Our Top Tips for Bed Bugs in Twin Falls, ID and Beyond

Bed bugs are parasites that feed on people's blood and often their pets. They tend to live in areas where people sleep or spend time, such as bedrooms and living rooms. Hungry bugs will venture out from their hiding places in search of exposed skin to feed. Once they find a good feeding site, they will eat quickly (usually just 2-5 minutes) before scampering back to their hiding places. Very often, bites occur on the head, neck, arms, and legs as they are commonly exposed, but they will feed nearly anywhere. More often than not, bed bugs will go unnoticed for a fair amount of time since they choose to provide at times when they are least likely to be seen.

Not all people react to bedbug bites in the same way. Some people have almost no reaction, while others may get enlarged red bumps around the bite area. The edges are often mistaken for bites from other pests such as fleas, spiders, etc., or even an allergic reaction to something someone may have come in contact with. This means we can eliminate all life stages of bed bugs in a single treatment with our experienced services for pest control in Idaho Falls, ID and nearby areas.

While bed bugs are considered a health pest by the CDC, they are not currently known to transmit diseases to people.

Bed bugs are generally active at night, hiding during the daytime hours. They hide in clusters in cracks, crevices, voids, and seams in mattresses and furniture, behind pictures, in luggage, clutter, etc. Occasionally, lone bed bugs are found hiding in smaller places.

Female bed bugs will lay 200-250 eggs in their lifetime. Eggs take approximately six to ten days to hatch, and newly emerged nymphs will seek a meal immediately. Immature larvae will molt five times as they grow before adulthood when reproductively mature. 

They need to feed at least once between each molt to survive. However, they may provide as often as once per day. Immature bedbugs may go a few months without feeding, while adults can survive more than a year without meals. Often there will be multiple generations per year, and all life cycle stages will be found in breeding populations.

Adult bed bugs are approximately 1/4” to 3/8” long, oval-shaped, brown, flat, and wingless. They somewhat resemble a wood tick. After a meal, their color can change from brown to a purplish red, increasing in size, which may cause them to look like other insects. Young bed bugs may be less than 1/16” when they first hatch and nearly colorless until they feed.

Common signs of bedbug activity include small fecal deposits in feeding areas and near hiding places. Castings (shed exoskeletons) are left behind as they grow and mature, and possibly eggs are deposited in cracks and crevices or behind picture frames. If you suspect any possible bed bug activity, it is best to have someone experienced come to inspect it. Many infestations are misdiagnosed and get worse before proper treatment can be applied.

The most effective means of controlling and eliminating bed bugs is thermal treatment. Specialized equipment is used by trained professionals to safely increase the temperature of an infested area to a level high enough (around 135 degrees) for extended periods, killing bed bugs and their eggs. 

Heat treatment is 100% chemical free, meaning there will be no toxic residue left behind and no worries about what your family and pets may be exposed to. Thermal treatments also help kill bed bugs in wall voids and areas difficult or impossible to access with chemical treatments. 

Bed bugs have been tolerant to certain chemicals and chemical families, allowing them to survive many direct chemical treatment options (especially pyrethroids). This has forced applicators to use more toxic products to find an effective solution. Many areas, such as drawers, pantries, storage areas, the inside of mattresses and box springs, and furniture, are difficult, if not impossible, to treat with chemical sprays. To miss treating even a single location where bed bugs harbor can mean reinfestation in a short period. Thermal treatments are more thorough and do not require follow up applications or extended timelines.

After mating, female bed bugs can lay up to 7 eggs per day and will continue to lay eggs for around 10 days thereafter. Females often do not feed during this time and may deposit eggs in cracks, crevices, and voids up to 35 feet from their host.

The most common way people get bed bugs is from direct contact with infested furniture, purchasing used furniture, books, and clothing, or staying in an infested hotel or bed and breakfast.

Bed bugs are unlike any other pest you may find in your home. The use of insecticides to treat an infestation very often worsens the issue and, in an apartment situation, can spread an infestation to adjacent units. We have found that most people who attempt home remedies for bed bugs spend more in the long run and deal with the issue for months (or longer). In the meantime, professional pest control Idaho Falls, ID recommends in the form of heat application is the absolute best option.