For the last year Seattle has been plagued by bedbugs. Now, a Seattle company is taking on the bed bug crisis in a discreet yet aggressive manner.

“Our approach is to treat bedbugs like hazardous waste,” said Mike McKee, President of Discreet Waste Removal.

“People are calling us up desperate, some in tears, wanting to kick their infested mattresses and pillows to the curb, but getting rid of infested items without extreme care can spread bedbugs throughout a home or building.”

While Discreet's pest control technicians look like they're handling nuclear materials in their Tyvex suits, plastic booties and surgical gloves, their removal trucks are completely unmarked to avoid broadcasting the problem to neighbors.

"There's a negative perception of bedbugs and this way we keep the problem private," McKee said.

The infested items are double bagged and taped up and are taken to one of five dumpsites.

"We just started this business two months ago due to the increase in numbers of phone calls we got from people with bed bugs," McKee said, who also owns a junk-hauling business.

"We're getting 10 to 12 calls a months."

Clay Thompson of the Department of Planning and Development said that Seattle has experienced a substantial increase in the number of reported bed bug cases over the past two years and the situation is getting any better.

“The bed bug situation is not going away and people are struggling to know how to contain and remove these pests from their homes,” he said in a press release.

The bed bug crisis had affected private homes as well as hotels and shelters. Many charities are no longer accepting donations of second-hand blankets and clothes.

Discreet was recently in the Ballard area cleaning out two suites in an apartment building.

McKee said when people get bed bugs they have two options.

"You can have a pest control company come treat your apartment but it could take up to seven or eight treatments to get rid of an infestation. Or you can use a company like ours to get rid of your infested furniture," he said.

Moving the furniture around the apartment for cleaning creates the risk of spreading the bugs to other rooms and units, McKee said.

Discreet advises homeowners to get their bedbug infestation contained and controlled as much as possible using pest control before calling for item removal.

For more information, please visit Discreet Waste Removal online at www.discreetwasteremoval.com or call 206-734-4909.