Author: Patrick

How to Protect Your Love Nest From Unwanted Bedbug Guests this Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is all about love, romance, and celebrating the special people in your life. It’s a time to create a peaceful, loving sanctuary where you can relax and spend quality time with your sweetheart.
The last thing you want is for a few uninvited guests to crash the party and ruin the mood. We’re talking, of course, about bed bugs.
Shielding Your Baby from Unwanted Love Bites
These tiny, stealthy intruders can turn your cozy retreat into a nightmare. They don’t send a card, they don’t bring flowers, and they certainly don’t respect personal space.
This year, show your home some love by making sure it’s a pest-free zone. Here’s a heartfelt guide to protecting your love nest and keeping your Valentine’s Day special.
Reinforcing and Sanitizing the Love Nest
Every strong relationship needs a solid foundation, and so does a pest-free home. Follow these steps to ensure your sanctuary remains safe and sound.
Step 1: Scanning for Unwanted Suitors
Before you welcome anyone (or anything) new into your home, be sure to perform a quick scan. Did you just get back from a romantic weekend getaway? Have you purchased a beautiful new antique chair?
They could be hiding at any one of your favorite date spots: lurking in movie seats, concealed in the seams of subway seats, or embeeded in upholstery or a restaurant booth.
Check all mattresses, luggage, and furniture for signs of these unwanted suitors. Look for small, dark specks that look like coffee grounds or tiny, reddish-brown stains. These are the tell-tale signs that someone is trying to move in unannounced.
Step 2: Building an Unbreakable Bond
To truly protect your love nest, you need to build a strong defense. Seal any cracks or crevices in your walls, floors, and baseboards with caulk. These are the secret hideaways where bed bugs love to lurk.
Encase your mattress and box spring in a certified, zippered cover. This not only traps any existing pests inside but also prevents new ones from getting in. Think of it as a love lock for your bed!
Step 3: Cleansing Your Heart (and Your Laundry)
After a romantic trip, it’s important to give your clothes and travel bags a thorough cleansing. Bed bugs often hitch a ride in luggage, so don’t bring them home as an unwanted souvenir.
Wash all your clothes in hot water and tumble-dry them on the highest heat setting. This is a surefire way to neutralize any lingering threats and keep your love nest pure.
Additionally, be careful with catching bed bugs from casual hookups. You might just be going home with more than an adventurous and passionate love interest.
Protecting Your Forever: The Ultimate Love Potion
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a few persistent pests might still find their way in. When that happens, you need a powerful love potion to send them packing.
Our BLITZ bed bug spray is the ultimate protector for your home. This bedbug killer spray is designed to eliminate bed bugs on contact, ensuring your sanctuary is safe for you and your loved ones. Don’t let a few tiny invaders disrupt your peace and quiet.
This Valentine’s Day, show your home some love. Create a space that is clean, secure, and full of affection—not pests!
February 9, 2026

MISSION INTEL: The Rise of the Superbug (2026 Resistance Report)

Pyrethrin-Resistant Bed Bugs are Getting Stronger

If you’re standing in a big-box store holding a bottle of “Bed Bug Killer” containing Pyrethrin or Deltamethrin, you aren’t holding a weapon. You’re holding a placebo.

Recent “battlefield” data from the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech (2025) reveals a terrifying development: Bed bugs have developed a genetic mutation called the A302S Rdl gene.

This mutation allows their nervous systems to “shrug off” the very chemicals that used to be their biggest threat.

Intel Breakdown: The A302S Rdl Mutation

The primary reason store-bought pyrethrins are failing is a genetic “fortification” known as the A302S Rdl mutation. In layman’s terms, the bed bug has essentially rewired its own nervous system at a molecular level.

The Resistance Map: Where the Mutant X-Bug Population is Strongest

While the “Superbug” is nationwide, specific regions are showing nearly 100% immunity to pyrethroids:

The Eastern Seaboard: Massive resistance spikes in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
The South: High-level “knock-down resistance” (kdr) confirmed in Virginia (Suffolk/Norfolk areas) and North Carolina.
The West Coast: California and Washington are reporting “Level IV” resistance where standard sprays fail to achieve even a 20% kill rate.

Why Your Once-Reliable Store-Bought Bug Spray is Now Failing

While older generations of bed bugs had “open ports” that allowed pyrethroid toxins to flood their systems and cause paralysis, the modern “Superbug” has swapped those ports for a reinforced version.

The chemical arrives at the target site, finds the door locked, and simply washes away, leaving the insect completely unharmed and ready to feed.

Tactical Data: Chemical Breakdown by Active Ingredient in Bug Spray

Active Ingredient Type	Resistance Status (2026)	The “Why”
Pyrethrins	CRITICAL	Bugs have developed “thick skins” (cuticle thickening) and nervous system mutations.
Deltamethrin	CRITICAL	Field strains are surviving doses 55–2,000x stronger than laboratory bugs.
Fipronil	HIGH	New 2025 data shows mutations previously found only in cockroaches are now in bed bugs.
Defensive End! BLITZ	LOW	Uses a rapid-action physical and residual barrier that doesn’t rely on the “mutated” nervous pathways.

