Southeast Michigan

Bed Bug Treatment

Inspection, treatment, and follow-up visits for homes and businesses across Southeast Michigan.

  • Family-owned and veteran-led
  • Homes and businesses
  • Serving Southeast Michigan for over 25 years

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Bed Bugs

Bed Bug Treatment in Southeast Michigan

Bed bugs are small, flat, reddish-brown insects that feed on blood, mostly at night. During the day they hide in tight spots close to where people sleep and sit. They travel on luggage, used furniture, and clothing, and in multi-unit buildings they can spread between units.

Bed bugs aren't a sign of a dirty home. They turn up in houses, apartments, hotels, and businesses of all kinds.

We start with an inspection, treat the areas where bed bugs hide, and come back for follow-up visits to catch the ones that hatch after the first service.

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Adult bed bug
5 to 7 mmAdult length, about an apple seed
Can't fly or jumpThey crawl, and quickly
5 to 10 minutesTo take a full blood meal
Every 3 to 7 daysHow often they typically feed
Identification

What Bed Bugs Look Like

Adults are about the size and color of an apple seed. Nymphs are smaller and paler, and eggs are about the size of a pinhead. Bed bugs are often mistaken for ticks, cockroaches, and carpet beetles, so we confirm what you have during the inspection.

Adults

5 to 7 mm (3/16 to 1/4 inch)
  • Reddish-brown, flat, and oval, about the size of an apple seed
  • After feeding: swollen, longer, and more reddish
  • Small wing pads, but they can't fly or jump
  • Females have a rounded rear end. Males are more pointed.

Nymphs

1.5 to 4.5 mm
  • Straw-colored to light tan and nearly see-through
  • Bright red right after feeding, as the blood shows through
  • Five stages, each a little bigger and darker
  • Hard to spot until they feed

Eggs

1 mm (1/32 inch)
  • Pearly white, about the size of a pinhead
  • Glued in place in seams, cracks, and crevices
  • A dark eye spot shows after about 5 days
  • Hatch in about 6 to 10 days at room temperature

Signs of an infestation

Dark spots

Black or rust-colored dots on mattress seams and sheets. Fresh spots can bleed into fabric like ink.

Shed skins

Tan, empty skins left behind each time a nymph molts.

Eggs and egg shells

Pearly white, about 1 mm long, glued in seams, cracks, and crevices.

Blood smears

Rusty or red smears on sheets from bed bugs crushed after feeding.

Live bugs

Usually in mattress seams, box springs, bed frames, and headboards.

Bites

Itchy welts, sometimes in a line or cluster. Some people don't react at all, so bites alone don't confirm bed bugs.

Life Cycle

The Bed Bug Life Cycle

Bed bugs grow from egg to adult through five nymph stages. A nymph has to take a blood meal before it can molt into the next stage. At room temperature, the trip from egg to adult takes about 5 to 6 weeks.

6 to 10 daysfor eggs to hatch at room temperature
5 stagesof nymph, each needing a blood meal to molt
5 to 6 weeksfrom egg to adult at room temperature
1 to 7 eggsa day from a fed female, for about 10 days
Start

Egg

1 mm

Pearly white, about the size of a pinhead, and glued in place in seams and cracks. A dark eye spot shows after about 5 days.

Hatches in about 6 to 10 days
Nymph 1

1st stage nymph

1.5 mm

Straw-colored and nearly see-through. Easy to miss until it feeds.

Feeds, then molts in 5 to 8 days
Nymph 2

2nd stage nymph

2 mm

Pale yellow. Needs a blood meal before it can molt again.

Feeds, then molts in 5 to 8 days
Nymph 3

3rd stage nymph

2.5 mm

Pale tan. Leaves a shed skin behind with every molt.

Feeds, then molts in 5 to 8 days
Nymph 4

4th stage nymph

3 mm

Light tan and easier to spot, especially along mattress seams.

Feeds, then molts in 5 to 8 days
Nymph 5

5th stage nymph

4.5 mm

Close to adult size but lighter, with no wing pads yet.

Feeds, then molts into an adult in 5 to 8 days
Adult

Adult bed bug

5 to 7 mm

Reddish-brown, flat, and oval, like an apple seed (3/16 to 1/4 inch). Swollen and more reddish after feeding.

Lives about 6 to 12 months
Adults mate, females feed and lay eggs, and the cycle starts again

Size bars use the same 0 to 7 mm scale. Nymphs turn bright red right after feeding, then flatten as they digest. Times are typical for room temperature (70 to 80°F) with a person nearby to feed on. Cooler rooms and missed meals slow every stage. In a heated home, unfed bed bugs usually survive about 1 to 4 months.

