In the past, bed bugs have been notoriously difficult to treat due to how resilient their eggs are to pesticides. But at Lloyd Pest Control, we provide proven bed bug control across Southern California, and we’ve developed several methods for treating bed bugs.

Preparing for Treatment

First, we enlist the help of man’s best friend. Dogs have proven to be able to detect bed bugs with unmatched accuracy (Don’t worry, we can admit a dog is better at finding bed bugs than us. Our egos aren’t that fragile.). Once our certified K-9 inspectors have nosed out the location of the infestation, we’ll discuss all your treatment options.

Treatment Options

Targeted Treatments

For isolated colonies, we may suggest targeted treatments. This process involves vacuum removal of all bed bugs from the affected area, sealing beds and encasements, and applying residual pesticides. A follow-up inspection is required to ensure eradication of all bed bug eggs.

Fumigation

For large, multi-family complexes or office buildings, we will often opt to fumigate. This is an involved but very effective process – one that requires tenting the entire complex and pumping it full of bed bug-killing gas. Residents and pets can’t be present for during fumigation, unfortunately requiring them to find a place to stay for a couple days. Also, all perishable food must be bagged to prevent contamination. So yes, fumigation is a hassle, but it is incredibly effective in eradicating all stages of bed bugs (eggs to adult).

Fumigation Chamber

We can also treat single pieces of furniture (mattress, box spring, etc.) at our on-site fumigation chamber. This treatment method offers all the benefits of fumigation without the hassles that come from tenting.

Heat Treatment

Finally, depending on the context of the infestation, we can sometimes toast gross bed bugs with our targeted, non-chemical heat treatments, which also eliminate all stages of bed bugs.

Say Goodnight to Bed Bugs

The thought of bed bugs biting us while we sleep is pretty frightening, but with the right treatment, it doesn’t have to be a thought at all. At Lloyd Pest Control, we provide several options, working to eliminate your infestation in whatever way is best for you. If you need bed bug control in Southern California, contact us today.

The post How Do You Kill Bed Bugs? first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

As much as these bed bugs love to travel, there are ways to keep them from climbing aboard.

5 ways to be sure your next vacation is bed-bug free

Travel with Zip Lock bags- When traveling, Zip Lock bags can be a lifesaver. Not only can they keep your clothing and items clean and organized, but also they will prevent bed bugs from crawling into your stuff and hitching a ride back to your home.

Use Hard Luggage- Hardcover luggage bags do not have zippers, cloths or seams that can deteriorate or break down causing entry points for bed bugs. If you don’t own hard luggage, use luggage with color and texture that will make it easy to spot bed bugs.

Inspect where you stay- Whether you’re staying for a single night or for multiple weeks, before you unpack your bags check the room for bed bugs. Your 15-minute inspection could prevent a costly infestation in your home later on. Inspect underneath bed sheets, in the mattress seams, headboard, sofa and anywhere that bed bugs might frequent.

Keep luggage away from the beds- Placing luggage close to the bed can allow easy access to your belongings if bed bugs are present. Keep your luggage away from beds, couches – and off the carpet.

Wash it all! – The most important factor in having a bed bug free trip is the washing of your clothes. It all starts with how you pack. Refrain from bringing clothing that can only be washed in cold water. Hot water and the heat from a clothes dryer works well to kill bed bugs that could be hiding in clothing. A greater measure one can take when trying to avoid bed bugs on vacation is to stop off at a Laundromat on your way back home to give all of your clothing a good wash. If a Laundromat is not available, put your clothing directly into your own washer and dryer as soon as you get home.

By following these few simple tips you can greatly reduce the chance of bed bugs returning to your home. Bed bug control is one of the most difficult challenges facing the pest control industry. Once bed bugs have settled in your home, they can be difficult to get rid of. For quick detection, thorough inspections and properly-timed treatments contact Lloyd Pest Control today.

The post Bed Bugs: The Wrong Kind of Vacation Souvenirs first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Some ants protect their nests with their heads

Aside from being able to carry objects 50 times their own body weight, ants display another behavior that is quite spectacular. head to protect its colony from unwanted guests.

Ants use to live alongside the dinosaurs over 130 million years ago. Fossilized evidence of ants and other insects have been found in lumps of amber, or plant resin.

Termites are less dirty than you might think

Termites, though they can be disastrous to your home, are actually a benefit to the environment. Termites are vital to earth’s decomposition of tough plant fibers. But that’s not what’s so cool about these pests.

Much of a termite’s life is spent cleaning other termites in the colony!

Bacteria and fungal infections can make quick work of termite colonies, which is why they spend such a great deal of time grooming each other to keep the colony clean. A termite’s antennae enable the termite to detect infections while they clean.

Bed bugs hide before you know they’ve bitten you

Over the past few years bed bugs have grown as a menace throughout Southern California and the entire country.

Bed bugs inject anti-coagulants and anesthetics into your skin so they can feed and hide before you even know they are around. The bed bug’s saliva acts as an anesthetic thus masking the bite and increasing the speed of the feeding process.

Spiders limbs work like that of a machine

While it’s true that almost every spider in the world is venomous, most spiders teeth are either too small or lack the potency of venom to harm people. But it’s not just the fangs and the venom that scare people. Spiders have a strange way of moving, which, as it turns out isn’t that different, mechanically speaking, than the more familiar movement of a common construction site excavator.