Furthermore, this resistance isn’t just internal; it’s structural. Recent 2025 microscopy reveals that resistant strains are developing a significantly thicker cuticle (their outer shell).

This “dermal armor” slows down the absorption of traditional liquids, giving the bed bug’s internal enzymes—specifically cytochrome P450s—extra time to break down and detoxify the poison before it ever reaches a vital organ.

This is why “more is not better” when it comes to standard store-bought poisons. Drenching a room in pyrethroids only serves to kill off the weak, non-resistant bugs, effectively “clearing the deck” for the Superbugs to breed without competition.

SITREP: Check Your Labels – The “Do Not Use” List

deltamethrin and bifenthrin make many store bought BedBug sprays obsolete like Harris

Before you waste another dime at a big-box hardware store, you need to check the “Active Ingredients” on the back of your bottle. If you see any of the following chemicals, you are likely deploying 1990s technology against a 2026 “Superbug.”

In high-resistance zones like Norfolk, VA or San Diego, CA, these ingredients are essentially the biological equivalent of a “wet noodle.”

The “Ineffective” Chemical List

Active Ingredient	Common Product Names	Why It Fails the Mission
Deltamethrin	Harris Bed Bug Killer, Suspend SC, DeltaDust	2025 data shows field strains are immune to doses 5,000x the label rate.
Permethrin	Uniform Treatments, “Bug Bombs,” Foggers	Acts as a repellent; scatters the bugs into your electrical outlets instead of killing them.
Bifenthrin	Ortho Home Defense, Talstar	Excellent for ants; nearly zero “knockdown” power against modern A302S bed bugs.
Cypermethrin	Raid Max, Demon WP	Rapidly degraded by the bug’s internal detox enzymes (cytochrome P450s).

The “Scattering” Hazard: Why Foggers Are FUBAR

If you see a “Total Release Fogger” (Bug Bomb) containing these chemicals, put it back on the shelf. Because these pyrethroids are irritants but not instant killers, they trigger a “flight” response in the colony. Instead of dying, the bugs will retreat deep into the wall voids, neighboring barracks rooms, or into your sea bag. You aren’t winning the war; you’re just spreading the front lines.

Tactical Advice: If your current spray smells like a chemistry lab and the bugs are still biting 48 hours later, you are dealing with Genetic Resistance. It’s time to stop the “friendly fire” on your own lungs and switch to a mechanical-kill solution like BLITZ.

The Permethrin Paradox

If you’ve ever been in the military, you know Permethrin.

It’s the synthetic pyrethroid fused into your ACUs/MCCUUs to stop ticks and mosquitoes. It works great for the “perimeter,” but when it comes to a bed bug breach in the barracks, Permethrin is effectively firing blanks.

1. Deterrence vs. Destruction Permethrin is primarily a repellent. For mosquitoes, it creates a “hot foot” effect that makes them fly away. Bed bugs, however, are highly motivated “hitchhikers.” Research shows they will often crawl right over Permethrin-treated fabric to reach a blood meal, especially if they carry the A302S Rdl mutation.

2. The “Genetic Shield” is Stronger Because Permethrin is in the same chemical family as Pyrethrin (Pyrethroids), the resistance is “cross-functional.” If a bed bug is resistant to the cheap spray from the hardware store, it is almost certainly resistant to Permethrin. In fact, laboratory tests have shown field-collected bed bugs surviving on Permethrin-treated cloth for days without dying.

3. The Risk of “Scattering” Using Permethrin-based “bug bombs” or sprays in a barracks room can actually make the mission harder. Because it’s a repellent, it doesn’t always kill the bug—it just pisses them off and drives them deeper into the wall lockers, electrical outlets, and neighboring rooms. This turns a single-room skirmish into a floor-wide invasion.

How to Overcome Permethrin-Resistant Super Bedbugs

To win this fight, you have to bypass the nervous system entirely.

Defensive End! BLITZ is engineered to ignore these genetic mutations, utilizing a rapid-response formula that compromises the pest’s physical integrity on contact and maintains a residual “no-man’s land” that even the most mutated A302S strain cannot bypass.

Bypassing the Acquired Resistance with an Effective Mechanical Penetration Solution and Residual Shield

Feature	Standard Pyrethrin Sprays	Defensive End! BLITZ
Kill Method	Nervous System (Neurotoxin)	Rapid Contact + Long-term Residual
Resistance Level	Extremely High (Superbugs)	Extremely Low
Safety	Often contains synthetic PBOs	100% Natural & Non-Toxic
Primary Use	General crawling insects	Specialized Bed Bug/Ant Neutralizer

The “Thick Skin” Defense: Can They Resist DE?

This is also why diatomaceous earth has been used with relatively high effectiveness against bedbugs and ants, but even it’s not perfect.

