When it comes to pest control—and especially bed bugs—there is a lot of misinformation out there. It comes from well-meaning people who are simply ill-informed, and it comes from unscrupulous people trying to make a buck.
The problem, then, isn’t finding information but finding the right information. If you think you have a pest problem, you’ll want to find pest information that’s correct and remedies that actually work!
That’s why we’re so dedicated to pest and pest control education here at Scherzinger: it’s why we have this blog. We know that incorrect information, myths, and scams can be very frustrating (or even dangerous!), which is why we give you the facts.
Today, we want to talk about the resources you can use, in addition to the Scherzinger Pest Control blog and pest library, to get the facts about pests—like the new Bed Bug Field Guide App.
Bed Bug Field Guide App
Bed bugs are incredibly prevalent in Cincinnati: we get quite a few calls daily about this terrible pest. That makes this app pretty handy!
The Bed Bug Field Guide App was created by Dr. Susan Jones, an enterprising professor of entomology with The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). Jones has been studying bed bugs for more than a decade and is also a founding member of the Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force: that makes her an authority on bed bugs whom you can trust for your information.
Jones spent the past several years writing and designing the bed bug app, which was funded thanks to a grant from the EPA. The goal was to give homeowners factual, relevant information in an easy-to-use format.
The app has a huge amount of very useful information, separated into 15 chapters.
For example, in the first chapter, the app tells you how to identify bed bugs. The chapter includes lots of good pictures of bed bugs in all of their life stages, as well as pictures comparing bed bugs to other household pests. (This is especially helpful, since many homeowners confuse bed bugs with other insects.)
Other chapters in the app include Inspecting for Bed Bugs, Preventing Bed Bugs, Monitoring Bed Bugs, Treating for Bed Bugs, and What Not to Do for Bed Bugs. It also has tips for travelers and people visiting homes with bed bug infestations. (Like we said, a lot of good information here!)
The app’s format makes all the information incredibly easy to find while you’re on the go!
At the end of the chapters, there is even a “Test Your Knowledge” section, so you can be sure you’ve remembered everything you learned about bed bugs!
This app is available for Android and iOS devices and is completely free! You can download it by searching “Bed Bug Field Guide” in the Google Play Store or the App Store.
Educational and Scholarly Websites
In addition to the app above, we recommend getting your pest control information from educational and scholarly websites.
We can’t recommend Pinterest, links from Facebook, or random articles you find on Google. That’s because these types of places are rife with bad information (like the “tip” to get rid of bed bugs with rubbing alcohol that’s been circulating around the internet—which is actually a fire hazard).
Instead, make sure that you are getting pest information from a trusted source. You’ll know you are on an educational or scholarly website if you see a URL that ends in .edu. Some great sites include OSU and other university websites, which have fact sheets about common household pests.
Scherzinger Blog and Pest Library
We couldn’t end this post without talking about the blog it’s written on!
Our blog has years of posts covering a wide range of pest control topics—from bed bugs to termites, and every pest in between. We’ve given advice for homeowners, for apartment dwellers, and for businesses. We’ve talked about how to fight infestations and how to prevent them. And we’ve always given the facts.
You can easily find a topic you need information on by using the search bar on our blog page. You can also find information about a specific pest by visiting our Pest Library. (In addition, you can get a pest identified by uploading a photo to our Pest Library!)
Contact Us Today
Of course, if you still have questions that haven’t been answered on the Bed Bug Field Guide app, other educational websites, or our blog (yet), you are always welcome to call us! We would be happy to talk to you about your pest concerns and potential solutions.
Call us today!
Contact Scherzinger Pest Control, a trusted pest control company in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas, including Dayton, OH, and now Columbus, OH. We’ve been pioneers, engineering new standards for ways of eliminating and controlling bugs and pests. Contact us by phone at 1-888-681-1925 or through our website, Facebook, or Twitter.