Pests We Treat - Client in Freehold relieved after quickly resolving bed bug problem - Bed Bug Removal in Freehold, NJ

One of our friendly dispatchers at Cowleys told me that my first stop of the day would be a residence in Freehold, NJ for a possible bed bug infestation. Upon arrival, I was cordially greeted by the homeowner who, while upset about her bug problem, was appreciative that I had come so quickly. I told her that, for us, bed bugs are a top priority since a localized infestation can quickly spread throughout a home. A Cowleys bed bug technician will quickly respond to a customer call. Often, there is only evidence of bed bugs such as unexplained bites or stains on the sheets, and live bed bug activity is not spotted. When not feeding, they tend to hide in the smallest cracks and crevices they can find. However, this homeowner actually saw some bugs crawling about. The next obvious question was where. She led me right to the bedroom where she saw a few crawling bugs.

I pulled the bed sheets back slowly. I wanted to minimize any movement so that I would not give the bugs a chance to scamper away or or get caught up in the sheets. If bed bugs are there, I want to find them. Sure enough, there he was. An adult bed bug was not even making an effort to escape. This was a very large bed bug who was still engorged from a recent blood meal. He was crawling around the bed like he owned it. Little did he know that his days were numbered. Whenever I see any live bed bug activity, I don’t delay. One bed bug is one bed bug too many. I vacuum them up as soon as I find them, keeping my trusty HEPA vacuum right beside me, plugged in, and ready for action. After sucking up all the live bugs, I place the linens into a plastic bag to be washed and dried with high heat immediately. This kills any of the bed bugs that are still hiding in the sheets.

Continuing with my inspection, I found a few tiny nymphs (baby bed bugs) on the bed frame. Finding nymphs requires a trained eye. They are much smaller than the adults, and translucent or whitish-yellow so they easily blend in with their surroundings. If not recently fed, nymphs can be nearly invisible because of coloring and size. After vacuuming up the nymphs, I applied a light chemical application to the crack and crevice areas of the box spring, mattress and surrounding areas. Once completed, I installed mattress and box spring encasements. Bed bugs are masters of stealth, and when not feeding, they look for the smallest nooks and crannies to hide.

A thorough inspection of the bedroom indicated that the bed bugs had not yet spread beyond the bed. Typically, bed bugs like to stay in close distance of their food, which happens to be our blood. Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed exclusively off the blood of mammals, and humans are their favorite food source. Fortunately, by all appearances, this homeowner contacted Cowleys at the first sign of trouble, and the infestation was still localized.

I scheduled a 2-week follow-up to determine if there is still bed bug activity. A Cowleys bed bug job is not done until the bed bugs are gone. At the end of this visit, after a couple of restless nights, the customer was finally put at ease. She told me that she could finally have a good night’s sleep knowing that the bed bugs were either removed or trapped inside the encasements so there would be no more bites from their evening feedings. I'm looking forward to the return visit to assess the bed bug activity and take any further steps as needed. I’m confident that this bed bug infestation will be resolved quickly.