While bed bugs can’t develop a chemical immunity to Diatomaceous Earth (DE) like they do with pyrethrins, they are developing a physiological tolerance.

Cuticle Thickening: Research (including a notable study by Lilly et al.) has shown that highly resistant strains of bed bugs often have cuticles that are 15–25% thicker than non-resistant ones.
The Healing Factor: A thicker cuticle doesn’t just make it harder for the DE to “score” a cut; it also gives the bug more “biological runway” to heal. Because DE is a slow killer (taking 7–14 days), a “thick-skinned” bug can often survive the initial abrasion long enough to reach a host, feed, and use that nutrient boost to repair its exoskeleton.
The Speed Gap: In laboratory tests, the “Monheim” (weak) strains die quickly from DE. But the “Haplotype B” (Superbugs) are often seen literally walking through DE like it’s nothing.

From our observations and testing, a combination of different effective attack vectors gives you the highest odds of defeating all bedbugs in any given infestation. BLITZ contains 2 powerful, natural active ingredients that provide effective desiccation, dehydration, and cuticle penetration by different means.

January 14, 2026

💨 Diatomaceous Earth vs. Essential Oils 🌿 Which is Better Against Bugs?
DE vs. Essential Oils: Which Natural Spray Actually Kills Bed Bugs and Ants?
When seeking a natural pest solution, most homeowners land on one of two popular alternatives: messy Diatomaceous Earth (DE) powder or easy-to-use essential oil sprays. While both options avoid harsh chemicals, the results—and the experience—can be vastly different.
This guide breaks down the true efficacy of essential oils, the persistent problems of DE powder, and introduces the one natural spray that delivers powerful, reliable knockdown without the chemical or aromatic drawbacks.
Essential Oils: The Good, The Bad, and The Overpowering Smell
Essential oils (such as peppermint, cedarwood, or clove) have become popular due to their pleasant scents and perceived safety.
- The Attraction (Scent): Oils can repel certain pests and offer a nice aroma, making the application process bearable for the user.
- The Failure (Efficacy): The primary drawback is that essential oils rarely provide reliable, quick, or residual killing power against major infestations like bed bugs and ants. They are often repellents, not killers. Pests frequently walk right through them once the scent dissipates.
- The User Problem: While you might like the scent of peppermint, your pets might be agitated by the strong aroma, and continuous application can leave a lasting, overpowering natural oil scent in your home, leading to user and pet discomfort. You want a product that is lethal to bugs, not irritating to you.
🌿 Common Essential Oils Used in Pest Control Sprays
Essential oil pest control sprays often rely on one or a blend of the following botanicals for their strong scent and rumored repellent properties. However, remember these aromas can often be overpowering for people and pets, and lack the immediate killing power of BLITZ.
- Mint/Herbals: Peppermint, Rosemary, Basil
- Citrus/Grassy: Citronella oil, Lemongrass
- Medicinal/Woody: Tea tree oil, Eucalyptus oil, Cedarwood oil
- Floral: Lavender oil
The DE Powder Problem: Why the Old Solution Is Still a Mess
We’ve all seen the videos: a small pile of white powder dusted across the entry point. The mechanism of DE is proven, but it is not a perfect solution for modern homes.
- The Inhalation Hazard: Powder inevitably becomes airborne, creating an inhalation risk for your family and clogging up your environment.
- The Wait Time: Powder is slow-acting. It requires the pest to fully coat itself and then wait hours or days to desiccate.
- The Mess: Cleanup is difficult, requiring specialized vacuums and leaving chalky residue.
If you want a detailed breakdown of the hazards and drawbacks of DE, read our complete guide to Diatomaceous Earth here.
The BLITZ Difference: Maximum Power in an Unscented Spray
BLITZ was engineered to eliminate the drawbacks of both DE powder and essential oil sprays, delivering superior, non-toxic results:
- Immediate Stopping Power: Unlike essential oils that just repel, BLITZ uses a micronized liquid suspension of the same mineral that makes DE effective. This formula works on contact, causing immediate disorientation and rapid desiccation—providing the knockdown power you need right now.
- No Overpowering Scents: Our formula is unscented, water-based, and non-staining. You get zero aromatic residue, meaning comfort for your family and pets while maintaining an invisible, lethal barrier for pests.
- Residual Prevention: The spray dries into an invisible, powerful residual barrier that lasts long after application, giving you the immediate kill and the long-term prevention that simple essential oil sprays lack.
Final Verdict: When You Need More Than Just a Scent
If you need a natural solution that is odorless, easy to clean, and provides rapid knockdown and lasting prevention, your choice is clear. Don’t settle for overpowering scents or messy powder.
We hope this makes sense, but we hope it doesn’t make scents.
Upgrade Your Defense: Shop DE! BLITZ Now
December 10, 2025
Are 🧂Borax and Baking Soda❄️ Truly Safe for Pest Control?
Borax, Baking Soda, and More: Are Household Cleaners a Safe Option for Pest Control?
When faced with a pest problem, many homeowners immediately turn to common household products like Borax, baking soda, or even vinegar. These natural remedies are cheap and accessible, but are they safe, and—more importantly—are they effective?
