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8 Bed Bug Myths – Debunked!

Myth 1: The only effective chemicals used to kill bed bugs are illegal

The chemicals that are most effective at eliminating bed bugs are not illegal, but they are more readily available to pest management professionals who have the technical training and know-how to correctly and safely apply them. 

There are plenty of effective chemicals available, but fewer people who are trained how to use them properly. Ultimately, a pest management professional should be called to apply your bed bug treatment with the most effective and efficient long-term treatments available.

Myth 2: I can use essential oils or dryer sheets to get rid of bed bugs.

If your friend recommends an essential oil blend she swears by, she may have just had good luck, because none of those methods are scientifically proven to have any effect. Spraying tea tree oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus essential oils near the bed or other affected areas can repel bed bugs, but this will only provide a temporary remedy and would require copious amounts of these expensive oils to see results.

Using these oils in a room diffuser or spraying them near bedding is no way to guarantee repelling bed bugs and will certainly not eliminate them. Some word-of-mouth remedies may be good business for the dryer sheet industry, but if they actually worked then we wouldn’t be servicing apartments that were full of dryer sheets – and bed bugs…

Myth 3: Leather, plastic, and wood are all safe from bed bugs

One of the bigger myths out there is that bed bugs are only drawn to beds and bedding. Unfortunately, they are found in many other areas including plastic items like CD cases, books, picture frames or toilet seat hinges. Anywhere from 40-60% of the bed bug population could be residing in things like woodwork, pictures, light fixtures or other types of furniture. 

Myth 4: Since only one person has bites, it must not be bed bugs

Similarly, to many other irritants in and out of the household, not everyone reacts the same way to the bites. Some people show no signs of being bitten, while others may show redness and swelling around the bite areas. Because of this, we cannot rely on visually inspecting skin to determine a bed bug infestation. Instead, our team would inspect furniture for evidence of bed bugs and their larvae. 

Myth 5: Bed bugs will only stay in one room

Bed bugs are notorious travelers. Even within the same home or apartment complex they will pack up and move to another room when it best suits the. Therefore, it’s best to make sure each room is treated fully when exterminating bed bugs, or they will just keep coming back. 

They can hide in small cracks and crevices to avoid exposure to aerosol treatments like bug bombs or foggers and will stay in hiding until it’s safe to come back out and feed. They move between areas discreetly and usually without being noticed, which is why it’s important to check these places for bed bugs to avoid sharing bed bugs with your friends and neighbors!

Myth 6: I’m too clean to have bed bugs

Bed bugs are equal opportunity pests who don’t judge anyone based on their ethnicity, age, economic status, or home cleanliness. Simply put, they like everybody. You can’t be too rich or too clean to get bed bugs, which is one of the biggest myths out there. They are focused on one thing, and that’s getting their next meal!

Myth 7: We can’t have bed bugs because we have a mattress cover

Mattress covers can help protect your mattress from becoming infested, but it doesn’t mean they won’t collect on the mattress cover itself. They simply create a barrier between the mattress and the covers and are only effective if they are put on prior to any infestation. Otherwise the bed bugs are just trapped inside the mattress cover. 

What’s worse is they can live for up to a year without a meal. As soon as you remove the cover to wash it, or a child or pet pokes a hole in the cover, they are released into the rest of your home. Overall, you still need to take the same precautions you would anyways, with or without a protective mattress cover. 

Myth 8: I have to go to someone’s home to get bed bugs

You don’t have to enter the home of someone who has bed bugs in order to bring them into your own home. These pests are hitchhikers, and can be picked up anywhere from public transit, hospital waiting areas, airplanes, public restrooms or even movie theatres. Anywhere that people regularly sit, rest, or sleep is basically a “transfer station” for travelling bed bugs to hop from someone’s backpack to another child’s plush toy, to a businessman’s briefcase and onto a stay-at-home-mom’s purse. The opportunities for them to travel are endless, which is why it is important to check for evidence of these pests each time you travel.

Bed bugs are many people’s worst nightmare. They are tiny, hard to detect, and even harder to eliminate, but the technicians at Richland Pest & Bee Control are here for you every step of the way. We will provide you with the information you need to properly prepare for treatment, let you know how our process works and what to expect in the following weeks. 

If you think you may have bed bugs, contact us at 1-800-308-9126 for a free quote.

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