Luckily even though the bat bug has a purpose to feed and that sometimes includes feeding on a human, they are not known to carry any diseases. The bites are said to be more painful than a bed bug bite and most people will develop an allergic reaction to the bite because of the bat bug’s saliva that is injected when it bites and the proteins it carries. A reaction can be as typical as a small lump or one welt (or more) at the bite site, itching is also another largely common reaction to the bite. If the bite site is scratched it is possible for it to become infected and then have much more discomfort. The reaction should only last for a week or so if left alone. Now that you know all about bat bugs, the next topic should be how to get rid of an infestation of them! Here are some steps you can take to rid yourself of them:

• First and foremost you have to rid yourselves of any bats there may be near the area. Safe bat removal needs to be performed to ensure that all of the bats are gone from the home or structure. This may take some time and depending upon when the bat problem is noticed, there are time restrictions on when bat removal can be performed. This is why as soon as a bat problem is noticed you should have it looked at to nip any potential problem before it develops into a much larger one.
• Next, you also want to remove any alternative host animals such as birds or rodents.
• Now an insecticide treatment can be performed, first treating the area where the bats or rodents were and then where the bat bugs themselves had traveled to. Dust formulations, pest strips, or residual insecticides may be applied in the treatment.
• The treatment will focus on all cracks and crevices that the bat bugs could or could have used.
•  Sanitizing everything in the home is always a great idea and can include laundering vacuuming, and simply cleaning and sanitizing all areas.
• If you believe your mattress has been infested you can scrub it and also vacuum it. Then you will want to cover it with a zippered cover mattress encasement and leave that cover on for at least a year! If there are bat bugs inside of it then they need to have an adequate amount of time to die, remember they can live a long time without a meal.

Always remember preventative measures, if you know there are bats around your home or building try to keep them away from your dwelling area, stay clean, do laundry, and vacuum often! For all of your bat bugs and safe bat removal problems in New Jersey, call Alliance Pest Services for a free home or structure assessment today.