Tuesday, February 15, 2011

How do you get rid of bed bugs?

You call the PROFESSIONALS!



You remember my lamenting here right?  Well, we've been battling them.  Freezing, heating, reading everything on the internets we could get our hands on but just couldn't do it on our own.  And trust me, we had no major infestation, but some nonetheless.

Splenda, as always, was doing his researching, trying the techniques (see above) that he could come across when we finally threw in the towel and found this company.

Spider Spray.


They were even featured on the local news

Go ahead and click the links and check them out.   Not now of course, but when you're done reading my sad little saga - THEN go click the links and check them out.

Splenda finds them, calls one of the owners Kevin Thorne and sets up a time for Kevin and his bug sniffing dog to come out and do a check.  Yeah, that's right a BUG SNIFFING DOG!
(yes that is Radar - no that is not my bed - image swiped from their website)
.
Kevin came, did a visual inspection, found a few and then let Radar loose to confirm.  The verdict?  Yes, we have bed bugs.  Major infestation?  No.  But you wait long enough and you will.

They came within a couple of days, and completely pulled my house apart.  We had a list of things to remove to avoid damage, and we planned to actually not be living here for a couple of days, but these guys were good enough to get the job done without us having to spend a night away from home.

One day to do the entire upstairs, another day to do the entire downstairs.  As you learn from their website, heat treating is the only proven effective way to eradicate the buggers, so I enjoyed some unusually warm temps while Splenda worked on trying to cool the treated places down. 

Props to Kevin's staff.  Great young men who were courteous, professional and laughed at my jokes.  What more can I ask for?

Kevin himself is a rockstar.  The first night he spent 2 and half hours with us, going through the rooms, discussing the bugs, how they live, how they feed, how they travel, how you get them etc...... NGL - I was a little skeeved out and ready to just toss a match and walk away from my house.
He, however, ensured us that we could get rid of them and then discussed how we can avoid them in the future.



He was a good sport to video with me and we are super pleased with their work.  So pleased that we made a deal about some advertising for him.  I really didn't realize what a problem it was, not just everywhere across the USA, but right here in my own state.  With all the traveling that I do, I am now skeered to death of a hotel room!.  I figured if I didn't know, there has to be others out there that no idea either.  In fact, Kevin shared some stories of how he had gone into homes and the owner had no idea that they were infested with bed bugs. They never saw bites (no reaction to them) so therefore had no clue.

Maybe not a bad idea to give your bedrooms a good check and then call these guys if you are in doubt, find them, or just plain have questions.  They are your go-to-guys.

And for some extra incentive on getting the word out for their company, I'm doing a little give away.  But there most definitely has to be some rules.

1.  Link to this page on your blog with a small advertisement yourself - one entry - come back and let me know with a link.
2.  Facebook about them and link to their website - another entry - come back and let me know with a link

Contest will be up until Friday February 25th.  At that time, a winner will be randomly selected and prizey will be mailed.  What is prizey?  That announcement will be forthcoming. 

Once this giveaway is over, I will be taking this blog private.  More details on that coming as well.

So, go to - click the links, educate yourselves on the bed bugs, get the word out and if necessary - call them for your exterminating needs. 
PS - If you do end up calling them, tell them M-Cat sent ya - if for no other reason than Kevin will prolly remember the crazy lady and laugh.
PSS - the video is out on youtube - hit so it gets a lot of attention
PSSS - Kevin's wife is due any minute - send some good vibes their way for a safe delivery of their new little one!

25 comments:

Jewls said...

oh my hecka...I'm so glad that we rent so if I DO find any buggers on my examination I can just move, lol!

LKP said...

WOW! how did i miss the bed bug news? that's sucky. so glad that kevin came and saved the day! i don't know that i want to EVER travel again! yikes. if i do, i think i'll only sleep in a white ET bubble/tent. >P love you!
::hugs::
(great hair in the video, btw. looking hawt!)

CB said...

