This was our first (and, I'm certain, last) experience with the vile little blood-suckers. For about a week or so, my wife and I had been waking up with a few odd, small welts, often occurring in a line of three. A short time after, I caught a strange bug trundling it's way along our bed comforter. A quick dash to the internet confirmed our fears. It was a bedbug. In a panic, we contacted a handful of exterminators and were certain we would be out for thousands of dollars to rid ourselves of this bedbug menace. The first company to provide an inspection I'll refer to as Company X. I was told by these "experts" that the bedbugs, which they found no hard evidence of apart from the one I had somehow managed to capture myself, would "contaminate" us with their bites. They also falsely insisted that the underside of our baby's mattress cover was full of eggs and attempted to promptly dispose of it. They were ready to let us spend thousands of dollars on a full-house heat treatment without any real evidence of an infestation.
Fortunately for us, we had also contacted Muhammad Akram of Pest Solution Services. He arrived shortly after Company X had departed and the contrast was palpable. From the start he was polite, friendly and professional in every way. He conducted an inch-by-inch inspection of the suspect rooms and furniture in our house. All the while, he explained what he was doing, what he was looking for, and educated us about bedbugs. He immediately identified the sex and life-stage of the bedbug I had caught and bagged.
Although we had originally thought the bedbugs were in our bedroom, they had actually found a home on our living room couch. Muhammad found eggs, feces, nymphs and a blood-fat female within moments of starting the living room inspection. Company X's 10 second probe of the couch involved removing the top cushions and jamming a hand down between the upright and seat. They then proclaimed it clean. Yes, the couch is clean but our baby's mattess cover is full of eggs, right? I showed Muhammad the mattress cover which I had prevented Company X from disposing of. There were no eggs. Nothing was wrong with it at all.
Muhammad recommended a steam treatment of the couch and a mild pesticide application in gaps under the baseboard quarter-round. In the end, he opted not to use the pesticide deeming it unnecessary for the scope of our infestation. He assured us that his treatment would eliminate the problem and was true to his word. They're gone. He even provided a follow-up call a short time after to see how we were doing.
Muhammad never to tried to sell us services or products we didn't require. His method is simple - find the evidence, show you the evidence, and devise a treatment to suit the scope of the problem. His professionalism, honesty, and education as an Entomologist truly make him the one you want in a situation like this. I chose not to give the true name of Company X because it's irrelevant. The only name you require is Muhammad Akram.