Why follow-ups are 14 to 21 days apart

Many eggs survive the first treatment and hatch over the next week or two. Visit 2 treats those nymphs while they're still growing, well before any are old enough to lay eggs. Visit 3 catches late hatchers and any survivors.

Treatment visit Follow-up window Eggs hatching Nymphs growing New eggs possible
Treatment visitsCounted from visit 1
1
Visit 2
Visit 3
Surviving eggs hatchMost within 6 to 10 days
Most hatch
Cool rooms
Nymphs feed and growCan't lay eggs yet
Five nymph stages, a blood meal before each molt
New eggs possibleOnly if nymphs survive
About week 5 on
07142128354249
Days after the first service

Based on typical room temperature (70 to 80°F) with a person nearby to feed on. Cooler homes stretch out every stage, which is one more reason the third visit matters.

Where They Hide

Where Bed Bugs Hide

Bed bugs stay close to where people sleep and rest. Most are found in and around the bed, packed into seams, cracks, and joints.

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  • 1Mattress seams, piping, tufts, and tags
  • 2Box spring fabric, corners, and the frame inside
  • 3Headboard and bed frame joints, cracks, and screw holes
  • 4Nightstands drawers, joints, and undersides
  • 5Baseboards and carpet edges, especially behind the bed
  • 6Outlets and picture frames near the bed
  • 7Items stored under the bed, like boxes and bins
  • 8Curtain pleats near the bed

Next most likely: couches and recliners. Infestations that go on for a while can spread to other rooms and, in apartments, to neighboring units.

Treatment

How We Treat Bed Bugs

We treat bed bugs with professional insecticides. We don't offer heat treatment. Every service starts with an inspection so we know where to focus.

Inspection

A technician checks beds, furniture, and nearby cracks and crevices to find where bed bugs are hiding and how far they've spread.

Targeted treatment

Products go on bed frames, furniture, baseboards, cracks, and crevices. They keep working as bed bugs crawl over them.

Fogging

Most treatments also include fogging. Everyone, including pets, stays out of the home for at least 4 hours.

We recommend three services

1

Initial treatment

Start

Inspection, then treatment of the bed and furniture areas where bed bugs hide.

2

First follow-up

14 to 21 days after visit 1

Treats the nymphs that hatched from eggs that survived the first service.

3

Second follow-up

14 to 21 days after visit 2

Catches late hatchers and any survivors before they can lay eggs.

The same preparation applies before every visit, not just the first one. Completing every follow-up is one of the most important factors in a successful outcome.

Bed Bug Pricing

Bed bug treatments are priced separately from standard service plans. Contact us for a quote specific to your situation.

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Preparation

Before Every Visit

Complete these steps before the first service and again before each follow-up. Good preparation is one of the biggest factors in a successful outcome.

4hours

Plan to be out for at least 4 hours

All people and pets must leave during treatment and stay out for at least 4 hours afterward.

Told your treatment does not include fogging? No extended wait is needed. Stay off treated surfaces until they are dry, usually a couple of hours. Not sure? Ask your landlord or property manager, or contact us.

No store-bought foggers or sprays

Do not use store-bought foggers, bug bombs, or any DIY sprays before your service. These don't reach hiding bed bugs and can make the problem harder to treat.

Also handle these before treatment

Food: Store everything in sealed containers, cupboards, or the fridge.

Pets: Take all pets with you, including birds. Birds are highly sensitive to airborne pesticides.

Fish tanks: Cover the tank and turn off the air pump. Uncover once you return.

HVAC: If you control your thermostat, turn heating and cooling off. Turn it back on once you return.

3 things to do before we arrive

1

Vacuum

  • Vacuum all carpeted areas, mattresses, box springs, bed frames, upholstered furniture, and drawers. Focus on cracks and crevices.
  • Use the crevice tool and go slowly along the edges of each room. A slow, thorough vacuum does more than a quick pass.
  • Seal and discard the vacuum bag in an outside trash bin right after. For bagless vacuums, empty the canister into a trash bag, tie it, and take it outside. Then wash the canister with hot, soapy water, rinse it, and let it air dry.
2

Laundry and bagging

  • Wash all clothing, bedding, curtains, and valances per label instructions, then dry on the highest heat for at least 30 minutes. Don't overfill the dryer. Already-clean items can go straight into the dryer.
  • Put dried items straight into sealed plastic bags or tied trash bags. Keep them sealed until after treatment.
  • Coats, shoes, and purses: Many coats and sneakers can go in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes. Look over anything that can't, then seal it in a tied trash bag. The checklist covers each one.
  • Where to put the bags: In the middle of the room, away from the walls. A technician may move them to treat the floor underneath, then set them back once it dries.
  • Discard empty bags outside right away.
3

