Frequently Asked Questions
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How many homes experience bed bug infestations?
1 in every 5 homes is infested by bed bugs.
Is there any state that does not have bed bugs?
No. Bed Bugs have been found in every state in the United States and worldwide.
How do Bed Bugs get into your home?
Bed Bugs are hitchhikers. They cling to you, your clothes, or items such as handbags and luggage. Once inside your home or car, they drop off and look for a place to harborage, feed, and reproduce.
What do Bed Bugs eat?
Bed Bugs only feed on blood.
Where do Bed Bugs like to harbor?
Bed Bugs prefer to live in areas close to their food source. Your blood being their food, you will find them in your bed frame, box spring, around the ribbing of your mattress, or on a couch or chair. Bed Bugs prefer areas where they won’t be disturbed like deep in your couch along the frame for example
How do I know if I have bed bugs?
Inspection is key! Look in areas where Bed Bugs live. You can see them with the naked eye but using a flashlight will make it easier. Look for live bugs, cast skins, and fecal stains.
What are the black spots I am finding on my mattress?
Bed Bug feces looks like someone dotted up your mattress with a sharpie pen. This is dried blood that has been excreted from the bug.
I have Bed Bugs and I don't have any bites but my spouse has bites all over, they must not like my blood
On average, 50% of people do not react to bed bug bites. They are still feeding on you, you are just one of the 50%.
Can I use Diatomaceous Earth to get rid of Bed Bugs?
Yes, you can. Diatomaceous Earth is a natural product that is abrasive (like sandpaper). As the insect crawls through the Diatomaceous Earth, it breaks down the waxy layer of the bug’s exoskeleton. Eventually, the bug dies from dehydration since the waxy layer is no longer present to keep the bug hydrated. D.E. Is a very slow fix. Expect it to take 7 – 14 days to work and that’s only if the bug is constantly exposed to the dust product.
How long do Bed Bugs Live?
This is a difficult question to answer and really depends on the environment. In short, a bed bug will live for 6 months in ultimate conditions. This is the perfect temperature and a constant food source. The long term is up to 9 years. A Bed bug’s life cycle consists of 7 stages, including the Egg. Bed Bugs must have a blood meal in order to molt and progress to the next stage. Bed Bugs will hibernate when food is not present. Hibernation can last as long as 18 months in each stage of life.
How many eggs does a Bed Bug lay?
In the right environment, a Bed Bug can lay 3 to 7 eggs a day. A female will lay 200+ eggs in her lifetime. Eggs hatch about every 10 days.
Does a Bed Bug need to mate daily?
No, a female bed bug only needs to mate once in her life to lay fertile eggs.
How often does a Bed Bug feed?
Bed Bugs feed two to three times a week. Feeding can take up to 15 minutes.
When a Bed Bug in hibernating, how does is know when to wake up?
Bed Bugs wake up when they sense movement and vibrations from a person. They can also detect the carbon dioxide that you exhale and your body heat.
Do Bed Bugs spread disease?
Bed Bugs are not known to spread disease.
Do Bed Bugs go away in winter?
No. Bed Bugs are active year-round.
Where did Bed Bugs come from?
It is believed Bed Bugs originated in the Middle East and lived in caves. Caves were inhabited by humans as well as bats. Our homes resemble caves as we keep a pretty constant temperature year-round.
How did Bed Bugs make a comeback in the United States?
America eliminated Bed Bugs in the 1950s with the use of DDT. In the early 2000’s we started seeing a re-occurrence of Bed Bugs. With increased international travel and military operations in foreign countries, Bed Bugs were re-introduced and spread rapidly in the USA.
Will Bed Bugs feed on my pets?
Bed Bugs have been found to feed on warm-blooded pets. Bed Bugs do not like to climb through thick hair so you will find them feeding in areas with less hair such as the belly area.
natural, chemical, steam, and heat treatments
Types of Bed Bug Treatments
Natural Treatments consist of items that are “safer” to use around humans and pets:
1. Diatomaceous Earth is a mined natural powder that dehydrates bugs by removing the waxy layer of the exoskeleton. It works well when applied correctly and in Bed Bug harborage areas. Many people overapply this product causing Bed Bugs to stay away from it. This product needs to be applied using a pest control device called a duster. The product is white in color and when applied, it should not leave a heavy visible residue. In the pest control industry, we say, “Apply it lightly, not white”. This product can be harmful to humans and pests when inhaled. You should always were a respirator when applying this product. This product takes time to work. It may take a couple of weeks to start killing so don’t expect results immediately. D.E. Must stay dry. Once wet, you will need to re-apply.
2. Baking Soda works like Diatomaceous Earth. It too will dehydrate the insect and just like Diatomaceous Earth, it takes weeks to work.
