Bed bugs are one of the most common insect pests of homes and buildings, and many pest control professionals claim that bed bugs are among the most difficult insect pests to eliminate from infested homes. Eliminating bed bug infestations is a highly involved process that requires multiple control methods, and do-it-yourself bed bug control remedies are not recommended. However, this does not mean that residents cannot take measures to prevent bed bug infestations and avoid bites within bed bug infested homes. Numerous DYI bed bug control methods and bed bug extermination products are often touted as being effective, but it can be difficult to separate valuable bed bug advice from worthless bed bug advice.
When bed bugs are detected within a home, residents typically have no choice but to live with the pests until a professional addresses the infestation. While waiting for a bed bug treatment to be carried out, residents naturally want to avoid sustaining further bites. Since bed bugs establish harborages around beds, many people living in infested homes avoid their beds and sleep in other areas where bed bugs are believed to be absent. Since most bed bugs within infested homes are located within 8 feet or so of beds where people sleep, this tactic may seem logical, but unfortunately, it does not work for a few reasons. First of all, bed bugs can survive in vacant rooms for months without collecting a blood meal, and secondly, bed bugs gravitate toward humans by sensing their breath, so moving to a new area to sleep will not protect people from bites for long. In fact, moving to a new area to sleep will cause bed bugs to disperse over a greater area, making their eradication more difficult. According to researchers, most, if not all bed bug control products sold in stores are ineffective, especially ultrasonic pest repellents. These products claim to repel bed bugs with high frequency sounds, but researchers at the University of Arizona tested four ultrasonic pest repellents and found each one to be ineffective for bed bug control.
Have you ever had to remain in a home that you knew had been infested with bed bugs?