confirm that you indeed have bed bugs, or you may need to provide proof of bed bugs to your landlord.

Call a Professional Pest Control Company

A professional pest control company is the only service that can eliminate bed bugs for sure. Our highly trained pest control specialists can not only remove the bugs but also help you prevent them from returning.

Professional services are essential because bed bugs do not go away with commercial pesticides. In fact, some products can help bed bugs spread throughout the home.

Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control, Inc is a family-owned business offering pest control services for bed bugs and other pests. Call today to discuss our excellent, thorough services and commitment to community.

The post What to Do If You Find Bed Bugs in Your House appeared first on Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control.

Bed bugs may look like harmless, little bugs, but those little bugs can be a big headache if you allow them to invade your home. These pests can leave itchy bumps on your body from biting and sucking your blood so they can feed and breed, eventually taking over your home.

Even the cleanest home is susceptible to bed bugs, especially if you travel often. These pests are great travel companions and have no problem relocating to your home. See below for tips on how to avoid bringing bed bugs home with you when traveling.

1. Protect Your Belongings When Packing

Never bring your own pillow with you when you travel. It’s a great place for these pests to hide and bring back home with you. Use a hard-sided suitcase to prevent these critters from getting into your suitcase, as soft-sided suitcases have a lot of nooks and crannies where these bugs can easily hide. Also be sure to protect your belongings inside your suitcase. Pack your items inside plastic bags, and only open the bags when necessary.

2. Do a Thorough Hotel Room Inspection

Inspect your hotel room for bed bugs before settling in. Look at the bed, in between the sheets and on the mattress itself. You’re looking for small flat-bodied insects with a brown or reddish color. They are about the size of an apple seed.

You may also see small blood smears on the walls, near outlets or light switches or possibly on the bedding itself. Look along the baseboards of the walls and around any wall decor or artwork. If you spot any signs of bed bugs, be sure to alert the hotel manager to let them know you have seen these insects and to ask that your room be moved (or move to an entirely different hotel).

3. Don’t Unpack

Even after a thorough inspection, it’s still best to not unpack your clothing. Don’t use the dresser or shelves in the room. Keep your luggage on the luggage rack (after inspecting the straps of the rack) or on a table. Never place it directly on the bed or the floor. If possible, keep your entire suitcase in a zippered plastic bag.

4. Vacuum Luggage When Returning

When you return back home, be sure to keep your luggage inside your garage and out of your home until you have a chance to vacuum your suitcase (inside and out). Be sure to pay special attention to the seams of the luggage and the piping along the edge where bed bugs could be hiding.

Wipe down any hard areas, such as wheels and zippered areas, with bleach wipes. Take the vacuum bag or canister and empty it immediately into a garbage bag, seal it and toss it into the can away from your home. Any plastic bags that were used with your luggage should also be thrown away as well.

5. Wash All Clothing

All clothing that was on vacation with you should be washed in hot water. Don’t leave anything out, just because you didn’t wear it while on vacation. Wash EVERYTHING! If you have delicate items that can’t be washed in hot water, they should be steam cleaned. If you don’t have a steam cleaner, take it to the laundromat to be professionally cleaned instead.

Don’t take any chances while traveling. Do a thorough inspection, speak up if you notice any bugs in your hotel room, keep your belongings protected while away from home and wash everything including your luggage when you return home. If you notice any signs of bed bugs in your home after returning from vacation (or anytime), contact us to help you get rid of these tiny pests.

The post Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs Home When Traveling: 5 Tips appeared first on Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control.