The fact that 97% of pest professionals have treated bed bugs in the past year indicates they are a big problem. Some people believe bed bugs are attracted to filth, grime, and dirt, but this is not the case. They will enter any home, clean or dirty, rich or poor. However, a dirty room does provide lots more places for bed bugs and other pests to hide. Your mattress is an ideal place for bed bugs to hide and be close to their main food source: You. Most bed bugs will like to be within 10 ft. of their food source. They are nocturnal and will roost in your mattress until you go to sleep. Bed bugs like a warm environment where they have all the carbon dioxide they need and the blood in your body is full of the stuff! The CO2 you exhale and the heat you emit will attract bed bugs. When you sleep, CO2 levels increase, making you more vulnerable to bites.
Vacuuming is Ineffective at Removing Bed Bugs
A vacuum cleaner shouldn’t be your first line of defense as they can be ineffective for three reasons:
1. You can only vacuum the bugs you see. If you’ve noticed the signs of bed bugs, you will have no problem eliminating the ones you can see, but they are great at hiding deep in your mattress.
2. Vacuuming won’t work on the eggs. Vacuuming will get rid of some bed bugs. But if you think about how small bed bugs are imagine the size of all the eggs they’ve laid and how hard it would be to eliminate those. Just a few eggs left behind could be the difference between elimination and an infestation that will continue.
3. The vacuum cleaner might not reach. When an infestation is advanced, bed bugs can hide and breed anywhere. That might mean cracks in the wall and holes around plumbing and electrical. Attachments can only reach so far, and suction might not be as strong as it needs to be for complete elimination. Then there are places you wouldn’t even think to vacuum, like the pictures and clock on the wall along with dozens of other places.
Can Bed Bugs Live in Vacuum Sealed Bags?
There are precautions you will need to take if you want to use a vacuum cleaner designed to eliminate bed bugs. You will also need to keep in mind that these vacuums cannot deliver the same results that a professional pest control company can. You will need to prevent the infestation from spreading to other areas, you will also need to remove the vacuum bag, sealing it inside a plastic bag and then properly dispose of the bag outside. If you don’t do it right, you will have wasted time and money wishing you had called the professionals in the first place.
Bed Bug Inspections & Control Treatment in Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville, Cedar Park & Austin Texas
Do you think you’re dealing with a bed bug infestation? You probably don’t have any tools at your disposal to guarantee total elimination. You need the help of professionals, and while 68% of pest professionals say that bed bugs are the most difficult pest to get rid of, they’re no match for the experts at A-Tex Pest Management. Give us a call today!