SIX COMMON BED BUG MYTHS

Due to being so common and, disgusting bed bugs have developed have developed a persona of their own in popular culture. As a result, the false facts regarding bed bugs tend to be almost as common as true facts about them. Our pest extermination team at CPR in the North Canton area has witnessed time and time again how false beliefs about bed bugs can make a bed bug problem much worse than it needs to be. Thus, we have included below six common myths about bed bugs so you can avoid falling into the trap of believing them.

Bed Bugs Only Live In Mattresses

The name makes it obvious why people would think this. However, while beds may be an ideal environment for them, they can thrive elsewhere as well. In fact, bed bugs have a knack for hitching a ride on your clothing and taking residence in your couches, chairs, or whatever else they can.

Bed Bugs Are Too Tiny To See

Yes, bed bugs are little but they most definitely can be seen. Closely looking at your bedding should allow you to identify bed bugs if you have them. In the case of mature bugs, you can even see them fairly easily without a magnifying glass. If you see a flat, reddish-brown bug about the size of an apple seed you can be sure you’ve got bed bugs.

You Only Get Bit At Night

While bed bugs are nocturnal, that can change very quickly if they are hungry. If they are hungry, lying in your bed during the day is just as likely to lead to bites as if you were lying in it at night. Furthermore, the lights being on or off has no bearing on whether or not they will bite.

Bed Bugs Reproduce Rapidly

When people hear that bed bugs reproduce rapidly they often interpret this to mean that they can reproduce within a couples days or weeks. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. Bed bugs really take a long time to reproduce. Compared to other insects, bed bugs are actually very slow to reproduce. Females lay an average of one egg a day, within six weeks after hatching, the insect is already grown into an adult.

Bed Bugs Do Not Invade Clean Environments

Because bed bugs often thrive in dirty homes and environments, many people believe that bed bugs don’t thrive in clean homes. However, bed bugs really don’t care if your home is clean or dirty. They feed off blood. If that is available, they can live in any home.

Over The Counter Bed Bug Killer Will Do The Trick

Over the counter methods of treatment do not work! Most people who try to eradicate bed bugs on their own see bed bugs return not long after the area was treated.  The only way to completely get rid of bed bugs is to hire a certified extermination company. In the North Canton area, our exterminators at CPR are here to do just that!