Three major changes have affected the bedbug’s ability to flourish in America the past 10 years:

• Access to cheap air travel for the world’s population. Everybody flies everywhere now. People who did not or would not travel due to cost or time constraints now are world travelers. With travel come personal possessions. These possessions are either shipped or carried by the traveler. If the traveler has bedbugs in his home what are the chances they might crawl into a suitcase stored in the bedroom?
   
• The second change is the systematic reduction in the number of insecticides available to control insects.
   
• The third change is the pest control industries gradual swing from total reliance on liquid residual insecticides to control roaches and ants to an almost total reliance on insecticidal baits to do the job. Less application of liquid insecticides, more reproductive opportunities for the bedbug.

The following is the bedbug’s biology: Bedbugs are wingless insects, oval in shape, 4-5mm long when fully mature. Bedbugs are fast runners and are rust brown in color. When fully engorged with blood they change to a deeper red/brown color. Bedbugs are dorsoventrally flattened (thin) and being thin means they can harbor in narrow cracks and crevices, making detection difficult.

There are five nymphal stages, which are miniature versions of the adult stage. A nymphal stage requires one blood meal to molt to the next stage. The blood meal takes from 5 to 10 minutes to complete. The entire nymphal stage is completed in 6 to 8 weeks. The adult bedbug can live 6 to 12 months. Both sexes require blood for nutrition and development. After mating the female lays 2-3 eggs a day throughout her lifespan. The cream colored eggs (1mm in length) are cemented on rough surfaces of hiding places. The eggs will hatch in approximately 10 days at normal room temperature. The mouthparts of bedbugs are adapted for piercing skin and sucking out blood. Bedbugs react to the warmth and carbon dioxide emitted by a host to quickly locate a feeding site. They tend not to live on humans and the only contact is during feeding. Feeding usually occurs at night but bedbugs are opportunistic and will feed during the day especially if starved for some time. Bedbugs can survive for long periods of time without feeding.

Bedbugs tend to live in dark locations close to where people sleep. Some of the most common areas would be under mattresses, inside bed frames, under baseboards, behind pictures, inside bedroom furniture, behind peeling wallpaper and any other small dark crack available.

Some people have a reaction to the saliva secreted by the bedbug during feeding. The reaction is usually mild, but can also be serious. Reaction to bedbug bites can be delayed as long as 9 days. In the most serious cases large red spots appear. The most commonly affected areas of the body are the arms and shoulders.

The control of bedbugs is best left to the professional. A minimum of 3 services will e required to eliminate most bedbug infestations. If the infestation is found in multi unit buildings, a careful inspection of all units must be undertaken. Units located directly above and below an infested unit must be treated. Treatment is directed to the areas where bedbugs live and to the immediate surrounding areas in a home or apartment.

The cost of eliminating bedbugs starts at $350.00 and will increase as the area’s requiring treatment increase.

Boxelder Bugs

This annoying insect is observed on the "sunny" or South side of structures from mid November to January. All of a sudden thousands of bugs appear on the exterior sides of the effected structure as well as inside the structure.The adult Boxelder bug is about ½ inch long. They are black with narrow reddish lines forming an inverted "V" on the back.. This insect generally breeds on Boxelder trees but has been observed on numerous occassions on Maple trees. The Boxelder bug causes no damage to the structure but its appearance in large numbers overwhelms people.

There can be two generations of Boxelder bugs produced each year. Only the adult Boxelder bug will survive a normal winter. The adult Boxelder bug starts to hibernate in early November. The young Boxelder bug feeds on low growing plants and vegetation around structures. Adult Boxelder bugs feeds on a wide variety of plants. This insect has been known to swarm on apples, and to eat dead Honey bees inside their hive. People have reported being bitten by this insect with no ill effects.

The treatment for this insect should be limited to exterior areas unless they are being found inside structures.  Treatment will be rendered around exterior doorframes and window casings as well as along chimney/exterior wall junctures.  All leaf debris must be removed from gutters as well as from foundation/soil junctures, and basement window wells.  The cost of treatment for the average 3 or 4 bedroom home is $105.00.  The guarantee period will be 90 days.   Guarantee will be extended by implementation of Homecare Service.