Symptoms & Signs of Infestation

 Proper preparation is an essential step for ensuring the most effective results from your  bed bug treatment. Failure to perform the required prep may result in failure to get rid of the bedbugs themselves, or potentially void your warranties. Though proper prep may be tedious, and require a bit of planning and work at the end of the day it ensures your bed bug population will be exterminated so that you can rest easy in a bed bug free home!

We understand that it can be hard to achieve proper preparations in a short period of time in cases where seniors or peoples with disabilities. In these cases it may require additional assistance and time considerations in place. Though if prep work is not met, ESP cannot warranty the home and will provide three sprays at cost if the customer requests to continue with treatment.  

  We request that all furniture couches, beds, dressers etc. are moved at least 6 inches away from any wall or baseboard. Access to all baseboards, wall outlets etc. be available for technicians to treat infested areas. This prep process helps us access the best treatment methods to get rid of bed bugs where they live. Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs live within' eight feet of ANY where you rest for long periods of time i.e. couches, love seats, your favourite lounge chairs. This allows them to hide in end tables, jewelry boxes, books shelves etc. 

1. Empty all closets, drawers, end tables of all clothing, bedding etc. Seal them in plastic bagging to be laundered or at least dried in temperatures over 141°F or 60.56°C. Most Gas operated dryers operate at those temperatures but always consider taking them to a Laundry mat and using heavy load dryers’ high heat function. 
2. Remove all other content from side tables, end tables and dresser drawers, i.e.: medication, jewelry, photos etc. These contents are either important to your general health or important mementos for you. We don't want to damage them with any liquid chemicals or powdered chemicals we may be using.
3. Remove any picture frames, trinkets or ornaments off shelving and walls placing them in a safe place for inspection for signs of infestation and treated. 
4. Remove all books from bookshelves, end tables etc. Place them in plastic sealed bags in the living room to be treated.
5. Make sure any and all futons, pull-out couches etc. are opened up so that they may be treated.
6. De-clutter all used laundry by placing them in plastic tote containers or garbage bags to be treated. Do not leave cluttered papers or linens about as they can lower the success of treatment.
   
   We can't stress enough how much these steps help create the best environment to create the best environment for bed bug removal. Bedbugs are notorious at wedging themselves into hard to reach places limiting the ability to access them well swaddling themselves in a safe area.

All clothing, drapes and blankets will require being washed or at the very least dried prior to each treatment or sealed until all treatments have been completed. Wash and dry all clothing and linens in the highest possible settings. Again, bedbugs and eggs can sustain life underneath 139°F or 59°C.

Dispose of any bags that you have used to transport them either off property or out of the infested rooms. Only placing cleaned linens/clothing etc into new plastic bags or seal-able totes.

1. Dispose of any bags that you have used to transport them either off property or out of the infested rooms. Place cleaned linens/clothing etc. into new plastic bags or seal-able totes.
2. Clean and dry all laundry following labels instructions, though when possible treat all linens at the highest possible washing and drying settings.
3. Clothing, Linens or drapes that cannot be washed, should be dried for a minimum of 45/minutes.
4. Clothing or linens that cannot be cleaned or dried should be isolated, inspected then be sent to the dry cleaners. 

The heat, as well as proper procedures regarding clothing, linen and betting are a key component in the bed bug removal process. Making sure that all linens are run at high heat through the drier exceeding a minimum of 118 °F  or 47.78°C  for 90 minutes. These steps will ensure the best process to get rid of bed bugs in your home.

The use of your home vacuum to mechanically remove partial amounts of the bed bug population is a large part of the preparation process. Use any narrow-headed attachments to vacuum mattress seams, tags or edgings for bed bug removal. As well as the interiors of furniture, baseboards, and headboards.

Treating these areas where adult bedbugs may be hiding or living makes it easier for chemical treatments to become effective sooner.

1. Vacuum carpets, area rugs, and along the baseboards on your bedroom and living rooms.
2. Vacuum the seams on mattresses where fabrics meet, or where fabrics create tight spaces where bed bugs would find the most comfort.
3. Discard vacuum bags in the garbage and remove them from the residence immediately in a sealed bag to get rid of bed bugs that you may have vacuumed up in the process. If your vacuum is bagless empty the contents in the trash, and rinse the containment unit in the hottest possible setting your hot water tank can provide. Also, consider wiping it down with rubbing alcohol.

We do not upsell products like bed bug encasement for mattresses/box springs. we recommend that the encasement not be used until after the first initial chemical treatment.

 Contrary to lazy technicians, and people that tell you that you must throw away all your worldly possessions upon infestation. Please don’t; only get rid of them if you intended to get rid of them before the infestation. Bedbugs are not the be-all and end-all of your worldly possession. You don't need to relocate or throw away what your own for a successful bed bug removal. Our Hamilton pest control company can not only educate you so that hopefully you never have to deal with these pesky buggers, but also treat your infestation to give you back your happy home.

These are not required of you and may actually impede the treatment process if you are not sealing infested materials before dragging them through your home. It allows bed bugs to fall off your mattresses in odd locations in your home where they run the possibility of going dormant.

If you throw out your mattresses consider that the city requires you to wrap them in plastic before they're willing to pick them up. 

Maybe consider slashing an "X" in them or your couches so that others don't consider them "Curb-side donations"

After chemically treating couches, box springs, and mattresses you can go ahead and breathe easy instead of throwing out any of your precious belonging. If you really want, you can encase your mattress and box springs with a plastic encasement for extra piece of mind. If you do, look for higher quality plastic encasement on amazon or any other sales company. The cheaper encasement products rip easily and tend to be more of a pain than anything else.

During the treatment, all pets and occupants must be out of the residence. Chemicals will be administered to cracks, crevices, baseboards, mattresses, and other furniture. Clusters of infestation will be HEPA filter vacuum. Furniture will be rotated or flipped on its side. Dust Covers on the furniture will be removed from box springs, couches, chairs, etc. Pesticide-based dust will be applied in cracks and crevices.

Occupants depending on chemical treatment will be required to remain outside of the property between 4-6 hours depending on the pesticide used on the site.

Initial sprays will always be 4-6 hours as we use a pesticide labeled for bed bug nymphs, adults, and eggs. Upon second spray we may use a product with different active chemicals so that the bed bugs do not develop any immunity to the pesticide.

Follow-up appointments should be scheduled in this order.

Initial spray, one week after is your second spray and 14 days later from that date is your third and final spray at the location.

Though your technician is applying top-of-the-line chemicals on your property they do not spot killers.  They're not aerosolized, spot killers and have long residual effects. Anticipate after the initial spray you may see a few bed bugs that have been poisoned. They will become incredibly uncomfortable and become more active in hopes they find a safe place before the inevitable pass away to the pesticide.

All if any signs will greatly diminish as you get closer to your final spray. 

Though this may seem inconvenient, even the best heat treatment companies often require multiple follow-ups to ensure that the population has been completely eradicated.