Photo Album: Severe bed bug infestation in Red Bank, NJ
Bed bugs on ceiling
They only use other animals when in a pinch. These expert hitchhikers have followed people around the globe like shadows. They've been in the United States since the founding of our country, hitching a ride across the Atlantic on the ships that brought over the first colonists. Now, with easy global travel, bed bug infestations have returned with a vengeance.
Bed bug on couch
In high population density areas like New Jersey, bed bug infestations are on the rise. At Cowleys, we deal with them on a daily basis.
Bed bugs on sofa
Bed bugs are exceptionally resilient insects, and to successfully treat an infestation you have to use the right products and the right protocols. They can survive without a feeding for at least six months, so you can't move out of your home and starve them to death. Also, like most insects, they have rapid reproductive rates. All it takes is bringing one pregnant female bed bug into your home. During her 4-month lifespan, she can easily lay over 200 eggs - eggs that hatch in about a week with the newborn nymphs already looking to you for their first blood meal. At that rate, it doesn't take long to find yourself with a heavy infestation.
Bed bugs everywhere
One of the most challenging aspects of a bed bug infestation is finding the hiding spots they use when not feeding. They hide in the smallest cracks and crevices. Bed bugs don't like to go far from their food source, so they are often hiding in and around mattresses, box springs, headboards, curtains and nearby in nightstands and inside all the picture frames and knick-knacks that we keep by us. For those of us who take naps, bed bugs are often found on sofas and recliners. Cribs are not immune from bed bugs either. These little buggers will even hide in nearby wall outlets, crawling through the plug holes. A thorough bed bug inspection is critical to determine the extent of the infestation and the areas that need to be treated.
Bed bugs on mattress
Once a bed bug infestation is identified, we vacuum every piece of furniture followed by a treatment. Depending on where the infestation is, the homeowner may need to wash, dry, and bag clothes and remove unnecessary clutter that is providing harborage for these insects. Our Cowleys strategy and protocol used to resolve bed bug infestations includes multiple visits and follow-up treatments. We continue to work with the homeowner until the infestation is definitively resolved. I recently completed treatment for a troublesome bed bug infestation for a homeowner in Plainfield, NJ. I took a number of photos showing bed bug activity in the home. This particular job was a pleasure because I had a cooperative customer who was as interested in getting rid of this infestation as I was. All of the recommended steps to help make the treatments most effective were followed. Sure enough, this bed bug infestation was quickly resolved. I was able to say good-bye to a happy homeowner who could now sleep without worrying about waking up to more itchy bed bug bites.