How to Prevent Bed Bug Treatment from Failing in NYC

Bed bugs can be a persistent problem in NYC for the simple reason that they are hard to find. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure the health and safety of your family—and get a good night’s sleep. Here is how to prevent bed bug treatment from failing in NYC.

Why Do Some Bed Bug Treatments Fail?

Bed bug treatments tend to fail for three primary reasons—and they’re usually an issue during DIY attempts to kill bed bugs.

One is a focus on killing only visible bed bugs. A common misconception is that bed bugs spend all their time in and around the bed. So, on their own, a homeowner will try to exterminate the bed bugs that can be seen, but the majority of the bed bug population stays alive and well—since they were hiding, they were able to “escape” the treatment. In reality, exterminating nymphs and adults that have infested your bed doesn’t necessarily kill the eggs that are waiting to hatch.

Another failure is using chemicals that bed bugs are resistant to. Some homeowners will choose on-contact or time-release chemicals to exterminate bed bugs themselves. This approach may seem to work in the short term, but bed bugs have proven to develop resistance to these chemicals. When they make their presence known again, the challenge becomes how to apply more industrial-strength chemicals safely without harming family and pets.

Related: How Long Does Bed Bug Treatment Take in NYC?

Then, perhaps the most persistent failure is not being able to prevent re-infestation. A DIY effort does not account for re-infestation, which occurs when the eggs aren’t killed. It’s one thing to kill adults and nymphs, but since a single female can lay as many as 250 eggs in her lifetime—each of which will hatch within a week to 10 days—it’s vital that the eggs are destroyed during bed bug treatment as well.

Ensuring Bed Bug Treatment Success

At NY Bed Bug Dogs, we pride ourselves on being thorough and in ensuring that we take every measure necessary to exterminate all bed bugs in your home and prevent re-infestation.

That begins with an inspection. It could be the most important part of bed bug control—finding out where these pests are hiding when they’re not feeding. Bed bugs don’t just hang out around beds; they easily slip into cracks in floorboards, behind baseboards, under furniture, behind pictures, and even in electrical outlets—and worse, they are easily transported throughout the house in clothing, on pet fur, and they may be “imported” by hitching a ride on visitors’ clothing or used furniture. This is why, during our inspection, our technicians look for signs of bed bugs in every room of your home, not just the bedrooms.

To ensure the most thorough inspection, we use trained bed bugs dogs. Our dogs love what they do and they don’t give up! They do an amazing job of sniffing out bed bugs—including the eggs—with astonishing accuracy. Once we know where the bed bugs are, our extermination technicians will determine the best treatment plan to eliminate all of them in your home.

Related: What to Know About the Bed Bug Life Cycle and Treatment in NYC

Effective Bed Bug Extermination

Since bed bugs are prolific breeders and spend most of their time hiding, we don’t take chances. It’s vital to eliminate adults, nymphs, and eggs in every single location, including upholstered furniture and clothing. Cryonite freezing gets the job done. This non-toxic treatment literally freezes bed bugs in their tracks, across all stages of life.