The thought of creepy bed bugs in your house can freak out even the most rational homeowner. Who wants to lack sleep for several nights because of a troublesome bug? – Nobody would. The presence of these bugs in a house is associated with dirt, which leaves the victims feeling embarrassed. Bed bug outbreaks are misunderstood, which is why several myths are surrounding their infestation. We have broken down some of the common bed bug infestations to help you deal with the small monsters much more quickly.
1. Clean Homes Don’t Experience Bug Issues
Even the tidiest home keepers have experienced a pest problem at least once in their lives. It might be challenging to uncover pest infestation in a messy house, but bed bugs don’t discriminate based on cleanliness. Insects are always hunting for food, shelter, and water. As long as they can access these amenities in your house, they will keep coming. Whenever you notice a bed bug infestation or any other, make sure you deal with it immediately. Get the right products to eradicate the pest. If you ever require expert assistance, don’t hesitate to contact one.
2. Bed Bugs Live Only In Big Cities
Bed bugs can survive anywhere where animals and people live. Therefore, bugs can survive in both suburbs and rural areas. Remember that bed bugs can come to a home from an infested area through a suitcase, guest, or piece of furniture. None of the carriers are geographically sensitive, which means that bugs can survive anywhere.
3. Cats and Dogs Will Keep Your Home Pest-Free
If you own a cat or dog with the impression that they will help control pests in your home, you might be rearing your furry friends for the wrong reasons. Domesticated animals don’t have to find their food sources because the owners feed them. So, they are likely to be curious and playful with invaders like pests. If you have a bed bug infestation, you need to visit www.wavepest.com and check out the products they have reviewed on the site. From there, you can settle for the most favorable one based on how far the infestation has gone. Don’t rely on your pets to help you eradicate bed bugs.
4. You Are Safe From Bed Bugs If You Have A Foam Mattress
Although bed bugs don’t live inside the foam, they can squeeze themselves in any crack on your bed, such as on the frame. Therefore, while the foam isn’t habitable for bed bugs, the person sleeping on the bed is not immune to bites. While they can’t survive inside the encasement, they can survive on the outer part. That is why you shouldn’t assume any signs of bed bug infestation because it can always get worse.
5. Bugs Are Too Tiny To See With the Naked Eye
If you have checked every corner of your mattress and cannot find any unwelcome guests, you can relax for a while. If there were an infestation in your home, you would have seen one bug on your bed. While bed bugs aren’t the most massive pests you will encounter, they aren’t too small to be seen with the naked eye. When they feed, they become plump and look like little round sausages. Therefore, don’t assume signs of invasion because you cannot see the bugs.
6. Bed Bugs Can Fly and Jump
Bed bugs don’t have wings, and thus there is no way they can fly. Also, their legs aren’t adapted to jumping. The most these small monsters can do is crawl at a speed of about one meter per minute. Although they are relatively fast, there is no way they can run towards you when you enter a room. Instead, they will wait until you sleep before they attack you.
7. Bugs Only Feed In the Dark
Keeping your lights on through the night will not prevent the tiny monsters from making your night uncomfortable. As long as they are hungry, the bugs will bite their way into your skin. The pests usually crawl out of their hiding spaces to feed on you, irrespective of how bright your room is. The myth that bed bugs don’t feed when there is light may have originated from the fact that they are nocturnal and thus active at night. All the same, don’t use this as an excuse to change your sleeping schedule because they can bite anytime.
8. You Will Recognize a Bed Bug’s Bite
Don’t rely on signs of a bite to know that you have a bed bug invasion. Everybody reacts uniquely to bed bug bites. Also, there are various species of bugs and sizes. Therefore, some will leave an irritable rash, while others will not produce a rash at all. A common sign of bites would be a cluster of red marks where several bugs were biting on exposed skin. Some bites aren’t visible.
9. They Can Survive For a Year without Eating
Bed bugs can indeed survive for prolonged periods without food, but one year is far-fetched. In a typical resident with regular moisture and temperature conditions, an adult bed bug can only survive for up to three months without food. In colder conditions, they might last for longer. Younger pests also eat more than grown ones.
10. The Best Way to Kill Bugs Is By Using Alcohol
One of the most misguided misconceptions suggests that rubbing alcohol is the best DIY bed bug control hack. However, it turns out that the method is not valid and sometimes doesn’t work. Dosing your furniture with alcohol doesn’t seem like the best way of maintaining your investment. Besides, alcohol and timber combination is a fire hazard.
11. Bed Bugs Only Live In Beds
It’s easy to figure out where the myth came from – the pest’s name. While bed bugs love hanging out inside beds and bedding, it is not the only place they stay. You can also find them in curtains and couches’ seams. They can even survive in drawers, screw heads, electrical outlets, and wallpapers. That is why you should apply the chemical repellant on all possible surfaces.