St. Petersburg, FLORIDA

Bed bugs are small, flat, and apple seed shaped bugs that range from translucent to brownish in color depending on their life stage. Bed bugs do not have wings and cannot jump; they crawl from room to room or person to person and lay white oval eggs tucked away in the areas where they feed.

No. Bed bugs have not been found to transmit diseases to humans. Bed bugs are generally not considered a threat to your health, however, bed bugs bites will cause itchy red marks or skin rashes to develop which can lead to infection. Infestations are also known to cause psychological problems for many victims.

No. Bed bugs can and will live anywhere as long as humans are present to feed on. They will inhabit any home no matter how clean you keep it. You can find bed bugs in budget motels as well as 5 star executive suites.

Bed bugs are commonly picked up and brought home from traveling. Bed bugs outbreaks are common in large cities and downtown areas. You may have picked up bed bugs from schools, hospitals, movie theaters, even coffee shops. You can also get bed bugs from living in multi-unit housing or apartment buildings. If a neighbor brings home bed bugs they can travel through walls or ductwork into other apartments.

Female bed bugs will lay 1-5 eggs per day and eggs will hatch within a week. The average lifespan of a bed bug is 6 months, but tend to live longer in a cold environment.

You will find exoskeletons on the ground that bed bugs have shed during their molting phases. Look for white eggs in the creases of your mattress or beddings as well as brownish blood stains and fecal matter in your sheets from feedings. You will also have red spots develop on your skin and it’s likely that you will see bed bugs crawling around if the infestation gets worse.

No. Many people throw out furniture and mattresses because chemical pest control companies tell them to. If you choose heat treatment, the safer alternative, you can treat your home and all of the contents and furnishings inside your home, saving you thousands of dollars.

Bed bugs grow at a rapid rate. You should hire a professional exterminator to get rid of bed bugs at the first signs of infestation. Bed bugs are the only insect that a home owner can’t treat on their own.

No. Aside from a few items that will need to be removed prior to your service, heat treatment is safe for your home. Some of the items that will need to be removed are items that cannot withstand high levels of heat including: candles, crayons, oil paintings, aerosol cans, plants, and stringed musical instruments. Review the full heat treatment item checklist here.

Findings have shown that bed bugs will die if kept in the freezer at 1F for 3 ½ days. If kept at -4F degrees, they will die in just 2 days. You can place infested items in sealed bags in the freezer but this will not exterminate an infestation; bed bugs will hide in all kinds of spaces in your home and could even be hidden behind electrical outlets and in the walls.