Bed Bugs

Top Bed Bug Myths

1. Bed Bugs Fly

Bed bugs actually do not fly. These are wingless insects. Even though they lack this ability, they can still travel fairly quickly covering about three feet (1 meter) per minute by crawling.

2. Bed Bugs Reproduce Rapidly

Compared to other insects, bed bugs are one of the slower ones when it comes to reproducing. An adult female bug lays about one egg each day. After the egg is produced, it takes 10 days for it to hatch and another six weeks for the creatures to develop into an adult. In comparison, a housefly will lay over 500 eggs in just a four day period.

3. Bed Bugs Don’t Bite During the Day

It is true that bed bugs are nocturnal insects. However, the daylight is not going to keep them from coming out for something to munch on. If they are hungry, they will come out seeking a meal no matter what time of the day it is.

4. Bed Bugs Only Live in Mattresses

Bed bugs do live in mattresses, but they also can live on just about any other surface as well. The insects have been found on railings, ceilings, chairs, in suitcases, on trains, and even on animals.

5. Bed Bugs Come to Unclean Environments

These insects do not care where they live. You can find them in the higher income areas just the same as they can be found in lower income locations. The bed bugs seem to be more common in the denser, urban, lower income locations because of the inability of the people living there to pay for them to be removed properly.

6. Bed Bugs Travel On People

Unlike lice and ticks, bed bugs do not like body heat. They will not travel with you, but they will travel with your belongings. They will more likely be found in a suitcase, in shoes, or inside of a backpack than on a human body.

7. Bed Bugs Can Be Sprayed Away

In the past, pesticides were an effective method used to get rid of the bed bug. However, these resilient creatures are resistant to this type of treatment. One way to properly get rid of them is through a heat treatment and fumigation. These can be costly, but well worth it to be rid of the insect.

8. Bed Bugs Carry Diseases

There have been no cases reported that prove a bed bug can transmit a disease. They can be the cause of secondary infections and they have been found with over 27 different viruses and bacteria in them, but there have been no reports of the bug actually giving a human a disease.

9. DDT Would Eliminate the Problem

DDT was banned in 1972 and by that time bed bugs were already resilient to the pesticide. DDT would not be effective today.

10. You Can Eliminate Bed Bugs By Leaving Your House Empty for a Few Weeks

These insects can live up to a year without eating, so leaving for a few weeks is not going to get rid of them.

11. Bed Bugs are Too Small to See

Baby or nymph bed bugs are only about 1mm long making them hard to see with the naked eye. However, adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed.

12. You Can’t Get Bed Bugs From Your Neighbors

Bed bugs are very capable of traveling from dwelling to dwelling. It is more likely to get them from a neighbor if you live in a condo or apartment setting, but they can migrate anywhere by crawling.