Below is a list of tips to ensure your pets are happy and safe during and after your next pest control treatment. 

Tell your provider 

If you have a pet, tell your provider when you book your pest control service, as they may need to tailor the treatment. Before the treatment begins, always discuss any concerns you may have with the office or with a pest control specialist. 

Before the treatment starts, make sure you remove any water/food bowls, toys or bedding if they are in the treatment area.

Secure your pets 

Pets are often curious and may try to investigate new sounds and smells in their home. Our technicians love meeting your pets; however, sometimes, that curiosity can bring them too close to our treatment and increase the chance of something going wrong.

You will need to keep your pests safely secured while our pest technician is carrying out work. We often recommend leaving your pets with a friend or at a kennel for the day of the treatment. If this isn’t an option for you, close them in a room that isn’t being treated and make sure you use a towel to block any gaps in doorways. For example, if you have a pest problem in your kitchen, you may want to put your them into your garage or bedroom. Make sure cats or dogs can’t sneak back inside if you placed them outside for the treatment. 

Feathery And Fishy Friends

We need to know if you have birds, fish or reptiles kept in tanks or cages inside. Please don’t be upset if we can’t treat a room where you have birds, fish, reptiles or other such pets that can’t be relocated. Our job is to make sure we keep you and your pets safe during pest treatments. 

Ideally, you will relocate them somewhere safe during the treatment. However, this is not always practicable so at the very minimum you need to cover tanks including filters with a nonpermeable fabric. Make sure there are no gaps where air can enter. Be careful when doing this, as if the power is on the heat from the covered motor may create a fire hazard. Make sure any food or equipment you use is put away or covered. 

If you are worried, we recommend calling your veterinarian to ask if the pesticide will react with your pet. Some birds have susceptible respiratory systems and may be prone to problems. 

Important note about rodent treatments

When carrying out rodent control, it’s important that you tell us if you have a dog or if dogs frequent your property. Rodenticide is toxic and harmful to humans and pets. It can be lethal to dogs. THE ANTIDOTE IS VITAMIN K1. If you have a dog, we recommend you check that your local vet has stock. We use lockable tamper-proof stations to hold bait (rodenticide), which are designed to help protect people and pets from accidental exposure to the bait inside. While we take the utmost care to ensure stations are secure and out of reach from pets, we can’t guarantee that your pet won’t access the bait inside. 

Are you still worried? Please speak with A-Jet Pest Control today. They are knowledgeable and always happy to answer any concerns you may have. 

Hire A Professional 

Most importantly, if you have pets avoid doing the treatment yourself. If you don’t know how to apply the pesticide correctly or if you use the wrong amount, you run the risk of unintentionally poisoning your pet. In saying that, no two pest control companies are created equal. If you’re looking for the safest and most effective service, ensure you hire a certified PMANZ (Pest Management Association NZ) technician. If you still have concerns about your pet’s safety, contact A-Jet Pest Control for free advice or a quote. Our founder was the past president of PMANZ, so we know what we’re talking about! 

Fact 1: Bed Bugs Can Survive for Months Without Feeding

Bed bugs have a remarkable ability to survive without a blood meal for months. They can enter a state of dormancy, known as diapause, which allows them to withstand periods of starvation. This resilience makes it challenging to eliminate them completely without professional intervention.

Fact 2: They Are Not a Sign of a Dirty Home

Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not attracted to dirt or filth. They are attracted to warmth, carbon dioxide, and human blood. Even the cleanest homes can fall prey to a bed bug infestation, as these pests can hitch a ride on luggage, clothing, or used furniture.

Fact 3: Bed Bugs Don’t Fly or Jump

Unlike other common household pests, such as fleas or mosquitoes, bed bugs cannot fly or jump. They rely on crawling to move from one location to another. This is why they are often found in close proximity to beds and other areas where humans spend a significant amount of time.

Fact 4: They Are Mostly Nocturnal Creatures

Bed bugs are primarily active during the night when their human hosts are asleep. They are attracted to the warmth and carbon dioxide emitted by sleeping individuals. This nocturnal behaviour makes it challenging to detect a bed bug infestation until it becomes severe.

Fact 5: Bed Bugs Can Live in More Places Than Just Your Bed

While beds and mattresses are common hiding spots for bed bugs, they can also be found in other areas of your home. They can infest furniture, cracks in walls, electrical outlets, and even clothing.

Fact 6: Bed Bugs are Very Resilient

Bed bugs are hardy insects and have built up resistance to many pesticides. That’s why most off the shelf DIY treatments almost never work. In fact, bed bugs are known to run and hide when they detect these low-grade treatments, spreading the infestation even further throughout the property. Save yourself money in the long run, get a professional pest control company to treat the infestation before it becomes out of control. 

Fact 7: Bed Bugs Don’t Transmit Disease

Although bed bug bites can cause itching, redness, and discomfort, they are not known to transmit any diseases to humans. The primary concern with bed bug infestations is the psychological distress, itching, and potential allergic reactions experienced by individuals who are sensitive to their bites.

