Bed bugs have been in the Toronto news a lot lately. The city’s bed bug problem is getting a lot of coverage and in some cases information is not necessarily 100% accurate. Here are 3 myths about bed bugs.
Myth #1: Bed Bugs Only Live in Dirty Homes
This is not true. Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt. Bed bugs are so thin that they can wedge themselves into tiny crevices and breed in even the cleanest of homes and businesses. Keeping a cluttered home can make it easier for bed begs to find hiding spaces and spaces to lay eggs, but they can still find plenty of spots in clean homes. They can get into electronics, in picture frames and in floor cracks.
Myth #2: Bed Bugs Only Come Out In the Dark
You may have heard that sleeping in a brightly lit room will deter bed bugs. It won’t. Bed bugs come out to feed whenever a person is sleeping or staying very still. They are attracted to carbon dioxide, which living beings exhale. They are also attracted to body warmth. Since most people sleep with the lights out, it can be understandable for some people to conclude that bed bugs are only active at night.
Myth #3: Over the Counter Bed Bug Treatments Will Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Even though a pesticide product that you can buy at the store may claim it can kill bed bugs, bug bombs or foggers will not get rid of an infestation. Pesticides need to come into contact with the bed bug in order to work. Bed bugs simply hide until the effects of the foggers wear off. They may also flee to another room in the home that isn’t being treated. Bed bugs in apartment buildings simply move from the treated apartment to an untreated apartment. Eventually, the bugs will return.
Effective bed bug treatments are performed by licensed exterminators.