Clear access

  • Strip all linens from mattresses and box springs. Open sofa beds, strip them, and leave them open. A technician won't open a sofa bed.
  • Pull furniture, storage bins, and shoe racks about a foot away from walls. Large, heavy pieces like a big dresser can stay where they are.
  • Move light or fragile items yourself so a technician doesn't have to handle them.
  • Empty nightstands, dressers, and low shelves near beds and couches so a technician can reach all areas.
  • If storage, utility, or furnace rooms are part of your treatment, pull bins and boxes away from the walls and give open cardboard boxes a quick look.

No need to bag these

Just pull anything against a wall about a foot out.

  • ✓ Pots, pans, and other kitchenware
  • ✓ Items a few feet up on wall shelves (check any open boxes)
  • ✓ CDs, DVDs, and media towers
  • ✓ Sealed plastic storage bins

Full preparation checklist

Every step in detail, plus how to handle shoes, purses, coats, and storage rooms, and answers to common prep questions.

View the Checklist
FAQ

Bed Bug Questions

No questions match that search. Call or text us at (866) 453-7221 and we'll answer directly.

No. We treat bed bugs with professional insecticides. Heat treatment isn't a service we offer.
We recommend three services: the initial treatment plus two follow-ups, each 14 to 21 days after the previous service. Your quote will list the services for your situation.
Bed bug eggs are resistant to pesticide, so many survive the first treatment. They hatch over the next week or two, and follow-ups treat those nymphs before they're old enough to lay eggs. Completing every follow-up is one of the most important factors in a successful outcome.
14 to 21 days after your previous service. Not sooner and not later. You can schedule it anytime: call or text us, or set it up with your technician at the visit.
About 5 to 6 weeks at room temperature. Eggs hatch in about 6 to 10 days. The nymph then goes through five stages and needs a blood meal before each molt. Cooler rooms and missed meals slow it down.
A fed female lays about 1 to 7 eggs a day for roughly 10 days, then feeds again. Under ideal conditions, a population can double about every 16 days.
In a heated home, usually about 1 to 4 months. In cold conditions, around 55°F or below, some can last a year or longer.
No. Adults have small wing pads, but they can't fly, and they don't jump. They crawl, and they can move quickly across floors, walls, and furniture.
The whole home or unit. With fogging, the product moves through the air beyond the treated rooms, so everyone, including pets, must be out for at least 4 hours.
Once the 4-hour re-entry period has passed. If your treatment did not include fogging, once treated surfaces are dry. Clean linens can go back on right away, including on sofa beds. A mattress encasement is recommended.
Same as the bed. Once the 4-hour re-entry period has passed. If your treatment did not include fogging, once treated surfaces are dry.
No. Keep sleeping in your own bed. Bed bugs looking for a host will cross the treated areas and contact the product. If you move to another room or home, they are very likely to follow and spread.
Very likely, for a week or two. The product keeps working as bed bugs travel over it, and eggs continue to hatch between visits. Seeing some activity is normal. Let us know if it is not tapering off.
Not right away. Avoid mopping or wet-cleaning along treated baseboards and floor edges for at least two weeks, or until you are no longer seeing any bed bug activity. The product leaves a residual where bed bugs travel. Water over it will wash it away and reduce its effectiveness.
Not necessarily. A mattress encasement combined with professional treatment can often allow you to keep your mattress. We'll advise you during the inspection based on the condition of the mattress and the extent of the infestation.
Products are applied according to label directions. Once the re-entry period has passed and treated areas are dry, people and pets can return. If anyone in the home has been advised of a pesticide sensitivity by a healthcare provider, tell us before treatment so we can plan accordingly.
The products we use can affect other crawling insects, so you may notice a reduction in pests like ants or roaches. The treatment is targeted at bed bugs, though, and is not a substitute for treating another pest. Let us know if you are seeing something else and we can quote that separately.
Bed bugs travel on luggage, clothing, used furniture, and other items. In multi-unit buildings they can also spread between units. They are not a sign of poor hygiene. Anyone can get bed bugs.
Bed bug treatments are not guaranteed. Bed bugs are often carried in on personal belongings, and in multi-unit buildings they can also spread between units, so reintroduction is always possible. Following the preparation checklist and completing all follow-up visits significantly improves results.

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Family-owned and veteran-led. Serving Southeast Michigan for over 25 years.

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