This guide dives into the science of popular home remedies and compares their questionable results against the proven dangers of professional chemical sprays. We will show you the smarter, safer solution that offers maximum efficacy without the trade-offs.
The Risks of Home Remedies: Borax and Baking Soda
Home remedies can be a dangerous gamble. While baking soda is generally harmless, Borax presents several significant risks, especially when misused for pest control:
- Toxicity: Borax (sodium borate) is toxic if ingested. When applied as a powder for ant control, it creates the same inhalation hazard as DE, but with chemical toxicity risks.
- Misapplication: Applying these powders requires precise placement, often near baseboards or food areas. If pets or children are exposed to the powder (by sniffing, licking, or tracking it through the house), it can lead to health issues.
- Inconsistent Results: The effectiveness of these remedies is highly unreliable. Pests must consume them or be exposed in specific ways that are difficult to control in a household environment.
As a common DIY example using borax and baking soda, some people may attempt to mix borax with sugar and water to create an insect lure/bait. While this may be effective to a degree, it’s an immediate danger to any household pets that may be tempted to try the sugar water/borax mixture too.
The True Danger: Comparing Home Remedies to Chemical Poisons
The biggest threat to household safety is not usually the home remedy, but the harsh, neurotoxic chemicals found in many common professional and over-the-counter pest sprays.
- Common Chemicals: Major professional-grade and retail pesticides (like those sold by Raid, Target, etc.) often contain chemicals such as Pyrethrins or Permethrin. These are neurotoxins designed to disable the insect’s central nervous system—and they come with serious warnings for humans and pets.
- The Exposure Problem: Misapplication or overspray of these chemicals can result in acute symptoms (headache, dizziness, nausea) and long-term health concerns, leading many homeowners to avoid them entirely.
There is a massive gap between unproven home remedies and dangerous chemical poisons.
The Safer Professional Solution: Powerful and Non-Toxic
BLITZ was engineered to fill that exact safety gap. It is the definitive solution for homeowners who refuse to use harsh chemicals but demand professional-grade killing power.
- Guaranteed Safer: While we utilize the power of DE, our formula is designed to be safer than common chemicals and active ingredients found in competing retail products. You get the peace of mind of a non-toxic, water-based solution.
- Effective on Contact: You don’t have to wait for pests to consume a powder, and you don’t have to rely on a weak repellent oil. BLITZ kills on contact via desiccation, providing immediate control where you need it most.
- No Particulates: Because it is a spray, you eliminate the risk of tracking chemicals or powders across your home, protecting your children and pets from accidental exposure.
Knowledge is Your Best Defense
Knowing the risks of both extremes—unreliable home remedies and dangerous neurotoxins—allows you to choose a product that protects your family while eliminating pests quickly.
Click here to read our full guide on the hazards of powder-based solutions like Borax and Diatomaceous Earth.
Ready for a solution that’s safe AND effective? Pick up DE! BLITZ Now!
December 10, 2025
The Secret to Long-Lasting Natural Pest Control
The Secret to Long-Lasting Natural Pest Control (Beyond Messy Powder & Volatile Chemical Compounds)
When you treat a pest problem, you want two things: for the pests to die immediately, and for them never to come back. The problem is that most “natural” solutions—from essential oils to traditional Diatomaceous Earth—fail at the long-lasting prevention part. They either dissipate quickly or get wiped away instantly.
This guide reveals the key difference between temporary fixes and durable protection. We look at the pitfalls of powder and why a modern, non-toxic formula is the secret to creating a powerful, long-term defense.
The Frustration of Powder: High Effort, High Mess
Traditional DE requires significant effort to apply correctly, and the longevity of the application is constantly under threat:
- The Airborne Hazard: Applying powder requires dusting, which inevitably creates a cloud of airborne particulates. This is hazardous and wastes product. Furthermore, if you accidentally dust too much, the pests simply walk around the large piles.
- The Inevitable Cleanup: Powder is messy and difficult to clean. If it’s exposed, you have to vacuum it, risking damage to your appliance filters. The process of reapplying and cleaning up makes it a constant, dusty chore.
- Zero Durability: Any small amount of moisture (a spilled drink, a damp mop, high humidity) immediately clumps the powder, rendering its killing power inert until it completely dries out again.
Why Basic Bug Killer Sprays Fail to Last
While liquids are easier to apply, many off-the-shelf natural sprays rely on simple water-based solutions that offer no long-term residual effect.
- Once the liquid dries, the active ingredients are often washed away or dissipate, offering only a quick, localized kill.
- The barrier vanishes, leaving your home unprotected days later.
For a solution to truly provide long-lasting control, it needs to leave behind an invisible, durable, and effective shield.
The Worst Residue: Understanding Chemical Longevity in Insecticides
When focusing on long-lasting solutions, it is crucial to consider the kind of residue you are leaving behind. Most major pro-grade chemical pesticides (often found in popular brands like Raid or Target) rely on persistent neurotoxins to achieve a long-term kill.
