In a previous e-mail alert we told about the resurgent problem of Bedbug infestation in North America and around the world.  This is an issue that isn't going away any time soon and a lot of people are quite concerned. And with good reason.  A few Bedbugs brought into a home can quickly become thousands, causing suffering, embarrassment and even fear.  Bedbugs can be accidentally picked up in a variety of ways.  They can be found in the best of high class hotels and roadside motels.  They can be picked up at the office if one employee brings in an infested jacket.  That slightly used dresser or bed that you recently bought at a garage sale may harbor Bedbugs.  You can even pick them up by riding in an automobile, bus or other mode of transportation.  As the populations of these insects grow, so will the types of locations in which they may be waiting to hitch a ride home with you.  And bedbugs aren't particular about whether a home is clean or not.  Their only requirements are nice, warm, secluded places to hide during the day and warm-blooded hosts (you and me) to provide them with their meals.
 
The habit of these insects is to hide, during the daylight hours, in all sorts of tight, cracks, crevices and secluded areas that you may never think of.  They will hide between the parts of your bed frame, along mattress beading, between dresser drawers, behind anything hanging on walls and will enter wall voids by crawling under baseboard moldings and through electrical outlets.  They will even hide in your clean laundry.  Treatment for these pests is a detailed, time-consuming and expensive effort.  It requires participation of both the pest professional and the homeowner.  Each must thoroughly do his or her part if control is to be achieved.  Beds must be taken apart, dresser drawers pulled out, window hangings must be inspected and thoroughly cleaned or treated.  Pictures and other decorations must be removed from the walls and checked for bugs.  Every potential hiding place in the infested room must be looked at and treated.  All clothing in a room must be laundered and dried on high heat to kill the insects and eggs.  Other clothes must be taken out and dry cleaned.  In short, the whole room is virtually "taken apart," treated and put back together.   Even then, two or more follow-ups and possible touch-up treatments are highly recommended to ensure, as much as possible, that the problem is solved.
 
Lately, in what appears to be an effort to gain customers in our tight economy, some companies have begun to tell customers and potential customers that they can eliminate Bedbugs for very little cost and with little effort.  Some are also promising to include Bedbug control in regular pest control programs at no additional cost.  There are only two ways this can be accomplished.  1. Charge higher fees to compensate for the additional time and materials to treat an infestation, should one occur.  (If it never does, the customer has purchased some pretty expensive "insurance.")  2. Keep the fees low and hope for the best.  In this case the pest control company is betting that an infestation will never happen.  Unfortunately, if an infestation does develop, the technician doing the work will feel rushed to get the job done because he, or she and the company are not being properly compensated  The results from such a treatment may be less than thorough.  This will likely result in a temporary reduction or perceived elimination of the problem, with some Bedbugs escaping the treatment.  The infestation will likely resurface at a later date, possibly with a more treatment-resistant population.  In some locations resistant populations are already ocurring.  It is this author's concern, that over time, practices like these could result in a nearly uncontrollable epidemic of these unsavory insects.  If you're approached by a company offering low cost treatments or programs to treat this problem, be extremely cautious and suspicious.  Do your homework.  Check on their reputation and success rate in dealing with Bedbugs.  Be sure that your contractor will do the job right, before you make the buying decision.  As always, Pest Control Center, Inc. is here to help.  Our quality service from skilled and knowledgeable technicians is well-known.  If you'd like an inspection and quote for Bedbug treatment contact us by phone (800) 303-7707 or on the web: www.pestcontrolcenter.com