Yeah I've been reading about the buggers for awhile. We like to travel, my husband travels for work, you have guests and kids and people coming and staying in our home - I figure with how fast the epidemic is growing it's just a matter of time for everyone.
I'm glad you found something that worked to get rid of them.
I keep wondering what they did in the old days to get rid of them? Did people just live with them? Crazy little bug dudes - ick!!
So glad you are bug free!!

alpinekleins said...

he he he, that's quite the story! Man, I hate bugs, I'm skeered to death they will head my way!

Kristin

tammy said...

Luvpilot always puts his suitcase on the foldout luggage thingy at the hotel. Is that safe? And he never has his luggage with the passengers', so that makes me feel a little better. But.....now I'm gonna worry anytime we go anywhere! Kevin will come to AZ, right?

Pedaling said...

glad you called the professionals!
Now you can rest in peace, so to speak.

" Hit It......." said...

I loved the video! You are a hoot! I will tell you; I am now afraid to stay in hotels. When we were in San Diego this past fall, we checked into our hotel recommended on the internet. Once in the room, I was afraid to walk on the floor. We promptly left and went over to a 300.00 a night hotel( I didn't care).

Bye.

p.s. Cissy sounded so cute in the background.

gigi said...

Wow!! And just how cute are you? I love your cute voice.
I can't tell you how much this scares me too! Bed bugs suck!!

Private? I hate that you have to do that and I hate nasty people!!

Martha H. said...

I'm still itching from our conversation on Monday. Ick!

Anonymous said...

yikes! glad you got it fixed.
good job on the video. :) and thanks for the tips.

Ann Marie said...

Since your last post.. I have been freaked! My Dad and Mom are in Hawaii.. and I was schooling them with what you told me.

SOOOOO Grateful to know that there are professionals that can take care of them.

I was hoping you were going to list the tips you learned to prevent them and such!

Hope you are now bug free!!!

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

Ok you have me deciding if I am going to let Howie in the house when he gets back from florida/Canada. Maybe not.

Glad they were so efficient in helping you get your house back.

CountessLaurie said...

I LOVE YOUR VOICE! Not what I imagined.. not really sure what I did imagine, but I want your voice... ok, now that I have completely creeped you out...

Bedbugs - This is a huge worry of mine. I am glad you got rid of them. Thanks for the info. I would have tried for months to get rid of them. If they make their way over, I will make a call.

Lara Neves said...

For some reason I can't see your video. Probably my computer.

Anyway, ewww! I'm so glad you found these guys and are able to finally get rid of the icky things. I was just listening to a terrible news story on NPR about bedbugs and it scared me to death!

And I love that they have a bedbug sniffing dog. That is pure awesome.

Jamie said...

So if heat is the treatment, does bazillion degree summers make me exempt? I wish... Glad you have been pronounced clean and bug free!

wendy said...

I think I put on your facebook page about our incident with bedbugs last summer....spent the night at a hotel in British Columbia...It was a very nice hotel. I opened the sheets, and noticed a little "something something" by the pillow....picked it up and it moved in my hand. I freaked and showed hubby. He said THAT IS A BED BUG.
Now he refuses to spend the night at any hotel....not realistic, but we will totally tear the bed apart before sleeping in it that's for sure.

wendy said...

that kinds sucks that you have to go private..........but no matter where you go, no matter how far...I will find you (do you know what that's from)
the movie Last of the Mohicans.(sp)

Omgirl said...

So share some knowledge here (don't make me GOOGLE IT)...how DO you get them? and how can you keep from getting them if you dont'???

Cheeseboy said...

Saw this on facebook. I want one of those dogs!

Loralee and the gang... said...

Ick...part of me wants to clean my house top to bottom, and part of me just doesn't want to know....

Missy said...

Always call the professionals!!
I hope you are taking some of us with you when you go private...

NLG Attorney said...

This is a public blog. There was nothing "cowardly" about my post; what is cowardly is you responded to my post without publishing it. My, things must be getting frightening in that bubble you have created, the bubble that is about to burst!

Heather said...

You are super cute in that video. That's all.

rthompson said...

I think you missed your calling...you should be on the big screen! :)

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