Spiders can control blood pressure in their limbs using a combination of hemolymph (arthropod blood) and extensor muscles located in the three hip joints, which allows them to move, and even jump in the case of jumping spiders.

Bees will create a new queen from existing larvae

Often, the only silver lining to a bee sting is the assumed knowledge that after a single sting, the bee dies.  The truth, however, is that honeybees don’t always die after stinging something. A bee stinger may become caught in a human’s skin but many other surfaces anima skins are more forgiving and will endure multiple stings without harm to the bee itself.

But despite all this seemingly violent behavior, bees are extraordinarily community driven. As a queen bee dies, she emits a pheromone that will cause worker bees to immediately create a new queen from existing larvae.

Fleas and brushes have something in common

Your dog or cat may disagree, but the flea is quite a magnificent creature. Not only can a flea jump 8-10 inches vertically (making it one of the best jumpers of any animal, relative to body size), and not only can the flea’s hard body withstand incredible pressure, but the common flea is in some ways similar to the common hair.

 The flea’s body is covered with hard plates called Sclerites. In the same why that a hair brush is designed to easily part the hair on your head, the flea’s hard body plates (called Sclerites) have hairs that point away from its head allowing it to easily crawl through your dog or cat’s fur.

Cockroaches just want to be loved…sort of

You may know that cockroaches can live for weeks without their heads, but did you know that they like to be touched? Cockroaches are thigmotropic, which means they like solid objects coming in contact with their bodies.

Despite how interesting these pests may be, they can be damaging to our home and health. That’s where Lloyd Pest Control comes in. Our elimination service covers Southern California with more than 200 radio-dispatched trucks, 200 licensed technicians, supervisors, a Quality Control staff, an entomologist, and a biologist. For more information about each of these pests and their eradication, contact Lloyd Pest Control today at 1.800.223.2847.

The post 7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Pests first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

It is uncommon to experience bed bugs in a single-family residence, so don’t be frightened by the recent hysteria.

Bed bugs are more common in a high transient population, dorms and apartments.

They are passed around from one infested home to the other.

Although they are called “bed bugs,” the bugs can live anywhere that you are sedentary so that they can feed from your blood.

How to know if you have bed bugs

You find rust colored blood stains on your sheets.

Small bites on arms and legs result in red swollen and itchy skin.

How to prevent bed bugs

Sadly, the best prevention is to avoid contact with bed bugs altogether.  If you have been in contact with bed bugs, it doesn’t mean that a new colony will sprout at your home.  In order for bed bugs to proliferate at your property, you would have needed to import a pregnant female or a mated pair.

How to treat bed bugs

There is no at-home or over-the-counter remedy for bed bugs. Don’t even waste time trying different solutions — get them treated QUICKLY.  If just a single pregnant bed bug is left in your untreated home, four months later you’ll have 9,600 of them.  At the five-month mark, you’ll have 31,500.

If you spot any of the signs, a detailed and thorough inspection must take place by a professional. Bed bugs can hide where you would least expect.

There is sometimes a physical removal of live bugs with a vacuum-chambered device.  The mattress and box spring are sealed with bug-proof encasements to ensure any bed bugs that might have remained hidden inside are never able to escape.  Targeted residual and contact insecticides are also applied.  In the past year,  heat treatments have been used with great success.

Follow-up visits are also crucial and should be scheduled at intervals that match the hatching patterns of newly hatching bed bugs.

For more information about bed bugs in Southern California, contact Lloyd Pest Control.

The post Frequently Asked Questions About Bed Bugs first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

• It is uncommon to experience bed bugs in a single-family residence, so don’t be frightened by the recent hysteria.
• Bed bugs are more common in a high transient population, dorms and apartments.
• They are passed around from one infested home to the other.
• Although they are called “bed bugs,” the bugs can live anywhere that you are sedentary so that they can feed from your blood.

How to know if you have bed bugs?

• You find rust colored blood stains on your sheets.
• Small bites on arms and legs result in red swollen and itchy skin.

How to prevent bed bugs?

Sadly, the best prevention is to avoid contact with bed bugs altogether.  If you have been in contact with bed bugs, it doesn’t mean that a new colony will sprout at your home.  In order for bed bugs to proliferate at your property, you would have needed to import a pregnant female or a mated pair.

How to treat bed bugs?

• There is no at-home or over the counter remedy for bed bugs. Don’t even waste time trying different solutions — get them treated QUICKLY.  If just a single pregnant bed bug is left in your untreated home, four months later you’ll have 9,600 of them.  At the five-month mark you’ll have 31,500.
• If you spot any of the signs, a detailed and thorough inspection must take place by a professional. Bed bugs can hide where you would least expect.
• There is sometimes a physical removal of live bugs with a vacuum-chambered device.  We seal the mattress and box spring with bug-proof encasements to ensure any bed bugs that might have remained hidden inside are never able to escape.
• We also apply targeted residual and contact insecticides.  In the past year, we have employed heat treatments with great success.
  Follow-up visits are also crucial and should be scheduled at intervals that match the hatching patterns of newly hatching bed bugs.

Click here for further information about bed bugs.

The post Bed Bugs: Frequently Asked Questions first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.