When it comes to bed bugs, it’s no big wonder that there is plenty of misinformation and myths out there. These creatures make us feel incredibly powerless in our most private domain: the bed. But don’t worry, we’re here to debunk (no pun intended) the biggest myths on bed bugs!
Foam Mattress Keeps Bed Bugs Away
Many people will tell you that you’re completely secure against bed bugs if you’ve got a foam mattress. But this isn’t true – sure, bed bugs don’t live in the foam itself, but they can still keep themselves to any crevice that will be close to your body; like the tiny cracks found in your wooden bed frame. While the foam itself isn’t hospitable to bed bugs, you’re still vulnerable on such a mattress.
Keeping that in mind, you’ll probably be able to get bitten by bed bugs even if you take such a precaution. There are encasement bags out there, but these only protect the mattress itself.
Bedbugs Travel On Clothes
Most people think that bed bugs travel around the world by latching onto fabric in clothing and other materials. But in fact, this is just the fastest mode of transport that they have. The history of bed bugs is pretty fascinating, and it shows that they can get around pretty fine on their own. They’re able to crawl through outlets, down hallways, and through cracks in walls.
So, if you happen to learn that there are bedbugs in nearby or adjacent apartments in your building; call an exterminator at once and see if the pests haven’t invaded you as well. Obviously, if your home has bedbugs in one room, other areas should be treated as well.
Dogs Identify Bedbugs
If you start asking around about solutions to bedbug infestations, you may learn of people with bug-hunting dogs that can supposedly identify your problem area within minutes. Okay, there are some handlers out there that are reputable and have well-trained dogs for such work. But a large number of them are scammers; plus, even a legit-trained dog can make a mistake when it comes to this. So, this kind of inspection is only useful when used in concert with human inspection.
Throwing Out Everything
Many people think that they must completely purge their surroundings after a bedbug infestation. Don’t worry, though – you don’t have to get rid of your computer or your costly TV set. In fact, except in the case of the most severe infestation, there won’t be a need to throw out pretty much anything. When bedbugs truly represent a massive infestation in your home, they’ll be in places like alarms clocks or book bindings, but these aren’t regular cases.
Once a professional treats your home and gets rid of the pests, your existing belongings will probably be fine. Exterminators most often utilize heat in order to kill these critters; they don’t respond well to temperatures that go above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. And if this sounds like too much for you, remember that clothes dryers routinely go above this. So, your exterminator will bring in fans and heaters and gradually and slowly heat your room, simultaneously using sensors to be certain that the heat is evenly distributed.
Certain pest control companies will ask homeowners to bag up some belongings like coats, shoes, and clothes, as well as to strip their furniture and beds. This is just so that the bedbugs don’t have anywhere else to hide while the treatment lasts. These tightly tied bags should remain in the heated room so that any potential bed bugs inside also get baked. Don’t worry, practically everything in your home is capable of withstanding this level of heat for an hour or two that will be needed to kill this type of bug.
You Can Kill Them With Blowdriers
While in some cases, a blow dryer can indeed turn out to be fatal to these creatures; it’s not that practical in reality. That’s because the bugs would need to remain in one place for the period needed for the heat to kill them. Though, this is a good tool to find out where the bugs are actually hiding; you can use a blow dryer to flush them out of crevices and cracks, as they’ll run away from the heat of the wind.
Diatomaceous Earth And Cayenne Peppers
There are plenty of studies on this, and most of them have concluded that peppers and natural sprays aren’t actually effective at getting rid of such pests. The same is true for self-made bug bombs; the concentration of helpful chemicals in these are usually nearly not high enough in order to actually kill the bugs or to neutralize their eggs. Plus, such chemicals shouldn’t be misused by applying them in generous amounts above the recommended one, as they can be dangerous for humans. Professionally-provided heat treatment is still the best way to kill these pests.
If you’re waiting for a professional to arrive, you can somewhat lessen the number of these bugs by using a silicon dioxide mixture; sprinkle it in the joints and cracks of your bed frame, and at any other point where your bugs could be hiding. This type of insecticide will desiccate the bug by absorbing the outer part of its shell.
You Only Have To Get Rid Of Them Once
Many think that bedbugs are gone once you get rid of them once, but that’s not really the case. These bugs are capable of living multiple months in regular heating conditions, and even longer in cooler temperatures. That’s why most exterminators will offer you a long-term treatment plan, which includes them coming back multiple times and inspecting and treating your home with heat. Once you’ve received two or three visits from a professional exterminator, you can be sure that there is no bed bug infestation.
Bed bugs do feed off of human blood, but they can also feed off of protein-rich substances like dust, skin flakes and hair. Most people who are bitten by bed bugs will notice their bites become inflamed at the site of the bite. This is because the bed bug injects its saliva into the skin to break down proteins and fats in order to get at your blood.