Bed bug jobs can be difficult. The truth is, when that happens, it is almost always something the customer has done or information they won’t tell us. I don’t know about you, but if I was spending a bunch of money to stop a nightmare like bed bugs, I would do everything I was told to a TEE. So here are some more stories about nightmare bedbug jobs.
We need all the information
I got a call from, we’ll call him Joe, who said his parents had bed bugs. They are up in age and need some help taking care of things so Joe and his sisters trade off helping mom and dad. I love to see that because I cannot tell you how many customers I have had over the years that have absolutely zero help from anyone. What is almost as bad is the ones that have a bunch of kids but only 1 does anything for mom and dad. Back in the day we had multi-generational households and everybody took care of our elderly. Anyway….I’m off topic. Luckily for this elderly couple, they had 3 good kids helping out. The problem is that comes with 60 year old sibling rivalry and family drama. I stay as far away from that as possible. Anyway, They had bed bugs So I met all 5 of them and laid out the plan. everyone had their assigned task and we were gonna get this done for mom and dad so they could enjoy what time they had left.
So we treated the bed bugs a couple times and It went well. It was pretty heavy but the kids were doing their part to get it done. We got them down to not seeing any live bed bugs when we tore the house apart. GREAT! The next month we called to find out that they started seeing some again. OK, maybe they had a hatch out. Eggs are impervious to pesticides so this is a normal thing. We do the treatment and find 1 or 2. Next service they should be good. But again they have seen a couple. So at this point we start asking questions and making sure someone isn’t reinfesting them over and over. These jobs under perfect conditions can be one and done, but the slightest disruption can prolong the elimination. So we did inspections at the kids houses and everything was clear. At this point I’m not sure why we are getting these results so I go with the technician and make sure we aren’t missing anything. He wasn’t, he does a great job. We leave that day confident that that should be it.
However, when we called the next month they had seen 1 or 2 again. At this point I’m frustrated because I know we are doing our part and know that there is something they are not telling us. I put on my CSI hat and interrogate everyone again. Nothing indicated an issue. At this point I am beyond annoyed, I’m flat pissed because mom and dad are still having to live with these stupid bed bugs. I told the main sibling to rack his brain and call me if he thinks of anything, no matter how small because that could be the key to unlock the door on this whole mess.
Finally the answer!
Then I get a call weeks later about a 2nd house on the property! WHAT?!!!! This is a trailer back in the woods that they take dad to for a couple hours every day for some scenery change. It’s full of cats. The entire house is a catery. They are everywhere and it’s part of dads mental health to go visit the cats every day. He loves it. AND NOONE THOUGHT TO MENTION THE 2ND HOUSE!
As you can imagine, this is a huge issue. Transferring bed bugs to a house full of cats would be that thing we were looking for. The state of this trailer full of cats was about how you are probably imagining it. Yummy! How in the world are we going to treat this? No matter what the cats had to go if we were going to be able to treat it. Have you ever rounded up cats before? Ever heard the term “It’s like herding cats” yeah, so luckily there was an outdoor space that was covered and enclosed, seems simple right? Herd the cats out there and treat the house. Well in every family there is that one person… you know who they are and if you don’t it’s probably you. This one sibling didn’t want the cats outside for a couple hours because it was cold. You know, last time I checked they have a fur coat installed, and mom & dad are getting sucked on by bed bugs! Priorities people, geesh!
I finally convinced them to let us treat the cat house as well and what do you know, we got elimination. I knew there was something going on when we didn’t get the normal results, there always is something going on. Whether its not admitting they are cheating and going to a boyfriends house, not telling us they are still going to garage sales, or they have an entire 2nd house on the property full of feline bed bug burger kings! I’m just glad we got it fixed.
The moral of the story is…
The moral of the story is, tell us everything. Every seedy detail, because one of those could be the ticket to getting rid of your bed bugs. We aren’t here to judge, we just want to help you eliminate your bed bugs.
(865) 455-8571
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