- Unwanted Chemical Persistence: These compounds—such as Imiprothrin and Cypermethrin—are synthetic chemicals specifically engineered to linger. Their toxic residue can remain active on floors, carpets, and baseboards for weeks. This creates an unwanted, lingering exposure risk for toddlers and pets who touch or lick the treated areas.
- The BLITZ Difference: BLITZ was specifically designed to be safer than these common chemical ingredients. We achieve the same long-lasting residual barrier using a non-toxic, mineral-based formula, ensuring your defense is completely safe and effective over the long term.
The BLITZ Solution: Durable, Invisible, and Long-Lasting Alternative to Harsh Pesticides
BLITZ was engineered to eliminate the mess and fragility of powder while maximizing the residual killing power.
- The Durable Barrier: Our unique formula suspends the active mineral in a water-based solution. When sprayed and dried, it creates an invisible, highly durable residual barrier that lasts long after application, unlike fragile powders or weak water sprays.
- No Mess, No Fuss: Application is simple and targeted, and cleanup is a breeze—no dust is required, which makes your application easier to clean up and less likely to damage your belongings.
- Consistent Kill: This durable residual shield means that any pest crossing the area weeks later still comes into contact with the formula and will be eliminated, providing superior, long-lasting prevention.
A Cautionary Tale: The Global Risk of Pesticide Misuse
For many, the danger of toxic pesticides seems theoretical until it makes the news. However, there have been increasing reports globally of travelers checking into hotels and becoming severely ill—or worse—due to pesticide poisoning.
- The Problem: These incidents often involve the illegal or careless use of highly concentrated, industrial-grade neurotoxins in hospitality settings, particularly in developing nations.
- The Impact: The tragic harm to guests—who are unknowingly exposed to powerful residual chemicals lingering in rooms, air conditioners, or bedding—serves as a grave reminder that chemical persistence is not just a problem for pests, but a hazard for people.
These extreme incidents underscore a vital principle: If a product is toxic enough to require strict safety warnings and ventilation when applied by a professional, it should not be the product you choose to use around your family at home. The safest product is one that relies on a non-toxic, mechanical kill method.
Stop Treating—Start Defending
If you’re tired of temporary fixes, messy dust, and reapplying chemicals, it’s time to choose a product that offers powerful, long-lasting defense in a clean, non-toxic format.
If you still have questions about powder, see our full guide on the hazards of airborne Diatomaceous Earth.
Achieve long-term defense with the ultimate solution. Get DE! BLITZ Now!
December 10, 2025
Treating Bed Bugs & Ants Without Harsh Chemicals
How to Pinpoint and Treat Ants & Bed Bugs Without Harsh Chemicals
Finding bed bugs or ants in your home is stressful enough without the added worry of treating them with dangerous chemicals. If you have children, pets, or allergies, using common pesticides (like those containing known neurotoxins) is simply not an option.
This guide provides simple steps for identifying an infestation and outlines the safer, non-toxic treatment protocol that delivers immediate knockdown and long-term prevention—all without ever exposing your home to harsh chemicals.
Major retail and “professional-grade” pesticides often rely on neurotoxins to disrupt the nervous systems of insects. While effective, they introduce unnecessary risk into your living environment.
Why You Should Avoid Common Chemical Pesticides and Industrial Insecticides
- Toxicity Trade-Off: Common ingredients in everyday sprays (often referred to generically as X, Y, and Z by toxicologists) come with severe handling warnings. These pose significant risks if ingested by a pet or child, or if inhaled during prolonged indoor application. BLITZ was formulated to be significantly safer than these common chemical ingredients, utilizing a mechanical kill method that is non-toxic to mammals.
- The Smell Factor: Most chemical sprays leave a lingering, strong, chemical odor that makes your home feel unsafe and uncomfortable long after the pest is gone.
First Steps: Identifying the Infestation
Before you treat, you must confirm the source:
- Ants: Look for the food source, entry points (small cracks in baseboards or foundations), and monitor the main trail.
- Bed Bugs: Look for small, reddish-brown stains (fecal matter) on bedding, mattress seams, and behind headboards. Bed bugs hide in cracks and crevices closest to their food source (you).
The BLITZ Treatment Method: Immediate Knockdown & Long-Term Prevention
To safely treat an infestation and keep it from returning, you need a product that offers dual action: rapid kill and a lasting residual barrier.
- Immediate Stopping Power: Unlike chemicals that require absorption or powders that require slow desiccation, the BLITZ formula causes instant disorientation and rapid kill on contact. This allows you to eliminate visible pests right away.
- The Residual Barrier: Once the spray dries, it leaves behind an invisible, non-toxic residual barrier. Any pest that crosses this dried barrier in the days and weeks that follow will be killed, providing the long-term stopping and prevention that most natural sprays lack.
- Targeted Application: The easy-to-use spray nozzle allows for safe, targeted application into cracks, seams, and behind furniture—the exact places pests hide—without creating a hazardous cloud of dust or chemical mist.
