Think you have Bed Bugs? Here is step 1…

Having a bed bug issue can be a traumatizing experience for most people.  Even though they haven’t been proven to carry disease and are classified as a nuisance pest.  For some reason just knowing that these disgusting little critters set up shop and remain just out of sight but close to us is enough to keep us up and night in fear and disgust.

Adult bed bug feeding on human host

If you believe you have a bed bug issue or any pest problem for that matter, the first step is ALWAYS the same.  You must identify the pest properly. That is usually straightforward with the majority of pests and treatment is just as black and white.  What makes bed bugs so challenging is not only the precise and expensive treatments but identifying the pest in the very early stages of the infestation.

The normal protocol for treatment by most pest control companies is to treat an entire house regardless if one bed bug is found in one room or they are found throughout the whole house.  This can be very effective but also expensive especially when treating your entire house is not necessary.

So that leads us to our service… ( by the way we are a third-party inspection service, we don’t treat or make commission off of treatment, but can help you choose the best company for your situation ) 

Bed bug detection dogs can be an extremely effective way to:

1. Confirm whether you actually have a bed bug infestation or not.

2. The severity of the infestation.

3. Which rooms need treated or not.

Considering effective treatments usually cost close to a $1000+ it is definitely in your best interested to not treat areas that don’t have an issue.  

Here are some other advantages of using bed bug dogs:

1. Can detect as few as one bed bug.

2. Save hundreds to thousands of dollars in treatment costs by accurately detecting the infested areas and confirming other areas are bed bug free.

3. Prevents the unnecessary use of pesticides for bed bug treatment.

4. Peace of mind.  Many times other pest control professionals don’t have the ability to detect early infestations and the customer is left without a clear answer if they have an infestation or not.  Our bed bug detection dog teams can put the issue to rest one way or another so you can have resolution.

Last of all,  please do your homework.  Be cautious of companies that own Bed Bug K9s and also provide treatment.  Verify that they subcontract their dog services with a company like ours.   With our service there is no question that we are on your side and whether you have them or not makes no difference since we get no commission on treatment sales.  We will do our best for you regardless of the circumstances.

For more information about the first and most crucial step in bed bug treatment please feel free to call us at 480.437.4335.

Step by Step Guide - Dealing with Bed Bugs

By Keith Coddington

bed bug treatment options

When the average person believes they may have a bed bug problem the initial response is usually that of panic.  The information below will help you get through the process.  Most importantly this guide will help you not be taken advantage of with unnecessary and ineffective bed bug treatment during this troubling time.

Step 1:  Identification of Pest :

Don't move anything out of the suspected area and determine if you in fact have a bed bug infestation. (if you already moved things don't worry we can still help)

• If you are in Phoenix, Arizona or the surrounding area and captured a bug please call us so you can email us an in focus photo of the bug so we can identify it for you Free of charge.

• If this is not possible, but you still believe you may have bed bugs first make sure you know what bed bugs look like.  Consider starting with a thorough inspection yourself or hire our bed bug detection dog teams to complete the inspection.

Step 2:  Pinpoint Infested Areas:

Find all rooms and areas that require the bed bug treatment.   At this point our advice will differ from the 30+ bed bug exterminators outside of our network because we try to save our customers money by only treating the affected rooms.  Typically we save our customers hundreds and even thousands of dollars by avoiding unnecessary bed bug treatment.

• Use our Bed Bug Detection Canine Teams to pinpoint the location of all bed bug colonies.  We have completed tens of thousands of inspections over the last 4 years.  Our bed bug detection dog teams are very efficient and extremely accurate.

Step 3:  Bed Bug Treatment:

We have a network of over 30 trusted pest control companies that can provide you with a quote the same day at our discounted rates.  We are on your side and we only work with the best of the best.  Based on our findings we can point you in the right direction of the bed bug treatment that best suits the level of the infestation and your budget.

• Thermal Bed Bug Treatment - We recommend this form of treatment in most cases.  It is extremely effective and only the affected rooms need to be treated when used in conjunction with our inspection service.  This cuts the cost of most treatments to a fraction of what it would have costs otherwise.

• Bed Bug Fumigation Treatment - Another very effective option that is excellent for entire structures that need to be treated.  It is also a great option for locations with a heavy amount of belongings inside.

• Bed Bug Chemical Only Treatment -  This is an option we rarely recommend.  It can be effective if done properly, but it takes multiple treatments and it rarely can kill the entire infestation in one day only.  There are circumstances in which there is no other option but to treat this way, but if fumigation or Thermal Treatment are available they should be highly considered.

Step 4:  Verify Bed Bug Treatment was Effective:

Our post-treatment inspectionsare included in the price of many of the protocols of the pest control providers in our network.  Even if it is not included you can still hire us to check their work to make sure all bed bugs have been eliminated.

bed bug detection dogs are an important part of the bed bug treatment protocol

• These inspections include a very thorough visual inspection of the area and the use of a special post-treatment bed bug detection dog.  This dog is trained only to detect live bed bugs and ignore all other evidence that is left behind even after a treatment.

• Complete this inspection prior to the guarantee expiring for your protection.

• In the rare event we do find live bed bugs after the bed bug treatment and you used one of the preferred pest control companies in our network we will complete an additional post-treatment inspection FREE of charge.   We will continue this process until the bed bug problem is solved.

Additional Consumer Resources:

University of Arizona - Working the Bugs Out

City of Phoenix - Bed Bugs:  A Manageable Challenge

Environmental Protection Agency - Bed Bugs

Cimex K9 backs up our inspection service with a 30 day guarantee.  For additional information about how our service works or to contact us please call Cimex K9 at 480.437.4334