Keeping Your Home Pest Free And Your Family Safe

Posted on: 29 September 2016

Although bed bugs are large enough to see with your eyes, these sneaky pests simply aren't always that easy to spot. Fortunately, you can successfully diagnose a bed bug problem much more efficiently through the use of certain tools. If you suspect that you have bed bugs in your home, read on. This article will introduce you to three helpful devices to help you find out for sure.

Interceptors

Interceptors, also known as passive monitors, are the simplest means of detecting these bugs. They amount to basic traps that are placed beneath the legs of your bed and other pieces of furniture. In its eagerness to migrate from one piece of furniture to another, the bed bug climbs up the coarse outer wall of the interceptor and falls into a slippery inner ring. There it remains trapped until you come along to find it. 

Interceptors are a highly accurate means of detecting bed bugs. Yet their principal drawback is that the speed with which they deliver their results are directly tied to the severity of the infestation. In other words, those with a relatively advanced bed bug problem will be able to rapidly verify it through the use of interceptors. Yet if the infestation is still in its early stages, it may take a much longer time before a bed bug happens to bumble into the trap.

Active Monitors

Active monitors are a great way to increase the speed of your detection process. These traps utilize specific attractants to lure in bed bugs. Perhaps the most common attractant used is simple carbon dioxide gas, to which bed bugs are inexplicably but strongly drawn. Other active monitors may utilize other chemicals, or even heat, to attract bed bugs.

Unfortunately, active monitors tend to be much more expensive than interceptors. This limits their use to certain areas of the home—generally the bedroom. To increase your chances of detection, while keeping costs at a minimum, consider using a handful of selectively placed active monitors along with interceptors.

A Well Trained Dog

Canine scent detection is one of the most effective means of identifying bed bugs in the home. In fact, a well trained dog may be capable of detecting even a single live bed bug. Unfortunately, due to the relative newness of this technique, there are still large disparities between the quality of various scent detection programs. Do a little bit of research about the scent detection companies in your area. Don't hesitate to ask a company for past references, as this is often the best way to determine the effectiveness of their dogs. 

For more information, contact local professionals like Garrie Pest Control.