The following are questions we commonly receive about bed bugs. If you have a question that’s not listed here, please give us a call!
Question: Can I bring bed bugs home on my shoes?
Answer: Bed bugs are active at night. During the day they are hiding in cracks and crevices. Bed bugs are more likely to be spread via pillows, mattresses, bed linen and bedroom furniture. So unless you spend the night somewhere, it’s not likely that you’ll bring a bed bug home on your shoes. That said, bed bugs are expert hitchhikers. If you do spend a night somewhere, follow the steps we’ve provided on the Managing Bed Bugs page.
Question: How can I determine if my bites are caused by bed bugs?
Answer: Itchy bites can be caused by mites, mosquitoes, fleas and lice. To be absolutely sure, you need to collect a bed bug specimen and have it identified by an expert.
Question: How do you kill bed bug eggs? Do all these spray on products work?
Answer: NEVER attempt to use pesticides on your body or in your home or sleeping areas. Pesticides should only be applied by trained and certified pest management professionals, and pesticides by themselves will never completely solve the problem. Work with your pest control professional to ensure that your bed bug issue is effectively resolved. Most insect eggs are safe inside a shell or chorion which protects them from pesticides. Bed bug eggs hatch in about one to three weeks depending upon the temperature. This would mean a follow up inspection after three weeks would be a good idea.
Question: How do I know if a pest control company can deal with a bed bug problem?
Answer: Ask the following questions to the pest control company you call. The responses you want to hear from them are in parenthesis.
- Do you have background, training and experience with bed bug eradication?
- How long will treatment take? (Application of the treatment should take about one day.)
- How many treatments will this require? (Thorough eradication of bed bugs requires multiple treatments.)
- Will preparations be necessary? (Extensive preparation on your part will be required for effective treatment. See Bed Bug Treatment Preparation Sheets for details.)
- Are bed bugs difficult to eliminate? (Yes.)
- When can you deliver treatment? (Not today. Extensive preparations are required by the occupant.)
- Do you provide materials to help me prepare for the treatment? (Yes. Every reputable bed bug specialist should have these materials available for you.)
- If you live in a multi-family or multi-unit dwelling, ask: Will your check surrounding units? (It is critical to do so.)
Question: What about follow up inspections?
Answer: Qualified professionals should be inspecting every two weeks during the treatment.
Learn more about identifying and treating bed bug infestations by clicking on the links below.
Portions of the content above courtesy of Gary D. Alpert, Environmental Health & Safety,
Harvard University School of Public Health. |
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