Bed bugs have made a name for themselves with Sacramento, San Francisco, Modesto, Rancho Cordova, and San Jose all making the top problem cities list. Like most nuisance pests, these notoriously nasty bugs have a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding them. Not only is an infestation a health hazard, it can quickly become a costly situation if not dealt with properly. Here are five important facts everyone should know about.
1. They Do Bite: We’ve all heard the saying “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” and when we were young many of us thought it was nothing more than a simple rhyme. Unfortunately, this particular nighttime phrase is factually based. They do feed on the blood of humans (sometimes other mammals as well) and are prone to biting. While they certainly bite, not every person will have the same reaction to bites. Some people have no reaction to the bites and might not even know they have a problem until they see them or find other evidence of an infestation.
2. They like More than Beds: Despite their name, bed bugs can be found all over a home or other property. Other than their namesake, bed bugs can be found in suitcases, coats, couches or other furniture, shoes, boxes, cracks and crevices.
3. They Are Visible: One of the more common misconceptions is that they cannot be seen easily with the naked eye. While they can be small, about the size of an apple seed when mature, they do not require a magnifying glass to be seen. What may be true is that they are not readily visible due to their burrowing habit. Lifting up furniture cushions, removing covers, and closely inspecting mattresses may be necessary to see evidence of infestation.
4. Cleanliness Is Not Required: They do not mind a clean room, so long as they have somewhere to make a home. While a dirty room will not make a bed bug more likely to show, a motel or hotel room has the greatest chance of bed bug activity. They often enter a property by hitching a ride on the purse, coat, or suitcase of someone entering it. With new people coming in and out every day, this greatly increases the chance of an infestation.
5. They Can Be Eliminated: We often hear from customers who have tried everything to rid themselves of an infestation, to no avail. As these pests grow more and more resistant to pesticides, this is no surprise. Our environmentally friendly heat treatment is fast, effective, and economical. Unlike other treatments which require multiple visits and unreliable results, heat remediation kills every life cycle of the bugs at once.
If you have more questions about treatment options available, call the experts at Advanced IPM.