Don’t Let Invasive Insects Bug You
You don’t have to choose between your family’s safety and an effective pest-free home. Choosing a non-toxic, targeted spray ensures your treatment is effective, immediate, and free from harsh chemicals.
If you are considering using powder, click here to understand the serious inhalation hazards of Diatomaceous Earth before you apply it.
Protect your family with the safer, non-toxic solution. Shop DE! BLITZ Now!
December 10, 2025
Your Winter Holiday Survival Guide: Keeping Bed Bugs Off Your Wish List
The most wonderful time of the year is here! The smell of cinnamon and pine is in the air, lights are twinkling, and the promise of a feast and good company fills our hearts. But amidst all the holiday cheer, there’s a Grinch-like pest that loves to ruin a good time: the bed bug.
‘Tis the Season for Welcome Guests- and Unexpected Pests
These tiny, unwanted guests are the ultimate holiday party crashers. They don’t bring gifts or good tidings; they just want to hitch a ride on your luggage, hide in your festive decorations, and turn your peaceful home into their own winter wonderland.
This holiday season, let’s keep them off the naughty list and out of your house for good!
The Great Turkey Trot: Thanksgiving Travel & Guests
Thanksgiving is all about family, friends, and, for many of us, travel. Whether you’re flying home or hosting a house full of relatives, you’re creating a perfect storm for bed bugs to sneak in. They love to cozy up in luggage, jackets, and even the backpacks of little ones.
- For the Travelers: When you arrive at your destination, do a quick “reconnaissance mission.” Inspect the mattress, bedding, and behind the headboard for any dark spots or tiny bugs. Keep your luggage on a luggage rack or in the bathroom, far away from the bed.
- For the Hosts: After your guests depart, do a quick once-over of the guest room. Vacuum around the bed and other furniture, and wash all bedding on high heat. This simple step can stop a potential problem before it even begins.
Deck the Halls, Not the Hives, this Christmas
As you pull out those boxes of festive decorations, you might be unintentionally inviting bed bugs into your home. They can hide in storage, on second-hand ornaments, or even on the coats of visiting carolers!
- The Ornament Inspection: Before you hang that heirloom ornament or string up the tinsel, give everything a quick check. If you’re using decorations that have been in storage for a while, consider giving them a wipe-down or a thorough shake outside.
- A Word on Presents: Be mindful of gifts, especially those that are handmade or have been wrapped in a host’s home. It’s a small risk, but it’s always good to be vigilant. One person reported discovering bed bugs in a Christmas gift bag they received last year.
Ringing in a Pest-Free New Year
New Year’s Eve is a time for resolutions and fresh starts. What better way to begin the new year than with a home that’s completely free of unwanted pests? Let’s make a resolution to keep your space secure all year long.
- The Post-Holiday Deep Clean: Once the decorations are down and the last of the holiday cookies are gone, take the time for a thorough deep clean. Vacuum every nook and cranny, and make sure to wash all bed linens and curtains on high heat. This is your final victory lap against any lingering holiday pests.
The Ultimate Holiday Gift: Peace of Mind
This holiday season, the best gift you can give yourself and your loved ones is a pest-free home. With all the traveling, hosting, and celebrating, it’s a mission that requires the right tools.
When you’re ready to bring in the big guns, our BLITZ bed bug spray is your secret weapon. This bed bug treatment spray is designed to quickly and effectively eliminate any threats, ensuring your home remains a place of peace, love, and holiday cheer.
Happy Holidays and a Pest-Free New Year to all!
November 24, 2025
Mission Briefing: Securing Your Military Barracks from Bed Bugs
This Veteran’s Day, we honor the brave men and women who have stood the watch, defended our nation, and protected our freedom. It’s a day to remember their service, their sacrifices, and the vigilant eye they keep on the perimeter.
But what happens when the enemy isn’t on the battlefield but in your bedroom?
All Hands on Deck: Enemy Bed Bug Threat Sighted
Even the most hardened veterans know that an unexpected enemy can breach the lines. You might have heard the incredible story of the USS Connecticut SSN22, a powerful submarine that faced an entirely different kind of threat: bed bugs.
If these pests can infiltrate a nuclear-powered US Navy submarine, they can certainly breach your dorm or base barracks. That’s why we’re launching a new mission: to give you the tactical knowledge to keep your home front secure.
In the War on Bed Bugs, This is Your Battle Plan
Every successful mission starts with a solid plan. Bed bugs are tiny, stealthy infiltrators, but with the right strategy, you can win this war.
Follow these key directives to lock down your defenses.
Directive 1: Pre-Deployment Inspection
The first step is a thorough reconnaissance. When you’re traveling or bringing new items into your unit in base housing, perform a detailed inspection of the building, including baseboards and wall plates in your bedroom, dorm, or barracks room.
Next check mattresses, bedding, luggage, and furniture. Look for signs of the enemy: small, reddish-brown stains (blood) or tiny, dark spots (fecal matter). This early detection is your first line of defense.
Directive 2: Secure the Perimeter, Soldier
