Five Common Bed Bug Myths

Maybe it’s because they were not well known to Americans until the 1990s. Maybe it’s because they’re so small, and barely anyone ever sees them. Maybe it’s because they’re so creepy, and people prefer not to think about them. Whatever the reason, there are a lot of misunderstandings about bed bugs. We have consistently found they are one of the pests our customers know the least about. So today we wanted to debunk the five most common myths we hear about bed bugs:

1. MYTH: Bed bugs are only found in beds
   • FACT: The name is pretty misleading, so we’ll give you a pass on this one if you believed this bed bug myth. However, contrary to popular belief, bed bugs can be found just about anywhere. Beds are a common hiding place, but bed bugs have also been found in couches and chairs, in carpeting and closets, hiding in clothing and even nesting in books. And though bed bugs are most often heard about in homes, hotels, motels and hostels, they aren’t confined to these places either. These bloodsucking pests can be found in airplanes, trains, buses and taxis, movie theaters, airports, libraries, restaurants and dorm rooms.
2. MYTH: They’re a sign of a dirty home or hotel
   • FACT: Bed bugs don’t discriminate. Normally that would seem like a good thing, but in this case, not so much. They find their way to prey by tracking the carbon dioxide people exhale and by the heat sensors in their antennae. And since all humans exhale exactly the same carbon dioxide and give off the same heat signatures, bed bugs can’t tell anyone or any place apart. Whether your home is spotless or could use a little dusting, if you’re in it, bed bugs are happy. All they look for is people to feed on; they don’t care where they find them.
3. MYTH: You won’t know you have them until you get bit
   • FACT: While a bed bug bite is an obvious sign that you have a bed bug problem, you don’t have to wait around for the bed bugs to act first. There are ways to spot an infestation before they strike. If you are anywhere you suspect there might be bed bugs—a hotel, a motel, a friend or relative’s home, at your home—check the area thoroughly. Pay careful attention to the corners of mattresses and the undersides of couch and chair cushions. These are some of the favorite hiding spots of bed bugs. They will leave behind shed skins, small black spots that look like sprinklings of pepper and rusty, red-brown stains that come from bed bugs being squashed. If you see a bed bug, that’s also a surefire sign of an infestation. Bed bugs are red-brown with small, flat, oval shaped bodies. They often look like ticks or baby cockroaches.
4. MYTH: Bed bugs are afraid of the light
   • FACT: While they are most active at night, bed bugs will strike any time they are hungry. Sleeping at odd hours or with the lights on won’t fool these clever pests. Bed bugs occasionally do feed during the day as well, but because they are so small and move so quickly, they are rarely noticed. And since they inject you with an anesthetic before they bite, you don’t feel them at all.
5. MYTH: You can get rid of them yourself
   • FACT: This is probably the biggest myth of them all. In fact, most pest control companies have trouble getting rid of bed bugs. And if it gives the professionals trouble, imagine how difficult it would be to try to do it on your own? Bed bugs are resistant to pesticides, which means traditional pest control remedies don’t work on them. What does work is heat. We use a special treatment known as Thermal Remediation®. This cutting-edge technology was developed specifically so that pest control companies could help customers like you get rid of bed bugs once and for all. Bed bugs can’t survive temperatures over 122°F, so we blast them with this patented heat treatment to make sure we kill all the bed bugs—whether adults or eggs.

Arrow Exterminators is the only company in Oklahoma using this top-of-the-line Thermal Remediation® technology. So if you’re ready to get serious about eliminating bed bugs from your home or business for good, call the bed bug elimination experts at Arrow Exterminators. You can schedule a free, no obligation evaluation on our website or give us a call. You can also reach out to us on social media for information. We are on Facebook and Google+.