WHY PROFESSIONAL BED BUG CONTROL IS MORE COST EFFECTIVE FOR YOUR AIKEN HOME

When you find bed bugs in your home, you may be tempted to get rid of those bugs with do-it-yourself bed bug control methods, thinking that it will be less expensive than calling a licensed professional and paying a few hundred dollars or more. We understand why you might consider this. But, before you do, it is important that you know what you're getting yourself into. Here are a few methods you might consider, and what the results could be.

Traps

There are many traps that can catch bed bugs. These are called insect climbups, blockers, or interceptors. They range in cost from $24 to $40. This is a fairly inexpensive option as bed bug treatments go. You're not going to pay much monetarily for this decision, but you're going to pay in continued torment from these bugs. Some traps can catch a few bugs, but when they are not part of a comprehensive bed bug treatment plan, they are not going to arrest an entire infestation. There are many reasons. One reason might be that there are bed bugs hidden in your bed frame, mattress, or box spring. Bed bugs are amazingly efficient at hiding. Traps aren't going to stop bed bugs from feeding on you. If you don't have any bugs in your bed, bed bugs can feed on you when you're not sleeping. At night, while you're watching a movie and eating some popcorn, bed bugs can be eating you.

Bed Bug Spray

Bug spray is another cheap option for pest control. You can get a bed bug spray for between $6 and $60. If sprays were successful for arresting a bed bug infestation, this would be a great way to go. Unfortunately, they're not. There are several reasons why sprays don't work well. The big reason is that they are topical. They don't get into the tight spaces where bed bugs hide. If you buy a few cans or bottles of spray before you realize you're not having any success, it can add up to $50 or a little over $100.

Diatomaceous Earth

This product, which is often just called DE, has the ability to kill bed bugs. What happens is the DE slices the bugs as they crawl over it, and it causes them to lose moisture and die. This is an eco-friendly option that won't have you spraying chemicals around your home. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, DE doesn't get rid of bed bug eggs. So when you've had enough of covering your bed, rugs, couch, and other items with this powder and sucking it all up with a vacuum, newly hatched bed bugs can start to feed on you. Then you'll be out the $20 you spent on that bag of DE. 

Throwing Your Bed Out

Bed bugs can make you do some crazy things. One thing people try is throwing out a bed, couch, or some other piece of furniture. This can cost you quite a bit more than bed bug control products, and ultimately fail to solve your problem. Bed bugs don't only live in beds and other furniture items. They can be found behind baseboards and crown molding, underneath carpets, inside outlets and wall voids, in electronic devices, and more. They may also be found in luggage, bags, boxes, and other items that they used to hitchhike into your home. This is likely to be a costly mistake.

Heat Treatments

Of all the ways you can lose money attempting a DIY bed bug treatment, this is probably the worst one by far. Some people have attempted heat treatments and set homes and apartment complexes ablaze. While we don't expect that you'll do such a thing, it has happened. But, even if you don't set your home on fire, you can spend a lot of money only to have yet another bed bug control method that doesn't work, and you'll be out all the money you spent on space heaters. Why doesn't it work? Because you have to raise the temperature of the structure to between 120F and 135F. This is not going to happen with space heaters. Professionals, like the team here at Aiken, use specialized mobile heating units that are temperature controlled, and they deploy these devices according to a strict protocol, which includes other control devices and products.

Save Money

When you contact Aiken Pest Control, you're going to get what you pay for. We have competitive prices on effective bed bug control. Reach out to us and schedule a free inspection to get started. All you have to lose is bed bugs. And what you have to gain are restful nights of sleep!