Just like securing a base, you need to make sure your sleeping area is a no-go zone for bed bugs. Inspect and encase your mattress and box spring in a certified, bite-proof cover. This traps any existing bed bug convoys inside and prevents new ones from taking up residency.
Make sure to vacuum regularly, especially around the baseboards and corners of your hall—these are prime hiding spots for the enemy.
For long-term protection, some may reach for diatomaceous earth, a historically effective tool in the battle against crawling insect pests. However, this relatively safe and natural powder solution can become airborne faster than the 82nd, and cause breathing issues if applied haphazardly or in large amounts.
Keep safety top of mind when navigating the overall bedbug battlefield. While itchy bedbug bites scream FUBAR, you don’t want to accidentally target your own troops with friendly-fire or cause environmental pollution, like the water contamination at USMC Camp LeJeune.
Directive 3: Decontamination Protocol
When you return from a trip, consider everything you’ve brought back as potentially contaminated until proven otherwise. Wash all your clothes and travel bags in hot water and dry them on high heat.
If you have non-washable items, a hot-air treatment in a dryer can neutralize any lurking threats. This decontamination process is crucial to preventing an outbreak.
The Official Protocol: Reporting a Breach to the Chain of Command
In the Marine Corps and across all branches, there is a specific protocol for dealing with bedbugs in the barracks. You can’t just sweep this under the rug; you have to report it to ensure the entire deck doesn’t get infested.
1. Notify the Barracks Manager (BEQ/BOQ) immediately
Don’t wait. Bed bugs are a maintenance emergency. Contact your Barracks Manager or Duty NCO to initiate a formal work order. Most bases have a specific contract with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to handle the heavy lifting.
2. Prepare for Inspection
Once you’ve “called it in,” you need to have your AO ready for the inspectors.
- Do Not move furniture or gear to another room (you’ll just spread the enemy).
- Do Not throw away your mattress unless instructed—encasement is usually the first line of defense.
- Do clear floor space so the “Pest Control Recon” team can see the baseboards.
3. Supplement with Tactical Support
While you wait for base housing to send the “professionals,” you can begin your own Containment Protocol. Use Defensive End! BLITZ to create a “no-man’s land” around your immediate sleeping area and gear lockers. This prevents the infestation from migrating into your sea bag before your next deployment.
Tactical Intelligence: According to MCO 11000.22, maintaining a “clean, safe, and healthy environment” is a shared responsibility. If you fail to report a breach, you’re not just dealing with bugs—you’re potentially looking at a “Page 11” entry for failing to maintain barracks standards. Don’t let a tiny insect jeopardize your career.
The Key to Victory Against Bravo-Bravos
Boot camp, A-schools, NCO housing, and even officer staterooms can become the target of bed bugs. In fact, bed bugs may be the only enemies you’ll face who don’t see rank. You’re just as tasty and formidable whether you’re a lance corporal or 4-star General.
And, considering the highly transient nature of military bases and soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen coming and going every three years, it’s likely the next blanket party could come from unwelcome biting bugs, not other platoon members mad at that one guy for failing to pass the PT test.
Mission Complete: Calling in Close Air Support
With your battle plan in place, you’re ready to stand the watch. But sometimes, even the best-laid plans need a little extra firepower. When you’ve identified a threat and need to neutralize it, it’s time to call in the air support.
Fire and Forget
Defensive End! BLITZ is your most powerful weapon in this fight. This bed bug contact and residual killer spray is specifically engineered to provide you with the tactical advantage you need.
It’s a rapid-response solution designed to eliminate bed bugs and give you the peace of mind that your home barracks are safe and secure. It’s nontoxic and contains no harmful pyrethrins, so it’s safe for pets, kids, and new recruits alike.
This Veteran’s Day, we thank our veterans for their service. And we salute you for taking on the vital mission of protecting your home front. Stay vigilant, stay prepared, and let’s keep those barracks and bunks clear!
November 3, 2025
A Halloween Spook-tacular Guide to Bug-Free Trick or Treating
Halloween is here! The air is crisp, the pumpkins are carved, and the kids are buzzing with excitement for their costumes and candy.
But while you’re focused on ghosts, goblins, and ghouls, there’s a real-life creepy crawly you need to look out for: the bed bug.
Don’t Let Bug Bites Cause the Halloween Scaries
Bed bugs are the ultimate party crashers. They’re masters of disguise, hitchhiking on everything from costumes to treat bags. But don’t let these uninvited guests ruin your holiday.
As the defensive end for your family, you can run a masterful BLITZ on these pests and keep your home a bed bug-free zone.
The Spooky Spaces: Where Pests Hide
Halloween and other fall festivities involve a lot of crowded, communal spaces where bed bugs love to lurk. Here’s where your defensive instincts need to be on high alert:
- Costume Parties & Trunk-or-Treats: Kids are in close contact, and costumes get piled up. A bed bug can easily scurry from one jacket or cloak to another.
