Anymore being a bed bugs exterminator means you’ve got your hands full. And if you are a pest or bed bug exterminator NYC, all the more so. With the number of reported cases up 20 times or more in a matter of five or six years in New York City alone, yes, your phone continues to ring. As horrified residents on the other end desperately seek someone to do something to make the biting stop.

Naturally when you’ve got a pest that strikes fear in the hearts of homeowners and apartment dwellers there’s another number that’s going to rise too. That would be those looking to profit from your bed bug fears. Otherwise known as unscrupulous exterminators, they too are crawling out of the wood work to cash in.

Yet you know what? If you made a list of the most deadly pests, you wouldn’t find bed bugs anywhere near the top 10. Yet if you also compiled a list of the most profitable bugs, guess what? Bed bugs would top that list. Which might well explain why the less than reputable are taking advantage here. There’s money to be made. Lots of it. And you can’t easily tell the guys with white hats from those wearing black ones because most are not wearing anything but a big grin when you call to inquire about bed bug treatment.

That’s not to say all pest control companies are out to take advantage. But it is to say you need to learn how to differentiate between the good guys and all the rest. Because like they say, a fool-ish bed bug infested home owner and their money are soon parted. Leaving you to tend to your bed bugs bites and try again with a different pest control service perhaps.

According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), there are over 20,000 pest management companies in the United States. And pretty much there are still others firms not included in the statistics. Not to mention that not all of these would be a specialist bed bugs exterminator. So what do you do to narrow your options down?

Where to Find a Qualified Bed Bugs Exterminator

Basically the first places you go to would be the yellow pages and the web. Look for the pest control firms in your area. And search for those specializing in bed bug extermination. You know someone who knows how to actually kill bed bugs?

Conducting a Quick Background Check

Screening the pest control firm is highly crucial in effective bed bug elimination. One false move and you could end up writing a check that could put a serious dent in our bank account without putting the fear of God in your bed bugs. Just because their name is “Queens Bed Bugs” for instance, doesn’t mean they are ace pest control experts. In fact it could mean they are new to the business. Having just entered the market given all the publicity bed beg infestations are getting right now. To help those who don’t know where do bed bugs come from at least get rid of the ones they’ve got.

First step – check out the company website and review the services they offer. A competent bed bugs exterminator isn’t going to hide what they do and they do it. Look for things like the number of years of experience specifically in dealing with bed bugs control.

Next, call the company and do a bit of a phone interview. Not so much to make a pest of yourself. But you’d think most any competent bed bugs exterminator should be willing to answer most if not all of your genuine questions. Otherwise, they could be hiding something from you.

License and Memberships

A reputable pest control company must be able to provide a license to operate. Check with the pesticide regulatory agency in your state if the company has been registered to use pesticides. A good company must also be registered with at least a few credible organizations such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), bedbugFREE, BBB, and some local and state pest control associations. Being a member to these groups would mean that the protocols and business practices of the company are regularly being monitored and updated.

Watching For Red Flags

Here are some warning signs you need to be wary of when picking a bed bug exterminator. Any of which might suggest you should shy away from the prospective company sooner rather than later. For instance….

If the company offers cheap deals that sound too good to be true.

If the company offers a free inspection just because they’re in the neighborhood when you didn’t even call to ask for one.

If the company asks you the homeowner to discard all bed bug infested furniture and other belongings without a proper inspection being done. (Even after the inspection pitching your belongings wholesale is most often not a good idea. There are other ways to reclaim your things from the bugs besides throwing them out.)

If the company inspects the room too quickly. It’s not unusual for one room to require an hour or two to run a thorough inspection. Unless of course a beg bug sniffing dog is used.

What to Look For

Check if the company uses integrated pest management (IPM) services. This means that pesticide use would be at a minimum to control bed bugs. Instead they’re using a variety of approaches in treating the bugs applying some or all of these methods – steaming, vacuuming, heat treatments, fumigation, and suggesting the use of mattress encasements.

The firm should insist on inspecting the potentially infested part of your home first before giving you a final price quote. They should not charge a flat fee but the charges should depend on what was found during the inspection.

Most any reputable bed bugs exterminator will provide you with a detailed written inspection report which should also lay out their plan of action. They must provide a follow up program based on the current status of your infestation and not based on some minimum number of return visits they’re setting.

The company should tailor their treatment regimen especially when they’re using pesticides and there are pets or children in your house.

Keeping Your End of the Bargain

That said, bed bug elimination is not entirely the pest control company’s job alone. You should do your part to control bed bugs to insure the treatment successful. If possible accompany the pest control professional in every area he goes to so you can monitor the work done – although some will ask that you, your family and family pets not be there. Also, ask the company about what steps should be done before and after the treatment program.

No doubt about it. Picking a pest control company to help you deal with bed bugs isn’t exactly easy. Not only are the bugs proving hard to eliminate. But it’s also because they are new and what worked before doesn’t work now. Plus just because a company is good at getting rid of carpenter ants, those skills may not readily transfer to dealing with bed bugs. I mean killing spiders is nice. But you really want a proven bed bugs exterminator to help you solve your problem.