Fact 8: You May Not Immediately Know You’ve Been Bitten 

It can take several weeks for some individuals to develop visible signs of bed bug bites. This delayed reaction can make it challenging to identify the source of the problem and may lead to further infestation if not addressed promptly.

Fact 9: Bed Bugs Aren’t Invisible, but They Can Be Easily Missed

Bed bugs are small and flat, ranging in size from 1mm to 7mm. While they are visible to the naked eye, their ability to hide in tiny cracks and crevices makes them difficult to spot.

Fact 10: There Is a Way to Eliminate a Bed Bug Problem

If you discover a bed bug infestation in your home, it’s essential to seek professional help. Bed bugs are notoriously challenging to eradicate without proper treatment. Pest control professionals have the knowledge, expertise, and tools to effectively eliminate bed bugs. If you’re ready to say goodbye to these unwelcome house guests, call A-Jet Pest Control today.

So what do bed bugs look like? Bed bugs typically have the following characteristics that make them easy to identify:

Bed bug size: Nymphs or young bed bugs are 1.5-4.5 mm long. Adult bed bugs, on the other hand, are 5-7 mm in length. That’s more or less the size of an apple seed.

Bed bug colour: Unfed mature bed bugs have a rusty brown colour. After feeding, they appear red-brown. As for the nymphs, they are usually translucent or whitish-yellow. Unfed nymphs are sometimes not easy to spot with the naked eye.

Bed bug shape: Adult bed bugs have a flat, oval-shaped body. Nymphs look like smaller versions of adult ones.

Bed bug life cycle

Bed bugs grow and develop in a process known as incomplete metamorphosis. Unlike other insects that evolve in four stages (egg, larva, pupa, and adult), bed bug eggs hatch and the nymph goes through different stages before maturing.

Egg

After mating, bed bugs can lay one to five pearl-white eggs each day. Well, a healthy female bug can lay up to 500 eggs in her life span. Each egg is approximately 1 mm long, which is about the size of a pinhead or two grains of salt. The bed bugs are quite strategic, as they lay eggs into tight cracks and crevices.

Nymph

Eggs hatch into nymphs in 6 to 10 days. Newly hatched bugs pass through 5 moulting stages before they mature. The bed bug colour gets darker with each moult. Another thing worth mentioning is that nymphs need to feed on blood at least once in each stage.

Size of nymphs in the five moulting stages

Stage 1: nymphs (1.5 mm)

Stage 2: nymphs (2 mm)

Stage 3: nymphs (2.5 mm)

Stage 4: nymphs (3 mm)

Stage 5: nymphs (4.5 mm)

During these stages, the bed bugs shed the outer exoskeleton. Generally, nymphs can complete moulting within 5 to 6 weeks under normal circumstances.

Adult

After bed bugs moult five times, they become sexually mature. They have a rusty brown colour, thanks to the blood they’ve been digesting. Adult bugs will feed approximately once every 5 to 10 days.

What’s the most effective way to get rid of bed bugs?

Many people in Auckland often try DIY approaches such as bug ‘bombs’ for bed bug treatments. However, bedbugs are very resilient to these treatments. Then by the time you get around to booking a professional bed bug pest technician, the problem will have gotten much worse. These tiny bugs are extremely difficult to eliminate because they hide in a variety of hard-to-find places and multiply quickly. They can also stay dormant without a food source for months.

We highly recommend calling in a local pest control company in with experience in bed bug treatment. They will also be able to determine you if you have bed bugs or fleas.

At A-Jet Pest Control we specialize in getting rid of bedbugs. We use proven specialised pest control methods and techniques including an effective non-chemical treatment on your bed and soft furnishing plus a residual treatment around the room. We will also install special ‘buglock’ mattress and base encasements.

By working with us we can save you time, money and itchy bites while giving you professional advice to avoid future infestation. Give us a call today to book in a treatment or if you have any questions about bedbugs or our treatment methods, we’re here to help!

Their ability to hitchhike allows them to spread very quickly. They latch onto clothes, suitcases, and all kinds of fabric. They feed on host blood and although their main target is humans, they can also feed on pets and other warm-blooded animals. Bed bugs are tiny, and people can easily confuse their bites with those of other household pests. See our article on bed bug bites vs flea bites for more info.

What to Do if You Find Bed Bugs

If you have found bed bugs or suspect that the bites on your body are from bed bugs you should contact your local pest control specialist immediately. Try to photograph or keep any insects you find to show your pest control technician to make sure they are bed bugs.

We strongly advise against trying to treat bed bug problems yourself. Flea bombs or other DIY treatments are not recommended – bed bugs are notoriously resilient and are extremely difficult to eradicate. You will need a qualified pest control technician who is experienced in bed bug treatment. Inexperienced pest control technicians may cost you more in the long term.

For accommodation businesses like hotels and backpackers, ensure all adjoining rooms are inspected to help contain the infestation. If it is your home, make sure your pest control technician carries out a thorough inspection of affected areas. To prevent the spread of bed bugs, try to contain and isolate affected rooms and belongings. If you need to remove anything, make sure to seal them in a bag if possible. Your technician will tell you if you need to throw away any furniture or belongings.

