Bedbugs are a nuisance that many homeowners have to deal with. Getting rid of them effectively can be a challenge, especially if their infestation has been prolonged and extensive. If your residence has recently undergone pest control & bed bug treatment in Philadelphia PA, you may be wondering if you must keep worrying about these bugs returning.
If it’s been at least three weeks since your last professional bed bug treatment, you’ll know definitively if the treatment was successful or not. For starters, not seeing bed bugs crawling all over your furniture and floors is a good sign. This would mean the treatment has most likely been successful. However, this could also be a false sign. Bed bugs are notorious for hiding in all sorts of places. This means they could still be hiding and breeding in several areas of your house without your knowledge. Of course, ensuring their elimination requires professional treatment. If you’ve done such bed bug treatment yourself, you may have missed some of their colonies and hiding spots, making it likely that they’ll invade your residence again.
Gauging the Success of Bed Bug Treatment
Knowing whether or not bed bug treatment was successful involves looking out for signs of infestation. These signs include:
1)No Bites
Bed bugs are notorious for biting people. These bites cause itchy red spots on the skin. If you’ve had a bed bug infestation in your home, this was probably the first sign that alerted you to the problem. This is one of the first things to look out for after a bed bug treatment. If you’re not experiencing bed bug bites anymore, they’re likely gone for good. This means the treatment was successful.
2) No Live Bugs
Bed bugs tend to hide in specific areas like the seams of mattresses and cushions. A quick way to identify their presence is to look in such areas. If you fail to see live bed bugs in such areas or anywhere else in the house, it means the treatment was likely a success.
3) No Fecal Matter or Cast Skins
One of the most obvious signs of bed bug infestation in a house is the presence of their fecal matter in many hidden areas. Furniture and door joints, wall crevices, and cupboards are common areas where bed bug droppings will be spotted. These droppings tend to be dark brown in color, causing stains in areas where bed bugs have been. Not seeing such things after a bed bug treatment is a good sign that indicates success.
4) No Bed Bug Smell
Bed bug infestation tends to produce a distinct, musty smell in areas where their colonies are found. This can give a room a weird odor. If your residence has had a bed bug infestation for long, you’ll likely be familiar with the smell. It’s a good sign when you can’t detect this odor after a bed bug treatment.
The success (or failure) of any bed bug treatment greatly depends on several factors like:
1)Extent of Bed Bug Infestation
The extent of the original infestation is a critical factor in determining the success of bed bug elimination. Bed bugs tend to inhabit a lot of areas in a residence, including cushions of mattresses, sofa sets, chairs, bed frames, etc. A bed bug infestation that spans all these areas will be much more difficult to deal with. Such extensive infestation may require multiple rounds of thorough bed bug treatment.
2) Type and Size of Home
The larger the residence, the more places for bed bugs to hide. A disorganized living area with a lot of clutter provides a perfect place with numerous hiding spots for bed bugs. Similarly, the type of house is also a crucial factor. If your residence is part of a large multi-unit apartment complex or something similar, it makes it harder for a complete bed bug elimination. This is because the bed bug infestation will most likely have pervaded several other adjacent units. Treating your own home may not be as effective if the bugs can just cross over from a neighboring unit to re-colonize your residence. In such instances, any bed bug elimination efforts should include all the other units. It’s best to contact the property manager or owner before calling in professional bed bug elimination services. This ensures that all such efforts are concerted and all-sweeping.
3) Type and Thoroughness of Treatment
The method used to treat a bed bug infestation will determine its success. The most common methods include treatment with insecticides or heat. Depending on factors like the extent of an infestation and the type of room, one method may be preferable to the other. Using the wrong method of bed bug treatment may lead to unsatisfactory results, meaning the problem will likely persist.
All in all, if you’ve had bed bug treatment for some time, the lack of obvious signs of their presence is usually a good indicator of the treatment’s success.
