FAQs April 24th, 2010

Are bed bugs feces big?

Bed bug feces are not big. They are pretty much just bits of dried blood that are extruded from a bed bug’s anus. Keep in mind that bed bugs are small. Their feces are likewise very small droplets that dry a darkish red or brown. You can see what they look like on 5 Signs of Bed Bugs.

FAQs April 22nd, 2010

Are three bites grouped together bed bugs?

Maybe. Bed bug bite symptoms seem distinctive. But it’s possible that linear bug bites following the “breakfast, lunch, dinner” pattern came from another bug and are the result of coincidence. Your best bet is to check for other signs of bed bugs

FAQs April 20th, 2010

Can a bed bug dog give a false positive?

Yes, bed bug dogs can give false positives. Dogs used for bed bug detection are accurate about 90% of the time. The dog’s accuracy depends on the skill and experience of the handler and how well trained the dog is.

The way detection dogs are ideally used is to point out places that should be more thoroughly inspected. When a dog comes across an area and has a hit, that area should be further examined for bed bugs.

FAQs April 19th, 2010

Do you have to leave the house while killing bed bugs?

It depends. If your bed bugs exterminator is using fumigation or thermal remediation (heat), then you will have to leave the house. You won’t have to otherwise, although you will need to stay away from treated areas as directed by your pest control professional.

FAQs April 16th, 2010

Should I get a bed bug mattress cover or a box spring cover?

Bed bug mattress covers are more properly known as bed bug encasements. They are available for both mattresses and box springs. If you can afford both, then you should probably get both. If you can only afford one however, buy a bed bug encasement for the box spring.

Why?

Bed bug treatment for mattresses is fairly straight forward: you find bed bugs and you kill them. Box springs are harder to treat however.

Box springs have a more complex construction than mattresses. Usually there is plastic hardware on the bottom and staples that hold a mesh onto the bottom. Bed bugs can hide and lay eggs under and around the hardware and the staples. And what is worse is that they can get underneath the mesh and infest the inside of your box spring. While it’s possible to remove the mesh, the inside of a box spring itself can be tricky to properly treat.

So if you only have enough money for one encasement, make it the box spring.

FAQs April 16th, 2010

Where can I find bed bug elimination information for do it yourself types?

Read Kill Bed Bugs at Home: Do-it-yourself Bed Bug Extermination for an overview of the process. You’ll also want to read Bed Bug Extermination: Can you get rid of bed bugs on your own?.

If you read those and came back here, you might be saying “Hey — I wanted information on do-it-yourself bed bug extermination, not warnings!” Read the rest of this entry »

FAQs April 15th, 2010

How do you know if you have few or many bedbugs?

It can be difficult to tell how bad your infestation is. Bed bugs often stay hidden and their small size and flat shape make it hard to find and spot them.

Bed bugs don’t hide just on your mattress either. They can hide in the bed frame or even inside the mattress. Don’t forget that bed bugs will often hide outside the bed in furniture, clothing, pictures and door frames, drapes, etc. It can be tough to tell just how many of them there are.

Bed bug eggs are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Even if you think you’ve found all the bed bugs hiding around your room, there is a good chance they have hidden their eggs somewhere. So even if you think you have a fairly good idea of how bad your infestation is, you could be overlooking the eggs.

If you’re in doubt, call a bed bugs exterminator to come assess your situation.

FAQs April 14th, 2010

Where can I find bed bug bite pictures on humans and symptoms?

You can find that type of information right here of course! Here are two links to get you started: bed bug bite pictures and bed bug bite symptoms. (If you got here after searching for either bed bug bite sympyoms or bed bug bite symtoms, I think you ended up in the right place.)

FAQs April 13th, 2010

Will boric acid kill bed bugs?

Although boric acid can be effective against certain insects, it will not kill bed bugs.

Boric acid is a poison but to be effective it much reach the stomach of a an insect. Since bed bugs only suck blood, there is no way to get them to consume the acid. This goes back to one of the reasons why it is so hard to kill bed bugs.

FAQs April 13th, 2010

At what stage in a bed bug’s life cycle can they lay eggs?

Female bed bugs can lay eggs once they have reached the adult stage of their life cycle. If they have access to a consistent food supply, hatchings will reach this adult stage in about five weeks.