3. Tea Tree Oil Spray will kill Bed Bugs but it must be sprayed directly on them. This oil actually suffocates the Bed Bug by blocking the insects breathing tubes. Unfortunately, this oil will not kill eggs so you will need to make several treatments in hopes of finding and killing hatched Bed Bugs.
4. Isopropyl Alcohol will kill Bed Bugs fast. It is a solvent that dissolves the bug’s outer shell and dries out the insects inside. It must be sprayed directly on them and just like Tea Tree Oil, it will need several treatments. Beware! Isopropyl alcohol is flammable! Be cautious where you apply it.
5. Bed Bug Traps are meant to trap the bugs before they get to you. Do they work? Kind of. Traps are better used for monitoring purposes. Bed Bugs are attracted to body heat, Carbon Dioxide, and movement. Unless your trap has these attractants, you are the attractant. Traps have not shown useful in eliminating Bed Bugs by themselves.
6. Vacuuming live bugs and eggs is a natural mechanical method that works by removing the bugs and eggs. Vacuuming is recommended with all-natural treatments, chemical treatments, and Steam treatments. By removing the majority of the bugs and eggs, you will have an easier time achieving control of the infestation. Bed Bugs harbor and cement their eggs in hard-to-reach areas such as cracks and crevices. Furniture needs to be broken down in order to get to these harborage areas. Expect to perform this detailed vacuuming, paired with a natural, chemical, or steam treatment, at least weekly for the next month or more.
Chemical treatments:
Chemical treatments require a lot of preparation and are not one-time treatments. Because furniture, such as couches and recliners, are so difficult to properly treat, it may be recommended to discard these items; which increases the cost of this service with furniture replacement. Pest professionals are trained in proper chemical choices. Not all chemicals kill Bed Bugs. Product manufacturers constantly bring new chemicals to market that will kill bed bugs. Because Bed Bugs reproduce so rapidly, insecticide resistance is a major issue. A great example of this is DDT. In the 1950’s DDT was widely used on Bed Bugs and it worked great! If you were to use DDT on Bed Bugs today, you would not see any results. This is because insects have the ability to adapt by creating a genetic trait that is passed down to their young. This is called Pesticide Resistance. Bed Bugs today have developed resistance to DDT as well as many of our Parathyroids products currently available. With all insects, applying the same chemical over and over without eliminating the entire infestation; you stand the chance of creating pesticide resistance in that insect. It’s important that you use a product that they are not resistant to.
Expect to treat a minimum of three times at 10-day intervals. If you are very specific in your treatment, you should expect to kill 80% to 90% of the living bugs. Chemicals do not kill eggs so don’t expect this to be a one-and-done treatment. In 10 Days you will perform a second treatment. Just like treatment #1, you will need to prepare the infested room and break down all furniture. Treatment #2’s goal is to kill the 10% to 20% of the bugs you missed in #1 and kill the newly hatched bugs. 10 days later, treatment #3 is hopefully your final treatment. Again, you must be very diligent and specific in your treatments or you will fail and have to perform another treatment in 10 days. Treatment #3’s goal is to kill the last remaining bugs that you missed in treatment #2.
Chemical treatments are not quick to perform. You can expect to spend a couple of hours or more in preparation and treatment each time you do this.
steam treatments:
This treatment is no different than the Chemical Treatment process but you are using a commercial-grade steamer. Your steam should be coming out hot enough for your surface temperature to reach 160° to 180° degrees. Follow the same steps as the above Chemical Treatment process and perform multiple treatments. Beware of items or furniture that may become damaged from moisture and/or direct heat. Steam has the benefit of not only killing the bugs but also the eggs.
Heat treatments:
It’s not the heat that kills the bed bugs and the eggs, it’s the process of drying out the Bed Bug and the eggs. Heat Treatments are fairly easy to prepare for. You remove items that may melt or explode. Items like candles, crayons, lipsticks, live plants, and aerosol cans, etc. A heater is placed in the room, rooms, or house along with fans to create a vortex of air. Moving the air is important. You do not want cold spots. The thermal death point for bed bugs is 113.8°. Again, it’s not the heat that kills the bugs, it’s the ability to hold that temperature for an extended period of time to dry out the bug and eggs. At BedBugRentals.com, we have set our heaters at 130°. We have found this to be an efficient temperature to achieve the goal of total elimination without damaging electronics, furniture, or fixtures. This is also an approved temperature in the pest control industry.
When properly used, heat treatments are a one-and-done treatment. With heat, you do not need to throw away your infested furniture! Heat is absorbed into couches, chairs, mattresses, furniture, and even walls. Making this a very successful treatment.
Because there are no chemicals, this is a 100% natural treatment. It’s by far, the easiest and fastest treatment available today.
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