“Don’t let the bed bugs bite” is a very common saying used to scare kids into sleeping so they don’t end up staying up too late. However, this “fear” will suddenly return once you become old enough to understand that bed bugs are actually an issue. Honestly, even for hygiene purposes more than anything, you shouldn’t disregard the fact these little pests live inside our pillows and mattresses.
In fact, they are a problem in every state in the U.S, as well as many different countries throughout the entire world. It’s definitely not something that you’re facing on your own, but you also shouldn’t disregard it.
Although people often imagine these pests differently in their own mind, reality is only one. This is why we want to clear any misconceptions that are popular amongst the masses. Some of these will change what you think about bed bugs, so let’s not waste any more time and jump straight into the content.
Table of Contents
1. These pests are unable to fly
img source: wiscontext.org
A common misconception amongst people is that bed bugs can fly. You’ll be surprised when you find out that people think cleaning their pillows and mattresses is “useless” because the bugs fly in the air and then return upon placing back those onto your bed. Let’s clear this once and forever. Bed bugs cannot fly. This is confirmed by research done at the University of Minnesota. Also, for about sixty seconds, the most distance they can travel is less than one meter. They’re not as “dangerous” as you think.
2. They can go on forever without a meal
img source: citywideexterm.com
If you think that bed bugs can go on forever without a meal, that’s not true, thankfully. According to another study that was done at a famous university, these pests can go only four months without feeding on blood. However, there’s a very important factor here that we have to take into consideration. The temperature of the room in which they live has a lot to do with their lifespan. For example, if they try to survive in an area that’s about 25 degrees Celsius, they’ll make it for only two months. But, in colder areas, they can go for almost a year without feeding. This is because they are cold-blooded and their metabolism has the ability to slow down when they’re in such a “chill” zone.
3. They reproduce in the millions and so quickly
img source: qz.com
No, they don’t. Bedbugs don’t reproduce in the millions, and they’re definitely not quick to reproduce. This is a fact. Let’s take a look at some of the statistics that we know.
The average adult female bed bug is able to produce only one egg per day, sometimes not even that much. Then, the egg needs more than ten days in order to hatch. But, that’s not the end of the procedure. You then need more than six weeks for the small “being” to turn into an adult. So, unless you have ten millions bed bugs in your mattress, they definitely won’t reproduce and become “infinite” as quickly as you thought. But, even if the thought of having just a few in your bed makes your skin crawl, bedbugsseattlewa.com is a website that you can visit.
4. They only “endanger you” during the night
“Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite” is a very common saying, and although it makes a lot of sense, it’s not entirely true. Sure, most of us think that these pests are nocturnal beings, but, unfortunately, they’re not. They’re just like us humans. If they need to eat, they’ll do it. Now, this obviously means that we’re exposed to risk at all times, so using all of those extra lamps over your bed is not going to help at all. This is yet another reason to call a professional exterminator.
5. They live strictly in mattresses
img source: grahamandgreen.co.uk
Unfortunately, they don’t. They live everywhere where they think that a person might be available for eating. Some researchers point out that bed bugs could be found in chairs and ceilings even. So, if you ever decide to work closely together with an exterminator, you should allow them into other places of your home as well, not just your bedroom. But, it’s true that most of them can be found in mattresses. After all, it’s what people most associate them with.
6. The hygiene levels of your place make a difference
Well, it doesn’t. Although it’s very easy to associate an untidy room with such pests, unfortunately, a study confirmed that bed bugs don’t really care whether they infest a room that’s high-end, luxurious and clean or a homeless shelter with only one mattress on the ground and a bunch of garbage on the sides. So, even if you think that dusting off your room and sleeping on the most expensive mattress will repel these little vampires, it’s not really like that.
But, if you live in an untidy area, chances are that you’ll have more of them in different parts of it. And, you should avoid doing that whatsoever because of personal hygiene reasons. Always make sure to clean regularly whenever you can.
7. They can transmit various sicknesses
img source: pfharris.com
Bedbugs are annoying, and they sure can cause a lot of anxiety and fear, especially in people who already have the “bugophobia”. But, they surely don’t transmit any diseases or viruses. Maybe in some very, very rare cases where this is accompanied by other factors, but in general, there doesn’t cause much harm in this particular field. If you have some strange allergy, however, and you are prone to any health complications caused by a bed bug, then it’s an entirely different scenario.
Conclusion
As you can see, most of the things people think about bedbugs are simply not true, and some of these things are only a cause for more fear and misunderstandings. But, even if these facts turned out to be slightly “milder” than what you expected, we still don’t encourage you to live with these pests. Call an exterminator to get rid of them.
