3 Myths About Bed Bugs strike fear in the hearts of humans

3 Myths About Bed Bugs strike fear in the hearts of humans The most obvious misconception is that if you keep your house really clean bed bugs won’t come. But explains Mike Potter an entomologist and extension professor at the University of Kentucky bed bugs don’t care whether or not you've vacuumed.

Potter says “They’re not cockroaches. They don’t feed on debris. You could have a pristine environment and they could still get introduced.”

Below some myths and delivers advice to help you stare down this scourge protect yourself and your family and take effective action if you need to.

Myth 1: If you have a foam mattress You're safe from bed bugs

“Bed bugs might not be able to live inside the encasement but they can live outside of it for sure” says Potter.

Truth: While bed bugs can’t live in foam they can stash themselves in any crevice that’s close to your body while you’re inert, such as in the small cracks of your bed frame. So even though foam isn't habitable for bed bugs someone who’s sleeping on it is still vulnerable.

So you can still have bed bugs in your home and can still get bitten. What encasement bags are good for is protecting the actual mattress.

Myth 2: Bed bugs travel only on clothes or other fabric.

“They can crawl through electrical outlets, up through walls, down hallways,” . “They can go right out the door and into other rooms or units within a building.” says Potter

Truth: Fabric is only one mode of transport. Bed bugs get around on their own just fine. If you live in a multi-unit building and you know bed bugs are in apartments near yours you should have an exterminator examine your home and look for signs of the pests. And if your home has an infestation in one room, adjacent rooms should be treated too.

Myth 3: If you have bed bugs You'll need to throw out everything you own .

“Except for severe infestations, you don’t need to throw anything out. Bed bugs only wind up in places like book bindings and alarm clocks when there’s a massive infestation. When they’re overcrowded in one place they seek out space in other areas.” says Potter

Truth: Most likely you won’t have to leave your expensive TV or computer or much else on the curb after a run in with bed bugs. 

Once your home is treated professionally your belongings should be okay. Exterminators use heat to kill bed bugs, a temperature above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. They bring in portable heaters and fans and gradually heat the room using sensors to make sure the heat is well distributed.

Some pest control companies ask you to strip beds and furniture and bag up belongings including clothes, shoes, and coats so that bed bugs have nowhere to hide during the treatment.