BedBug myths busted

The following are a list of myths about bed bugs which are not true, correct awareness and understanding of the issues surrounding bed bugs is essential to clearing an infestation.

 

1. You can't see bed bugs

This is clearly not true, adult bed bugs are easily spotted as they are 3mm - 5mm in size and a reddish brown colour. The recently hatched babies are much harder to see as they are 1mm - 2mm in size but someone who knows what they are looking for will often detect them. This myth started when people got confused between bed bugs and dust mites. They are different species and are handled in completely different ways, what works for dust mites will not necessarily remove bed bugs.

 

2. If I throw out the bed I will no longer have bed bugs

They may be called bed bugs but they don't just live in bed and they can occupy almost any dark crack or crevice in a room. Disposing of ANY furniture prior to it being inspected and treated by an experienced and competent pest controller can be a costly mistake and certainly a false economy. Almost everything can be treated to remove bed bugs but if not properly handled the removal of furniture can simple spread an infestation to other areas of the property. We have recently been alarmed to hear that several companies in the London area have been recommending that furniture is removed via the window, this is clearly and obviously not a professional way to mange a problem and we would advise anyone told to do this to think extremely carefully about the consequences of such actions. Bed bugs will survive outside of the property and will enter again at the first opportunity.

 

3. You only get bed bugs if you are dirty

This is the greatest of all inaccuracies!  You get bed bugs by exposure and coming into contact with a source of them. We treat more properties that are immaculately clean and of the highest standards than we do houses and flats that would benefit from a good deep clean. Increasingly people who extensively travel internationally are becoming more exposed to bed bugs as the global epidemic intensifies. In an ideal world people would understand that there is no more social stigma associated with bedbugs than head lice. They are an exposure pest and not associated with living conditions.

 

4. You need to wash all of your clothes for a bed bug treatment to be effective

We are increasingly hearing this from people who call other companies. The simple fact is that without inspecting the property there is no way of telling if this is needed, our experience tells us that it is only needed in 2% — 5% of cases and is most commonly used as an excuse by an organisation which does not actually want to work on an infestation. There are also a lot of other decontamination methods available that are more effective than washing.

 

5. There are no bed bugs in <insert country>

We are often told by people that there are no such things as bed bugs in our country.  The simple fact is that bedbugs can occur in almost every country and region on this planet, some areas have always been worse than others but they are a global pest. The resurgence in activity has caught many countries unaware but they do exist everywhere.

 

6. My neighbour has bedbugs will I get them as well

Transmission from a neighbour is a lot more common than people would believe and the likelihood of you getting infested depends on how they handle the problem. In flats and apartments the risk is greater if the building does not have a sturdy party wall. A few years ago this method of transmission was widely discounted by pest professionals but is now recognised by most people who have experience of dealing with infestations. In worst case scenarios we have seen 10-20 adjoined properties infested by this method in the same street and several floors in apartment buildings and blocks of flats. If you think your neighbour has an issue with bed bugs you should check your bed and living area on a weekly basis to make sure that you detect any bed bug signs at the earliest possible stages.

 

7. I can't have bed bugs because I have not been anywhere

 Unfortunately travel, whether overseas or in the UK, is not the only possible source of bed bugs.  In an increasing number of cases people are finding it hard to pin down a case of bed bugs to a obvious source such as a trip abroad or the acquisition of a piece of second hand furniture.   We are increasingly finding that bed bugs may be spread on the public transport network, via the workplace, from an adjoining property or even from a house guest who has unwittingly brought the problem with them.  We have treated many people who have not travelled in the last 4 years and have had bed bugs for as long as 6 - 12 months before realising it.

 

8. It can't be bed bugs because I get bitten but my partner does not

The simple fact is that two people sleeping in the same bed may both be bitten by bed bugs but respond in a different way. Some people immediately have a reaction to the bites while others show little or no sign -  it all depends on how much you respond to different types of insect bites, the environment you live in and your immune response. There is also some anecdotal evidence that, like most blood feeding insects, bed bugs do not feed from people with certain blood disorders such as sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia.

 

9. Bed bugs can be killed by the cold

Yes they can be killed by extremes of cold and hot but it is unlikely in the UK that outside temperatures will rise or fall enough to effectively kill them. In the USA where heating houses has been attempted, 3 hours at 70°C will only kill about 78% of bed bugs and needs to be an incredibly rapid otherwise they simply adapt. The same goes for extremes of cold - unless you ship your whole house to the Arctic or Siberia it will not get cold enough to kill bed bugs.

 

10. Bed bugs are resistant to all pesticides

This is not true but they are becoming increasingly resistant to over used pesticides which unfortunately means the ones that are readily available over the internet. Libel laws do not permit us to name and shame the worst offenders but you should be particularly careful of products sold via the USA which may not be approved for use in the UK and electronic devices that claim to repel bed bugs. The most common group of chemicals that bed bugs are resistant to are simple Pyrethrins, organic Pyrethrins, Bendiocarb (Ficam products) and simple cypermethrin compounds. If they were such miracle cures we would use them ourselves but they just don't work efficiently enough.

 

11. Bug bombs like they use in other countries are the only solution

 We don't use smoke bomb products for a variety of reasons. They are best summarised by some research we read while looking at techniques. Limitations of Home Insect Foggers (“Bug Bombs”) University of Kentucky Department of Entomology, EntFacts Information Sheets. If they were of benefit to dealing with infestations we would use them or make them available via the web site.

 

12. The bed bugs have been exterminated but I still itch and get occasional bites

 Although rare, we are seeing more cases of chitin hypersensitivity which is a temporary condition that can be brought on by contact with bed bugs. Effectively you become sensitive to the compounds in insects shells which can if present cause an itch and in some cases what appears to be a bite. We have even witnessed someone showing a bite response to a dead insect when it was placed on their skin. The only solution is deep cleaning to a hypoallergenic level to remove all the traces of insect casings from the property and your possessions this can be time consuming and is best done by a cleaning team as it reduces your exposure to the irritants.

 

13. There was a website claiming to get rid of bed bugs quickly but there was little detail on it

Like all industries there will naturally be people who jump on the band wagon writing simple web sites and well presented pages. Some even claim to be copyright for longer than the domain has been registered. We can only suggest that you do a little homework to see who these people are - a little cleaning and application of a domestic grade product or smoke bomb is not going to clear an infestation. With Bed Bugs Limited you have the peace of mind of dealing with an established UK registered Limited company that has grown steadily since 2005 and not just registered a domain in 2007 to jump on a bandwagon.

 

14. Bed bugs don't like metal beds -

Although it is true that metal beds are less hospitable to bed bugs simply replacing all beds with metal ones will not cure a bed bug problem.  In some cases because there are not as many obvious hiding places for bed bugs in metal beds they can make the matter worse.

 

15. You cant bring bed bugs back from holiday because they will not survive the temperatures of the planes cargo hold. Bed bugs are a lot more resilient that many people give them credit for, they will survive at low temperatures even below freezing for significant lengths of time.  Unless you are planning on staying in the air for several days don't rely upon this as a may of decontaminating, isolate your bags before they re-enter your property and make sure they are processed correctly.

16. If one insecticide does not work why not mix two together.  As much as this may make some sense it is highly illegal to do so.  The control of pesticide regulations in the UK forbid this activity and any cases we hear about will be immediately reported to the Health and Safety Executive for investigation.  As much as it pains us to say it we are seeing this happen even with experienced pest controllers.  Make sure you look after your health and safety by only using pest controllers who know what they are doing.

More myth busting to follow shortly.

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