Pest Control Exterminator & Attic Insulation in Lakehurst, NJ

I was dispatched to an apartment unit in Lakehurst to treat a bed bug infestation. Bed bug infestations are particularly common in apartments and other high density living arrangements like dormitories and nursing homes. Simply put, the more people coming and going, the more chance there is of a hitchhiking bed bug finding its way inside. In these cases, it is important to pounce on a bed bug problem quickly, so the infestation stays localized to specific areas and does not spread.

A thorough bed bug inspection must be systematic from top to bottom. During this particular inspection, I found something unusual: There were bed bugs congregating in the corners of the ceiling! Of course, bed bugs can hide anywhere and everywhere, but their favorite spots are those small, tight locations in and around bedding and other upholstered furnishings — those locations where its human hosts are resting or sleeping when its time for their blood meal.

During my initial conversation with the tenant, he told me that before he reported the problem to property management, he had attempted to self-treat the infestation himself. Often, as was the case here, DIY attempts make matters worse. All of those home remedies for getting rid of bed bug infestations googled on the Internet, from spraying isopropyl alcohol to spinning diatomaceous earth are ineffective. Customers wind up wasting money, and, even worse, lose valuable time, allowing the insect population to grow and spread, becoming even more entrenched. Those in the pest control business know of far too many horror stories of chemical poisoning because of people using the wrong type of pesticide, including products prohibited for indoor use, using too much pesticide, or applying it improperly. For example, certain products can cause skin reactions and should not be applied to mattresses.

In this apartment unit, the bed bugs exiled themselves to the ceiling because the tenant decided to self-treat with boric acid (see pic of product along with a few dead bed bugs). My partner technician and I explained to the tenant that self-treatment can pose a potential health hazard, and applying applications inside a home, without any training and technical understanding of how to do so, can be extremely dangerous. I explained that boric acid, another favorite Internet home remedy, was ineffective for bed bug control. Boric acid is a desiccant that dehydrates insects. If used at all, it should be limited to cracks and crevices to minimize inhalation risk. The boric acid pushed the bed bugs up into the corners of the ceiling, making the problem worse not only for himself, but also possibly spreading the infestation to other units.

I vacuumed up as much of the boric acid away from the baseboards as I could and then applied the correct professional treatment to get rid of this troublesome infestation.