Bed Bug Basics

This year for Bed Bug Awareness Week Convectex wants to shed light on all of the bed bug FAQs, misconceptions, and treatment mistakes. 

So, let’s jump right on with the most commonly asked question; “Is this a bed bug?”

A bed bug issue is often first suspected due to unexplained bites.  Unfortunately, bed bugs bites also resemble many other bug bites, so identification only by examining the bites can be difficult. Below you will find a check list of items that you can use to help determine if you have bed bugs.  We have also included photo of actual bed bugs so you can compare any insects you find.

Bed Bug Check List:

1. Do you have itchy, unexplained bites on your face, arms, hands, legs, neck, or back?
2. Are the bites in groups of 3?
3. Check your bed, do you see any small dots (resembling ink spots) on the mattress or bedding?
4. When inspecting your bed frame, box spring, mattress, and bedding do you see any live bugs hiding in the seams or in cracks and crevices?
5. Have you seen blood stains on your mattress or bedding (looks like rusty spots or smears)?
6. Do you see any tiny white/clear elongated eggs (looks almost like grains of rice)?
7. If you have found any live bugs, are they about the size of an apple seed?
8. Have you traveled via plane, bus or other public transportation recently?
9. Have you stayed at a hotel/motel recently?
10. Check out the images below – do the bugs you see look like the ones pictured?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above then there is a good chance that you could have bed bugs.

The next question we will cover is “Where should I look for bed bugs?”

This question is asked by hospitality managers, pest professionals, and home owners on a regular basis.  Many people think that bed bugs only live in beds, but this is completely untrue.  Bed bugs can be found in nearly any part of the room.  When searching for bed bugs be sure to look in the following places:

• In mattress and box springs – carefully inspect the seams and creases
• Headboards and bed frames – look under, in cracks and crevasses, and behind
• Under carpets, or by the carpet edges and near the baseboards and moldings
• Inside and behind electrical outlet covers
• Behind loose wallpaper and wall decorations
• In upholstered furniture (check seams and edges)
• Inside and under piles of clutter, including piles of clothes, books or stacked papers, in laundry baskets.

Next, let’s cover one of the biggest misconceptions about bed bugs;  “Only dirty, untidy people can get a bed bug infestation.”  This statement is completely not true.  Bed bugs are opportunistic and excellent hitchhikers.  They primarily spread by being passed from one person’s belongings to another.  They are most commonly picked up in areas with high traffic, such as public transportation and hotels/motels.  Even the cleanest, 5 star hotels can have a bed bugs problem…and bed bugs can hitch a ride home with the tidiest, most wealthy travelers.  The difference between the size of the infestation depends on how you react to the problem. 

Proactive hotels/motels will have a bed bug system in place to inspect and treat for bed bugs regularly and immediately if any evidence is found.  Likewise, the home owners with fast and effective treatments will get rid of the bugs before the issue becomes out of hand.  Heat treatments are the most effective way to kill bed bugs and should be used immediately as bed bug are detected.  Convectex offers bed bug heat equipment for homeowners, pest professionals, apartment managers, and hotel/motel owners.

Another question that we, here at Convectex, get often is; “Why don’t chemical treatments work like they used to?”

If you had a bed bug problem in the past 10-15 years you may notice that the bugs are harder to kill now-a-days then they were a decade ago.  This is due to the bed bugs newly evolved resistances to common pesticides.  Bed bugs were, at one time, almost extinct in this country, however they adapted and controlled substances laws changed and now we have “super” bugs that are more and more resistant to our treatment efforts.  This is one of the main reasons that Convectex has developed our revolutionary heat equipment that kills the bed bugs with clean, dry, hot air.  Bed bugs cannot escape the quickly rising temperatures and will perish within 15 minutes of being exposed to lethal temperatures.  This treatment method also kills the bugs that couldn’t be treated with pesticides, such as the bugs hiding inside furniture and the unhatched eggs. 

Finally, let’s cover one of the most searched bed bug search results on google; “DIY bed bug treatment”

Most DIY methods for bed bugs simply do not work.  Many treatments require bed bugs to repeatedly walk through the treatment substance (diatomaceous earth and over the counter pesticides), or they only treat certain areas (such as mattress encasement or pouring boiling water where you know bed bugs are living).  Another common DIY mistake is simply busing ineffective products.  Did you know that pesticides don’t necessarily have to be tested on bed bugs before distribution?  Products are often bundled as “kill all” products.  While these pesticides may kill bed bugs if they are directly exposed to the wet chemical they are extremely ineffective at killing an entire bed bug infestation.

Still have questions?  Check out our other blog posts at https://convectex.com/blogs/blog or give us a call at 877-375-0005.  Convectex can help you get rid of bed bugs with our safe and easy heat solution. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Bed Bug Basics

What are the first signs of bed bugs?

Early signs can include unexplained bites, dark fecal spots on mattresses or bedding, shed skins, tiny pale eggs, blood spots, or live bed bugs hiding in seams and cracks. Because bites alone can be caused by many things, finding physical evidence provides a more reliable indication of an infestation.

Where do bed bugs usually hide?

Bed bugs commonly hide in mattress seams, box springs, bed frames, headboards, upholstered furniture, baseboards, carpet edges, cracks, electrical outlet areas, and clutter near places where people sleep or rest. They prefer narrow, protected spaces close to a host.

Are bed bugs caused by a dirty house?

No. Bed bugs are not caused by poor housekeeping. They are hitchhiking insects that can be brought home on luggage, clothing, furniture, backpacks, and other belongings. Clean homes, hotels, apartments, and businesses can all develop bed bug infestations.

Can you see bed bugs with the naked eye?

Yes. Adult bed bugs are visible without magnification and are roughly the size of an apple seed. Younger nymphs are much smaller and paler, making them harder to see, while eggs are tiny and can be difficult to spot during a quick inspection.

How do bed bugs spread from place to place?

Bed bugs most often spread by hitchhiking on luggage, clothing, furniture, bedding, backpacks, and other belongings. In apartments and other multi-unit buildings, they may also move through cracks, wall voids, and openings between neighboring units.

Do bed bugs only come out at night?

No. Bed bugs are generally most active when people are sleeping, but they can come out during the day or with the lights on if a host is available. Darkness is not required for them to feed.

Can bed bugs be killed without pesticides?

Yes. Heat treatment is a non-chemical option for eliminating bed bugs. When lethal temperatures reach all of the areas where bed bugs and eggs are hiding and are maintained for the necessary amount of time, heat can kill every stage of the bed bug life cycle.

What should I do if I think I found a bed bug?

Try to capture the insect if possible and confirm its identification before beginning treatment. Inspect the bed, mattress seams, box spring, furniture, and nearby hiding places for additional evidence. Once bed bugs are confirmed, begin an appropriate treatment plan before the infestation has time to spread.