Bed bugs are one of the hardest household pests to clear on your own, and one of the most stressful to live with. They hide deep, breed fast, and survive most retail products. Bed bug control is a specialty service at Fortis, sold separately from the HomeShield quarterly plan. Because no two infestations are alike, we scope the job in person rather than quoting from square footage. The inspection and quote are free.
First, what bed bugs are not
A bed bug problem says nothing about how clean your home is. These insects feed on blood, not food scraps, so they turn up in spotless homes as readily as cluttered ones. They are also not known to transmit disease. What makes them a genuine problem is how well they hide and how stubbornly they hold on once they are established. That is the part worth taking seriously, and the part where professional treatment makes the difference.
How to spot them
Bed bugs are small, flat, reddish-brown insects about the size of an apple seed. You may never see one directly, so watch for the signs they leave behind:
- Bites. Often small, itchy, red welts in a line or cluster, frequently on skin exposed while sleeping (arms, shoulders, neck, legs). Reactions vary widely from person to person, so bites alone are not proof.
- Blood spots. Small rust-colored smears on sheets, pillowcases, or the mattress.
- Dark specks. Tiny black or brown dots (droppings) along mattress seams and nearby cracks.
- Shed skins and eggs. Pale, empty casings and tiny white eggs in the same hiding spots.
- A musty odor in heavier infestations.
Where they hide
Bed bugs stay close to where people rest and tuck into tight, protected spaces during the day. The usual spots:
- Mattress seams, tags, and the box spring
- Headboards and bed frames, including screw holes and joints
- Baseboards and the cracks where carpet meets wall
- Behind outlet covers, switch plates, and loose wallpaper
- Nightstands, dressers, and the seams of upholstered furniture
Because they spread along walls and through shared structure, an infestation in one room can reach the next one over if it is left alone.
How they get in
Bed bugs do not fly or jump. They travel by hitching a ride:
- Luggage and clothing after a stay in an infested hotel, rental, or other home
- Used furniture and mattresses, the most common surprise source
- Shared spaces like apartments, where they move between units through walls and outlets
Why DIY almost always falls short
We get a lot of calls after a homeowner has already tried to handle it themselves. The reasons it rarely works are consistent:
- They hide too deep. Surface sprays never reach the bugs tucked inside seams, voids, and wall cavities.
- Eggs survive. Many retail products do not kill bed bug eggs, so a fresh generation hatches after you think the job is done.
- Partial treatment scatters them. Spraying one room can push survivors into others, turning a contained problem into a whole-home one.
Clearing bed bugs takes a thorough plan, the right approach for each hiding spot, and follow-up visits timed to the way eggs hatch. That is hard to pull off from the hardware store.
What to expect from Fortis
Bed bug work is a process, not a single spray. Here is how we run it:
- Inspection. A technician scopes the infestation in person, confirms it is bed bugs, and maps where they are hiding. This is also how we build an accurate, free quote.
- Treatment. We treat the harborage points found during the inspection, reaching the cracks, seams, and voids where bed bugs shelter.
- Follow-up visits. Bed bug elimination usually takes more than one visit. Because eggs hatch over a couple of weeks, we schedule return visits to catch newly hatched bugs before they can re-establish.
- Prep guidance. Before each visit, we give you a clear checklist (laundering bedding on high heat, reducing clutter near the bed, and similar steps) so treatment can reach as much of the population as possible.
Fortis stands behind its work. We stay in communication through the whole process and keep coming back on a planned schedule until the job is done.
Family-owned, veteran-owned, and local
Fortis is a family-owned, veteran-owned company based in Hanford, serving Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties. We are licensed by the California Structural Pest Control Board (license #PR 9962), and we offer a discount for military members and first responders.
If you think you have bed bugs, do not wait and do not start spraying. Call (559) 852-7100 or request a free quote, and we will schedule an inspection to scope the problem and lay out a plan.