It's been a long break from our countdown of the most disturbing things that we come across as pest management professionals, but we return today for our final installment with bed bugs!  Bed bugs are truly the #1 most disturbing pest that we encounter and the problem only seems to be getting worse.  We've written extensively about bed bugs before, so I won't reiterate everything here, but bed bugs are gross people!

Read our earlier blog on 6 Exciting Bed Bug Facts & Tips where there is more detail on how to check for bed bugs and how to keep them out of your home.  Here are a few of the most important things to remember.

1.  Bed bugs travel on people, so always check your beds at hotel rooms and don't sit any of your stuff on the bed before thoroughly checking it.  Here are some tips on checking your hotel room for bed bugs.

2.  Bed bugs do not transmit disease (at least it hasn't been proven yet), but they do a tremendous amount of pshycological damage to say the least.  Ask anybody who's had an infestation of bed bugs how well they slept during their ordeal.  Trust me, it wasn't very much.  People will go as far as sleeping in a plastic chair in the middle of the room to avoid being bitten...unfortunately that doesn't always work either!  Then comes the investment of getting rid of them.

3.  Nobody is impervious!  It doesn't matter how much money you make or how clean your house is (although that helps for a lot of other reasons, see our blog on German cockroaches and hoarders).  They've been found in hospitals, retirement homes, apartments, offices, airports, hotels of course, buses,subways...everywhere!  Even Jay-Z and Rihanna were forced to shut down their recording studio due to bed bugs!

4.  They can hide anywhere...and they will!  We've found bed bugs and eggs

 on the bottom of trophies, in books, lamps, picture frames, blinds, curtains, bedframes, cabinets, night stands, cracks in floorboards, outlet covers, lightswitch covers...anywhere and everywhere!

The most important thing to remember is it's up to you to keep your home free of this horrible pest.  Read our information or call us with further questions, but please make sure you're always checking the rooms you stay in, no matter where you go, because if you come visit my house afterwards and bring some home with you, we might not be friends for too long after that!  :-)

Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!

Attention: We're seeing a spike in swarming ants around Texas!  We've written extensively about swarming ants before where we've talked about why they swarm and how to protect your property.  Think of the swarmers as the "winged" ants you see floating in the pool, or dead around the window.  After a successful, often mid-flight mating encounter, these winged reproductive ants will land, strip off their wings, and find a suitable place to start a new colony.  Many ants like the contrast of colors provided by our manicured lawns and homes, and they settle down there (i.e. Swimming pools, sidewalks, driveways, and other areas where grass meets a different surface). 

Many different species of ant that take to the sky when searching for a mate, typically after rainfall.  See our other blog posts on swarming ants; Look Out for Flying Fire Ants, Have You Seen These Flying Ants, and 3 Signs of Flying Carpenter Ants.  

Lately, more often that not, it's been the Rover ant that we've seen.  Kim Schofield of Texas A&M Agrilife Extension writes a much more detailed and eloquent blog about the swarming rover ant than I could ever write.  Read her post here about dark rover ants where she speaks to their behaviors and how to identify them.  When we see rover ants in and around homes, we often find them close to a source of moisture.  That could mean swimming pools, a leaky hot water heater, dripping faucets, all sorts of things.

As she states in her article, there are non-chemical means that can help with control for ants such as these, but often require the help of a professional to completely control an infestation.  Rover ants can be challenging to control, but are included with our standard quarterly pest management services.  People often mistake swarming ants for termites and believe they have an even worse problem on their hands.  Luckily, a quick call to Venus Pest Company and we can set them straight!