Top 10 Bedbug Myths

We’ve had a lot of people come into SuburbanExterminating with small bugs and a panicked look, thinking they have bed bugs. They probably get this idea because of all their media coverage recently. While caution is good when dealing with bed bugs (you can never be too careful), it’s important to stay calm. It’s time to quash some bed bug myths:

1 –Bed bugs CAN be killed by the cold – the problem is that it has to be extreme temperatures for a substantial amount of time. 3 hours at 70°C should kill roughly 78% of bed bugs, but they can also adapt to these temperatures, so this course of action isn’t necessarily advised.

2 – You CAN see bed bugs. They’re only 3 mm – 5 mm long, but they can be spotted. 

3 – Throwing out your bed will NOT necessarily fix the problem. Bed bugs can occupy every crack or crevice of the room.

4 – Bed bugs can infest everyone; you do NOT have to be “dirty.”

5 – Bed bugs CAN infest every country, every state, and every town.

6 – Bed bugs CAN travel from house to house, so if your neighbor has them, be careful and inspect your home. They are much more likely to travel across flat terrain.

7 – You do NOT have to have gone on vacation to bring bed bugs back into your home. More often, people are finding bed bugs on public transit networks, workplaces, movie theaters, etc.

8 – Just because one person in the bed is getting bitten and the other isn’t does NOT mean that bed bugs aren’t the problem. People have different reactions to bites, so one person’s reaction might just be different than the other. Make sure you check for bed bugs if even one person is experiencing any type of signs.

9 Sleeping with the lights on will NOT keep bed bugs away.

10 – – Bed bugs CAN survive a plane ride, so it is possible to bring them back from vacation in your luggage or on you.