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Welcome to another episode of Peskies Pest Control podcast here in Birmingham Alabama with Michael and Travis. We do this podcast as a community service for Birmingham, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Helena, Pelham and all other surrounding areas!
Michael Wienecke
So this podcast we always like to talk about issues that our customers are having or issues that somebody has called about and our real world experiences. So, today we’ve got a different one because it’s new for us. Something that we’ve been really excited to get into and that is bedbugs. bedbugs are no fun for anybody. So we just had a customer. They called couple of weeks ago, well, actually about a month ago, so they were getting bit by something, did a full inspection. found no signs of fleas, bedbugs, anything like that? ended up finally finding a dead bug bedbug in the bed, and they are relieved. So Travis, let’s talk more about bedbugs.
Travis McGowin
It does sound kind of funny when you say that someone was relieved that you found that you found a bedbug, but I get what you’re saying, you know, relieved that. Now we know what the problem is. And we could start working towards a solution. But you know, in terms of pest control, there’s not many other bugs, I think that strike fear into the heart of a homeowner or one of our customers, then you know the the words you have bedbugs. I had a really good friend of mine, who previously had a job that had him traveling all over the United States. He was gone multiple days a week, on and off airplanes in and out of hotels. And of course, inevitably what happened one day he came home, and the bedbugs came home with him. And so you know, he asked me, he said, What can we do? How can we get rid of this problem? What are some tips and ways that I can? Once we get rid of this problem? What are some ways that I can prevent this from happening again? So let’s kind of let’s kind of talk about that. First of all, some preventative things before we go into talking about inspection and treatment. But you know, one of my favorite things to tell people when they ask me is like when you go, for example on a trip and let’s just say you stay in a hotel, maybe an Airbnb, something of that nature, if they provide you with a means to keep your luggage and clothing and personal items off the floor. Please keep them off the floor. And I mean, am I right?
Michael Wienecke
Hang it up, hang it up. Yeah, I’ll say another thing too, because that’s how this customer that we have got bedbugs. Or we’re assuming that she got bedbugs this way, because they’ve never had a problem before. She went traveling right before Christmas to a couple of different locations. And lo and behold starts getting eat a lot of their house. And yeah, so keeping your luggage off the floor where those things can’t get to it hanging, hanging all of your clothes in a closet, you know how high off the floor. And even something if you want to go you know kind of to the extreme, which I would recommend because it’s a very expensive process getting rid of bedbugs is you can bought a little cups, they’re doughnut shaped cups, they go right up under the frame of the bed. They’re rigid on or they have texture on one side. So the bedbug can crawl over that texture and then it slides down into that, that doughnut hole and they cannot get out and that that’s going to definitively tell you hey, I’ve got bedbugs in this location.
Travis McGowin
Yeah, and, you know, even if you wanted to go as far as in addition to keeping your luggage off the floor, things like that. Even if you wanted to go as far as to taking you know, dirty clothing items bagging them up, right when you get home, you know, laundering them washing them and making I mean those those kinds of things will help you too but so let’s say a customer calls you for a an issue with bedbugs. You know, on a treatment level on an inspect I mean not a treatment level but an on an inspection level where do you start like what’s your what’s your methodology? Where do you start?
Michael Wienecke
So first is always going to be you know, the consultation with the customer looking at the baits, you know how much they’re getting bid. You know, if if they’re feeling like they’re getting bitten their sleep because you know, that that can be a telltale sign whether it’s fleas, bedbugs or you know, some kind of other parasitic something going on. So, with the US lost my train of thought so, so with with bedbugs, you know, like they’re gonna be getting bit at night there may be some blood spots in the in the bed. So that’s something you want to look for. And then of course, as you’re doing your inspection, you’re gonna be looking around the rim of the mattress, the frame, any kind of tubing behind, you know, the little holes where the screws are in on your, your bedframe because those little guys can can get in the tightest, darkest crack crevice. And the biggest thing is going to be the baits that’s that’s a huge identification, the blood spots where they’re feeding, and then of course The cast skins, so it just basically looks like a shed of a bedbug. So, those are those are the three things you’re looking for. And if you got all three of those, then you got bedbugs.
Travis McGowin
Oh goodness, well then let me say one thing, as gross as it may be. And as miniscule as it may be, maybe I can say this to kind of put the listeners mind at ease just just a small bit. bedbugs are not known to spread any types of disease or anything like that, from from them biting you, other than maybe your skin having a localized reaction or something like that. They are not typically known to spread disease and viruses from their bites.
Michael Wienecke
No, I would say the only the only issue with the bite is just potential infection. You know, if you if you are getting bit and you’re you’re waiting to have it treated or are just trying to figure out the problem, just just take care of it, you know, get it cleaned, making sure you don’t get any infections.
Travis McGowin
Alright, so you’ve ident you’ve received the call, you’ve inspected and con, had the consultation with the customer. And you’ve reached the point of prescribing some sort of recommendation for treatment to the customer. So tell us, how do you treat for bedbugs?
Michael Wienecke
So there’s two ways to treat for bedbugs. Here at pesquisa pest control, we chose heat, it’s chemical free. You know, you’re you’re heating that room up to 120 130 degrees and you are frying every bedbug every potential bedbug every thought of a bedbug in that in that building, there are chemical treatments you can do but we feel that heat is just above and beyond and you know that’s what we do here pesky is we always go above and beyond going to use the best products we can use the best modes of you know, getting rid of, of our customers problems.
Travis McGowin
Well and one more thing about the heat treatment best part of all is it is done in one treatment.
Michael Wienecke
That’s right. That’s right. Forgot to mention that so yeah, you know, we do come back and we will inspect but with with a heat treatment, if it’s done correctly. Like I said that 120 130 degrees for a certain amount of time. You’re not going to have a problem again.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
