Bed Bugs

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are parasitic pests that feed on the blood of mammals. Bed bugs will feed on the blood of a variety of mammals, but human blood is their main and favorite food source. Bed bugs are mostly nocturnal, hiding out during the day in tight cracks and crevices, and emerging at night to feed on their sleeping victims. It is important to understand that bed bugs may feed during daylight hours in theaters, offices, libraries, shopping centers, and other places in our service area where people don’t usually spend the night.

Before feeding, adult bed bugs are oval, reddish-brown insects, and are flattened from top to bottom - they look like an apple seed. After feeding, bed bugs' bodies swell, elongate, and turn a deep, reddish-purple color. Young bed bugs (nymphs) look similar to adults, except they are smaller in size. Before feeding, young bed bugs are translucent or whitish-yellow in color. After feeding, they turn bright red in color.

Are bed bugs dangerous?

Bed bugs are not known to transmit a wide variety of diseases under normal conditions, and they aren’t considered dangerous. Bed bugs bite people, and though many have no reaction to bed bug bites, some do experience allergic reactions. Bed bug bites can be itchy, and may lead to secondary infections that require medical attention.  
   
The biggest danger that bed bugs cause for business owners is the damage they can do to a business’s reputation. Having a bed bug infestation inside any business can be a public relations disaster. Bed bugs are pests that people fear and loathe. Having them in your business can lead to a loss of customers, followed by a loss of revenue.

Why do I have a bed bug problem?

Bed bugs can be introduced into any business or commercial property. Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and are found anywhere that people gather. Bed bugs can be brought into businesses in or on customer’s or employee’s bags, clothing, purses, and other personal items. They can also be brought in through deliveries and packages that have come into contact with bed bugs during the shipment process. They may be accidentally brought into apartment buildings through used furniture, mattresses, and box springs.

Where will I find bed bugs?

Bed bugs can be found living, breeding, and feeding inside a wide variety of commercial properties. Apartment buildings, hotels, health care facilities, libraries, dormitories, schools, movie theaters, laundry facilities, office buildings, airports, and bus stations can all easily house populations of bed bugs. Bed bugs like to live in close proximity to their food source, which is why infestations typically first take root in sleeping areas or areas where people spend a lot of time in your facility. Over time, bed bugs will move from their initial point of infestation and travel throughout your facility through cracks in walls and floors, behind wooden trim, and through outlets.

How do I get rid of bed bugs?

The best way to prevent and eliminate bed bugs from your Kansas business is to partner with a pest control professional. At Pinnacle Solutions, we specialize in providing customer-focused, commercial pest control services. We offer effective bed bug inspection and control services to protect a wide variety of facilities and industries from invasive bed bugs. To learn more about the bed bug control services we offer, contact us!  
   
Our team of experienced professionals utilizes advanced technology and eco-friendly products to find all the bed bugs living throughout your facility, and provide consistent treatment to solve your property’s bed bug problem for good. Learn more about our bed bug control services and how they can help protect your Wichita-area commercial property from bed bugs and the problems they cause. Reach out to us at Pinnacle Solutions for more information!

How can I prevent bed bugs in the future?

Preventing problems with bed bugs can be a difficult task. There are several things you can do in and around your commercial facility to avoid problems with bed bugs:

• Never purchase used furniture, mattresses, or box springs for use inside your commercial facility.
• Teach staff members how to identify bed bugs, and to recognize signs of their presence.
• Have a regular vacuuming and cleaning schedule in place inside your facility.
• Schedule routine bed bug inspections for your facility.
• At the first sign of a bed bug infestation, secure immediate professional help.