Bed bugs are a nightmare to deal with, for both homeowners and pest control technicians. If you’ve ever dealt with them, you would agree. They infest your places of rest and affect your peace of mind. But why are they so hard to get rid of? For several reasons.
Bed Bugs Are Great Hiders
First of all, bed bugs are very small and flat. They average about 4 to 5 millimeters in length, which is about the size of an apple seed. Because they’re so small, they can easily squeeze into places as thin as a credit card. Plus, bed bugs are most active when you are asleep at night. They hide during the day in mattress seams, headboards, nightstands, box springs, and other nearby places, coming out at night when you’re asleep. Sleep during the day? No problem, bed bugs will adjust to your sleeping pattern.
Bed Bugs Hitchhike
Bed bugs don’t have wings, so they cannot fly. They also don’t jump. But they are great hitchhikers. The way they move from place to place is by crawling quickly onto a person’s clothing, bag, or other personal belongings. This is why you should use caution when purchasing second-hand items.
Bed Bugs Don’t Need Food
Unlike many other pests, bed bugs don’t need a constant supply of food (blood) to stay alive. In fact, bed bugs can go without feeding for about a year, depending on the humidity and temperature. So, if you’re thinking about sleeping in another place to starve them, think again.
Bed Bugs Multiply Quickly
Female bed bugs can lay as many as 12 eggs a day after being fertilized. They’ll deposit their eggs in carpet lining, baseboards, and bed frames in a sticky layer to make sure the eggs are secure. Once the bed bugs hatch, a week to two weeks later, they’ll immediately begin searching for food. One Bed bug can produce hundreds of Bed Bugs in a single year.
Bed Bugs Are Resistant to Pesticides
In the past few years, scientists have discovered that bed bugs have developed genetic defenses against many popular pesticides used for bed bug control. So you cannot eliminate these pests with a single treatment type alone.
Experts in Bed Bugs
Bed bugs aren’t dangerous, but their bites can cause allergic reactions and leave you sleepless. So, if you’re dealing with bed bugs, it’s important to contact your local pest control company immediately. At United Pest Solutions, we’ll not only treat your bed bug problem quickly, but we’ll also teach you some best practices to help prevent bed bugs from returning. Take a look at our bed bug extermination page to learn more about how to handle bed bug infestations and contact us if you need help. We offer free expert phone support to answer any questions you may have.