You spend an average of ⅓ of your life sleeping. The time of day where your body recharges, repairs and regenerates. Sleep is essential to life and when your sleep is affected negatively, it greatly impacts your health. Finding out you have bed bugs is enough to ruin your sleep forever, or at least until they are gone. The paranoia that you are being eaten alive at night not only takes away those precious Z’s but adds to the stress in your life. If you suspect that your home may be infested with bedbugs, it’s important to understand these pests and the associated myths surrounding them.
Myth #1: Bed bugs only come out in the dark
This misunderstanding behind this myth evolves from the fact that bed bugs are nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day. But sleeping with the lights on will not prevent them from biting. Bed bugs are attracted to the CO2 you exhale and no matter if it’s light or dark, they will search you out.
Myth #2: Bed bugs only infest beds
Instinctively, bed bugs bite when you are sleeping because you are not moving and they can get away with it, however bedbugs are not selective to beds. They will go wherever they can find a meal. During the day, they hide along the floorboards, cracks and crevices of furniture, behind picture frames, under mattresses, even in the ceiling as well as many other places they can secretly live. Infesting living rooms near sofas and lounge chairs is also common.
Myth #3: Throw away your mattress and bedding if you have bed bugs
Simply getting rid of your mattress and bedding will not get rid of bed bugs because they can hide in many other places. With professional bed bug control, you can have a bed bug free home and with some careful cleaning, vacuuming and professional treatments, you can keep your expensive mattresses and bedding once the infestation is clear.
Myth #4: Bed bugs are only found in dirty homes
Sometimes people are embarrassed when they find a bed bug infestation as if bed bugs only infest filthy places but this is simply untrue. Bed bugs infest wherever they can find a meal. Dirty or clean, any home is susceptible to a bed bug infestation.
Myth #5: You can only pick up bed bugs from cheap motels
Bed bugs are becoming more common and no matter the star rating of the hotel, you can find bed bugs anywhere. Hotels need to be more vigilant at bed bug prevention because bed bugs are hitchhikers and they can come to a hotel or home with you in a suitcase. Bed bugs can also be found in movie theaters, restaurants, airports and buses. If you live in an apartment building, they can even travel from apartment to apartment.
Myth #6: Bed bugs carry disease
While bed bugs bites are itchy, there is no evidence that bed bugs carry any kind of diseases. However, everyone reacts differently to bed bug bites and some people can even develop an allergic response to them. The anesthetic the bed bug injects, so it can drink your blood without pain, can cause an allergic reaction in some people making the welts bigger or more rash like.
Myth #7: Bed bugs are too tiny to see
Because bed bugs hide and sleep during the day, they are difficult to spot. Though bed bugs are small, they are visible to the naked eye and vary in size depending on their age. Full grown adults can be a little smaller than an apple seed. The most telltale sign of bed bugs is if you find dark brown spots of excrement or blood on your mattress or sheets.
Bed bug infestations are nearly impossible for the average homeowner to get rid of and for complete, effective removal, professional bed bug control is vital. Pointe Pest Control uses only the safest, proven methods of removing bed bugs from your home quickly. No need to suffer with sleepless nights and itchy skin. Our experienced team has removed bed bug infestations from hundreds of homes and businesses. Call us ASAP for complete bed bug eradication. We are happy to help!
