“Bed bugs are too small to see”

You can actually see adult bed bugs fairly easily. An adult is about ¼-inch long, the size of an apple seed. Nymphs are smaller with a newly hatched nymph being about the size of the head of a pin. Older nymphs get progressively larger. The white, cylindrical eggs are quite tiny, but are usually grouped and can also be seen with the naked eye.

“Bed bugs are found in places that aren’t clean”

Bed bugs might be found in dirty places but not because they are attracted to poor sanitation. What they are attracted to is warmth, blood, and carbon dioxide – all given off by their human victims. However, bed bugs could easily become more of a problem in a cluttered home because they have more places to hide.

“Bed bugs won’t come out if you keep the lights on at night”

Bed bugs are active at night and hide during the day. The reason they are active at night is because that’s when their victim is available and asleep in the bed. Keeping the light on won’t deter a hungry bed bug as long as a sleeping human is available to feed on.

“Pesticides are the only way to get rid of bed bugs”

Pesticides are usually necessary when there is a bed bug infestation but the use of pesticides alone doesn’t always work. Other measures are also needed to insure control. Careful monitoring of bed bug numbers and nonpesticide measures such as encasing mattresses, vacuuming, and laundering are used. For some infestations, steam, heat, or cold treatment may be the primary method used by an exterminator. Because many bed bug populations have developed resistance to pesticides, other measures are especially important to insure control.