How A-Jet gets rid of bed bugs

We travel throughout the Auckland region carrying out specialised beg bug treatments. We use a proven combination approach to ensure bed bug infestations are eradicated. Where there is direct skin contact (e.g. mattress, bed, soft furnishings) we use a non-toxic, non-allergenic treatment called Cryonite – a carbon dioxide snow-like solution. This freezes live bed bugs and kills them. The carbon dioxide used is a by-product of an industrial process, so it adds no extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere making it environmentally friendly.

We ensure that buglock encapsulations are on the mattress and base (where possible). This contains any new hatching nymphs. We also apply a residual chemical treatment to areas where there is no direct skin to skin contact.

With more than 30 years successfully dealing with bed bugs and other urban pests throughout the Auckland area, A-Jet can help you to put end to that annoying bed bug infestation. By calling in the professionals, you will avoid going through all the hassle and have peace of mind that the problem gets sorted before it spreads. Get in touch.

What do bed bugs look like?

It is tricky to identify these guys because they are so jolly small so to help out we made a dedicated post on what bed bugs look like. An adult bed bug is roughly half a centimeter in size, and their children measure in at a whopping 2 to 5 millimeters. Keep those eyes peeled for little flat, oval-shaped, rusty coloured apple seeds with 6 legs, 2 antennae and no wings, and should you find them, grab your magnifying glass because the baby bugs are still translucent and the tiny eggs are a cream colour, making them even harder to spot. 

Image: Wikimedia Commons

What do fleas look like?

These are even harder to inspect than bed bugs as they’re roughly the size of a baby bed bug, a whole 3mm. They are, however, great bed bug impersonators. They’re the same rusty colour, they’re also flat, and they don’t rely on wings to travel.

They give themselves away in that they just can’t help jumping, they love it, it’s how they get around, and their back legs are designed for it, unlike bed bugs who merely crawl to their desired destinations. So should you get close enough to a flea (before it jumps away), you’ll notice their very long back legs which afford them the ability to jump an impressive 30cm, making it one of the best jumpers out there. Read out full article on the different types of fleas you find in New Zealand for more info.

Where are bed bugs found?

Bed bugs are the undisputed hide and seek champions of the world. Their tiny bodies are perfectly suited to hard-to-find hiding spaces. Furthermore, they’re nocturnal. They love to hide under bed frames, behind headboards, in electrical outlets, in springs, on the corners of mattresses, behind wall paper, on the back of paintings and frames and in furniture crevices. These nasty pests are also incredibly committed to hiding. They’ll hide for up to 4 months after gorging themselves on your blood. If you’ve found bed bugs in these locations see how to get rid of them.

Image: Louento.pix on Flickr

Where are fleas found?

After hatching, the flea’s only intent is to protect itself, and carpet fibres, mats and floors are the perfect places to do so. As they get older, fleas, like most humans, begin to love pets, they just have an unorthodox way of showing it; they suck their blood and take over their beds. The juiciest parts of our beloved fur children are their necks, backs and underside areas, which is where fleas take up residence in order to take full advantage of the buffet. Apart from that, they also quite enjoy the great outdoors, taking a liking to places that offer both shade and humidity, like long grass, shrubs trees and leaves. 

What do bed bug bites look like?

Considering where bed bugs live, their bites tend to appear mostly from the waistline up; you’ll generally find bites on your hands, shoulders and neck, and occasionally on your legs. Bed bug bites form in clusters or lines, with multiple bites appearing in one area. They become red, swollen and itchy and have a defining dark spot in the middle of each bite. 

Image: louento.pix on Flickr

What do flea bites look like?

Flea bites tend to appear mostly from the waistline down, especially on your ankles, given that they prefer the safety of the carpet in your home, shrubs in your garden or the fur on your pets. Flea bites are also raised, red and itchy, but their bites are more spread out (remember, they love jumping) and, if infected, can form a white pustule in the middle of the bite. 

Image: Michael Voelker on Flickr

How do you get rid of fleas?

Flea extermination is more straightforward, and thus approximately half the cost of bed bug extermination. Residual product (product that is absorbed by the pests when walking over it) is applied to carpets and floors where it actively works for several weeks, ensuring fleas hatching over the next few weeks will be dealt with accordingly.

In order to ensure the residual product functions optimally, do not wash or vacuum floors for at least 10 days after treatment. Powder treatment is then applied outside and underneath your house to prevent camping fleas from heading inside. Simple, effective, and much easier on your wallet, so let’s hope those bites belong to fleas.

Although similar in so many ways, the aforementioned differences between fleas and bed bugs are clear enough for you to identify which critter is squatting in your home. However, if you’re still unsure, or are extra cautious, most bed bug treatment or flea removal specialist will offer an inspection service where they’ll accurately diagnose the problem, equipping them with the best knowledge to inform their treatment.