5 Surprising Myths About Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are a homeowner’s worst nightmare. Waking up to find bed bug bites on your body can be horrific when you do not know how to manage these pests. Many homeowners feel as though they can do nothing about bed bugs, and they learn to accept them as an unavoidable part of life. In reality, there are many actions you can take to eliminate bed bugs in your home.

1. Only Filthy Homes Attract Bed Bugs

Many people assume that only the most messy homes attract bed bugs. Unfortunately, homeowners who experience bed bug problems often assume that removing clutter and scrubbing surfaces will make bed bugs go away. Although filthy homes are more prone to bed bug infestations, the reality is that any home can attract bed bugs. You should not, therefore, feel as though your bed bug problems mean that you are not doing enough to keep your home clean. 

2. Bed Bugs Can Fly

Bed bugs often attack humans in locations that seem hard to reach. Some beds, for example, have only tiny legs, yet bed bugs somehow manage to crawl up and feed. Some homeowners come to the conclusion that bed bugs must be able to fly in order to reach the places where they manage to bite. Bed bugs can crawl on almost any surface, but they have no wings that would enable them to fly.

3. Simple Cleaning Keeps Bed Bugs Away

If you are struggling with bed bug problems, you probably believe that you can manage these issues by taking action. You might try to vacuum the floors, disinfect surfaces, or clean your sheets. Unfortunately, simple cleaning is almost never enough to eliminate the bed bugs in your home. Bed bugs tend to burrow in places that are hard to reach, such as inside walls or deep under a carpet floor, so you cannot expect to eliminate bed bugs with simple cleaning.

4. Bed Bugs Only Bite When People Are Sleeping

Most people who have bed bugs in their home find bites in the morning after sleeping. Nevertheless, some bed bugs have been known to bite people who are sitting in a chair or laying on a couch.

5. Bed Bugs Feed Every Day

It is very rare for homeowners to experience bed bug bites on a nightly basis. If you have a bed bug in your home, you will almost never find more than one bite per week. Many bed bugs feed on a monthly basis, but they can sometimes bite more often if they believe that food is scarce. However, bed bugs never bite every day.