Bed Bug Extermination Services

Bed Bug Control FAQs

Choosing a pest control service for your home can be a challenge. When you're ready to learn more, call our office for a hassle-free chat with our staff of friendly, knowledgeable professionals. We’ll ensure you get the answers you need on our services, pricing, appointments and any other pest-related questions or concerns you may have.

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  What do you use to eliminate bed bugs?

  Bedbugs are capable of developing resistance to pesticides and have been a challenge to kill ever since they started gaining resistance to DDT around WW2. As a pest control company, we keep up with the latest innovations in bed bug control. The majority of the industry has made a shift away from chemical-based insecticides to gain control. First, we start with a thorough inspection, then we vacuum up any live bedbugs and eggs, and finally, we employ a fungal spore formulation to gain control of them, this method is non-toxic to humans and pets which is ideal for their control. We use a low-pressure coarse spray around cracks, crevices, and areas where they hide to control them. While the spores themselves are harmless to humans, we do have to make sure that people and pets are away from the treatment area as we are making our application, this ensures that the product can settle and we can complete a thorough inspection. The fungal spores take a few days to take effect, but once they do they spread like wildfire throughout the bedbug population. This treatment method is 100% effective.

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  What are bed bugs?

  Bed bugs are small, reddish/brown parasitic insects that feed exclusively on blood. Female common bed bugs can lay anywhere between 1-10 eggs a day (up to 500 in their lifetime), and a single bed bug is capable of surviving 70 days without food or sustenance. They're found in every region of the world.
  
  While bed bugs haven't been found to transmit diseases to humans, their bites can cause intense allergic reactions, infection, harmful blood loss, and disruption to normal sleep.

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  How do I know if I have a bed bug infestation?

  If you're waking up with red, itchy bites, often in a row of three, you may have bed bugs. If this is the case, it's important to refrain from scratching the bites in order to prevent infection. However, it is common in many cases for bites from bed bugs to have no visible effects. Infestations can also be identified by dark spots on walls, mattresses, sheets, furniture, and in corners of the home. Bed bugs are usually nocturnal and prefer feeding at night, while hiding in cracks and crevices during the day.
  
  If you find live bugs, the best course of action is to carefully collect them in a sealed container for our professionals to identify. Bed bug infestations will not go away on their own, and are only resolved with professional intervention.

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  How do bed bugs spread?

  Bed bugs are known for their ability to travel. They can easily be brought into a home on infested bags, clothes, furniture, or even on library books. They can travel on luggage or move through shared walls in apartments and townhouses. Bed bugs are speedy, and are capable of moving up to four feet per minute!
  
  Beware of all roadside and garage sale furniture. Infested items are not always obvious. Always consider if that free couch is worth the possible trouble!

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  Should I throw my mattress away if I have bed bugs?

  It is not recommended to throw out your mattress if you have a bedbug infestation. This is a bad idea for three reasons:
  
  1. You run the risk of spreading them throughout your home. They can drop off the mattress as you are carrying it through the house. Bedbugs can survive up to one year without a blood meal and they will travel in your house to you or someone else.
  
  2. The mattress may not be the only area that they are hiding in your bedroom. They will also try to hide in the bed frame, behind posters and pictures on the wall, cracks in your baseboards, nightstands, electronics nearby, and pretty much anywhere that is small enough for a bedbug to hide.
  
  3. You may end up making them someone else’s problem if they decide to take the mattress.
  
  If you absolutely must throw the mattress away we recommend waiting until after your bedbug control program has concluded. This way you can throw it out with the knowledge that you won't spread them in your house and you won't be spreading them to other people.

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  What types of training do your technicians go through?

  At Bug Zapper, we are committed to providing you with experienced, highly-knowledgeable technicians with exceptional technical expertise. All of our pest control professionals are fully licensed and certified in Oregon, in addition to having undergone advanced training though our internal apprenticeship training program. All technicians complete state testing for laws and safety, including IIHS General, IIHS Structural, and Agricultural Vertebrate tests before going through a month-long apprenticeship field training program. Additionally, our staff regularly completes ongoing advanced training and attends industry-based seminars. We are fortunate to have an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) on our staff -- one of only 12 in the entire state of Oregon.

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  Do you have same day service?

  We pride ourselves on offering efficient same day service. Bug Zapper works hard to provide every customer with fast response times and timely service appointments. We gladly make every effort to prioritize your needs and to offer same day appointments when available. A service professional can be at your home in most cases within 24-48 hrs. Give us a call and let us know how we can best accommodate your schedule and time.