- Pumpkin Patches & Hayrides: Hay and fabrics on hayride wagons can be perfect hiding spots for pests. If you bring a blanket for a hayride, it’s a prime target.
- Haunted Houses: Upholstered furniture in waiting areas and the dark corners of a haunted house can harbor pests waiting for their next ride.
- Trick-or-Treating: The very act of visiting multiple homes and interacting with other trick-or-treaters creates an opportunity for bed bugs to hop onto clothing, shoes, and especially trick-or-treat bags.
- Car-Pooling: Since Halloween is often geared towards kids, parents who haul around their children’s friends may be shocked to find bedbugs from passengers riding in their car after they drop them off.
Your Game Plan to “Ghost” Bed Bugs
Just like you would with back-to-school season, a few simple defensive plays can make all the difference.
1. The “Ghostly” Shake-Down: Before bringing any Halloween items inside, give them a good shake-down outdoors. This is especially important for fabric costumes, reusable trick-or-treat bags, and jackets worn to parties. A quick shake can dislodge any unwanted hitchhikers.
2. The “Witch’s” Brew Wash: As soon as you can, toss all washable Halloween costumes, jackets, and fabrics into the washing machine. Wash them in the hottest water the fabric can handle and follow up with a high-heat dry cycle. High heat is the kryptonite for bed bugs and their eggs.
3. The Final BLITZ: For items that can’t go in the wash—think plastic trick-or-treat buckets, costume accessories, or shoes—you need a different approach. That’s where BLITZ all-natural bed bug spray comes in. Our formula is your secret weapon, designed to target and kill pests on contact. A quick spray on the seams of shoes and the hard surfaces of costume props is your final line of defense against these creepy crawlies.
Don’t let the fear of bed bugs steal the joy of Halloween. With a smart game plan and the right tools, you can ensure the only things haunting your home are good memories and leftover candy.
October 21, 2025
Four New Notorious Invasive Pests in the US and Why They’re Spreading
While most people are familiar with common household pests, a new class of threat is emerging: invasive species that can cause widespread damage to agriculture, wildlife, and even human health.
These pests aren’t just a problem in faraway places—they’re appearing in our own backyards due to a perfect storm of climate change and global travel.
Understanding these new threats can help you be more vigilant about all pests, from the uncommon to the common, like bed bugs.
New Pest Outbreaks and Invasive Species in the US
1. The Spotted Lanternfly
Originating in East Asia, the spotted lanternfly is a visually striking but devastating pest. It feeds on over 70 species of plants, including valuable crops like grapes, apples, and maple trees.
The insect’s rapid spread is fueled by its ability to hitchhike on vehicles and cargo. As it feeds, it excretes a sugary substance called “honeydew” that promotes the growth of black sooty mold, which can kill plants and create a sticky, messy problem in yards and public spaces.
2. The Asian Longhorned Tick
First discovered in New Jersey in 2017, the Asian longhorned tick has now been confirmed in over 20 states, including Tennessee. This tick is a major concern because it can reproduce asexually, meaning a single female can lay up to 2,000 eggs without a male. This incredible reproductive ability allows it to establish huge populations very quickly on a single animal.
While its primary host is livestock, causing severe blood loss and economic damage, it will also feed on pets, wildlife, and humans. It is now being studied to determine its potential role in transmitting diseases to humans in the U.S.
3. The New World Screwworm
Considered eradicated from the United States since the 1960s, the New World screwworm made a shocking return in a 2016 Florida outbreak. These are not typical maggots; screwworm larvae feed on the living flesh of warm-blooded animals, including livestock and wildlife.
They lay their eggs in open wounds, and the resulting infestation can be fatal if left untreated. The resurgence of this pest, which was controlled for decades with a sterile insect technique, highlights how easily invasive species can re-enter and establish themselves in a new environment, especially with increased global travel and climate shifts.
Fortunately, the USDA is not taking this threat lightly, recently moving to set up a new dedicated center in Texas to make a counter-assault against these pests and neutralize the threat.
4. The Kissing Bug
Also known as the triatomine bug, the kissing bug is a nocturnal insect that has become a growing concern in the Southwest, particularly in states like Texas. It gets its name from its habit of biting people on the face, usually around the mouth, while they sleep.
The real danger lies in the parasite it carries in its feces, which can transmit Chagas disease. While not everyone who is bitten will become infected, the disease can cause severe health complications years or even decades later.
Cases have been confirmed in dogs and, more rarely, in humans in Texas, Louisiana, and other southern states.
The Broader Lesson for Pest Management
The rise of these pests demonstrates that no environment is safe from new threats. The common thread among these species is their resilience and ability to spread through human activity.
Being educated about these issues is the first step in protecting your home and family, whether you’re dealing with a new invasive species or a classic pest like a bed bug. A proactive approach, including prevention and having effective solutions on hand, is always the best defense.
October 1, 2025