Bed bugs are nasty little critters that are notoriously known to pilfer our blood in our sleep. But like most subjects in the world, bed bugs have myths attached to them and we at A-Tex Pest Management like to share these myths and debunk them.
Common Bed Bug Myths
Myth #1 Bed bugs are exclusively night biters.
Bed bugs are typically nocturnal and favor human blood. If they are deprived of their food source, they will go looking for a meal at any time. Keeping the light on all night will not keep them at bay.
Myth #2 Bed bugs only eat, sleep, and hide on the mattress.
Where few bugs might be prone to sticking close to the food source, as their population grows they spread out. Bedbugs find anywhere they manage to hide and feel secure; outlets, behind light switch plates, picture frames, alarm clocks, computer keyboards, behind flaps of wallpaper and baseboards, the possibilities are endless.
Myth #3 Bed bugs favor filthy environments.
Bedbugs are nondiscriminatory, they can be found in the most pristine and immaculate high-end buildings and down in the slums.
Myth #4 Bed bugs fly.
Flying is not possible as bedbugs do not have wings. Bedbugs do however crawl about a meter a minute.
Myth #5 Bed bugs rapidly reproduce.
Bedbugs are slow to reproduce in comparison to other insects. For example; a common housefly will lay up to 500 eggs within 3-4 days where an adult female bedbug only produces on average 1 egg per day. Bedbug eggs take 10 days to hatch and adults are developed in 5-6 weeks.
Myth #6 Bed bugs can survive without eating for up to a year.
Though there is a debate among scientists concerning this myth, the evidence points to bedbugs that live in consistent normal room temperature, can only survive 2-3 without a blood meal. Being cold-blooded, the bedbugs metabolism will slow down in chillier climates, giving them better odds at survive a year without a bloody meal.
Myth #7 Bed bugs use our bodies to be transported to other locations.
Bedbugs are not like lice, ticks, or fleas and hide in hair or stick on skin, like lice or ticks, and since they do not like warmth and are also unlikely to be in the clothes you are wearing. Bedbugs are primarily transferred by backpacks, luggage, shoes and other items.
Myth #8 DDT should be implemented.
Banned in 1972, the controversial pesticide DDT had already lost much of its potency and most bedbugs have built a resistance to it; and modernly speaking the populations are even more so.
Myth #9 Bed bugs can be eliminated with bug spray.
Because of their resistance to poisons, bedbugs cannot be killed by department pesticides and chemical agents are no longer effective methods of treatment. Fumigation and heat treatments are most ideal, but it can be very expensive.
Myth #10 Bed bugs are harmful to your health.
Bedbugs do not transmit any known diseases, but their bites can potentially lead to anxiety, sleeplessness and even secondary infections, but there have been no reported cases of bedbugs transmitting disease to humans. However, they do carry human pathogens; 27 known viruses, bacteria, protozoa and more have been found in bedbugs, but these microbes don’t reproduce or multiply within the bedbugs.
Bed Bug Pest Inspections, Treatment, Control, Removal & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park Texas
If you suspect bed bugs in your home, do not hesitate to call A-Tex Pest Management for an inspection and custom treatment plan!
