There are many techniques and products to help control bed bugs, but one of the products ChemTec Pest Control may use is a bio-pesticide. Aprehend® is a natural fungal disease of insects called Beauveria bassiana. It contains a special combination of oils that enables the application of the Beauveria conidia (spores) to adhere to surfaces, where they remain attached until encountered by a bed bug. The conidia remain dormant on the sprayed surface and will only germinate when they come into contact with a bed bug. This is how Aprehend® remains effective for up to 3 months after application.
There are no chemical toxins in the Aprehend® formulation.
Beauveria is a natural disease of insects. It infects an insect by direct contact and does not need to be eaten to initiate an infection. Aprehend® contains the conidia of Beauveria. These microscopic “seeds” readily attach to the insect’s cuticle (insectskin). Once attached, the conidia germinate and penetrate directly through the cuticle and gain access to the insect’s blood system. The fungus then grows inside the insect, using the blood as a food source. Very soon the insect becomes sick and dies from the fungal infection. In bed bugs, this takes 3-7 days.
We recommend bed liners like Protect-A-Bed or Active Guard mattress liners.
Service is for the whole residence and includes a FREE inspection/retreat after 14 days. You are covered by a 30-day warranty. However, additional treatments beyond that may be necessary. Exact prices are not quoted until we examine your room(s).
All pesticides used by a licensed pest control company are child-friendly and pet-friendly when dry.
Weird and Wacky Bed Bug Facts
With all the attention bed bugs have been getting, you might think you know everything about these pests. You know they feed on us while we sleep, cause itchy, red bumps, and they’re difficult to get rid of. But these pests have many secrets that you might be surprised to learn.
Fact 1: Bed bugs can live anywhere. Most people think of hotels when they think of bed bugs. However, bed bugs can thrive in single-family homes, apartments, hospitals, college dorm rooms, office buildings, schools, buses, trains, movie theaters, retail stores, and almost anywhere that humans are.
Fact 2: Bed bugs aren’t just city dwellers. Bed bugs don’t just live in big cities or third-world countries. You can find them in all 50 states!
Fact 3: Bed bugs are hardy. Bed bugs can live for many months without feeding on blood. They can linger in your furniture, bags, and suitcases for a long time waiting for a human host to get near to them again. They can also survive temperatures of nearly freezing to 122 degrees.
Fact 4: Bed bugs are smart. Bed bugs are elusive as a survival instinct. They instinctively stay out of view during the daytime, hide in mattress crevices, box springs, baseboards, behind electrical switch plates, in picture frames, and even behind your wallpaper. But during the night, the carbon dioxide we exhale can tempt them out of their hiding places.
Fact 5: Bed bugs are methodical. The feeding pattern of bed bugs is predictable. After they find a host, a bed bug will usually feed for 5-10 minutes. Sometimes their feeding pattern is jokingly referred to as breakfast, lunch, and dinner since bites will commonly be found in a pattern. The bite marks they leave behind are the signs of a bed bug infestation.
Fact 6: Bed bugs could have a degree in anesthesiology. Ever wonder why bed bugs don’t wake up their human hosts when they feed? The components in their saliva act as an anesthetic and promote increased blood flow at the bite site — making their feed quick and nearly painless for the host.
Fact 7: Bed bugs and your pets. Bed bugs don’t live on pets or spend as much time on your pet as the more common pests (such as fleas, ticks, lice and mites), but they can bite your pets. We also know that bed bugs are very efficient hitchhikers so it’s possible that bed bugs could also hitchhike in your pet’s fur or its bedding or clothing.