FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BED BUGS
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Q: What do Bed Bugs look like? Adults are mahogany to rusty brown, but turn dark red after a blood meal. They are oval shaped, flat, and about 1/4" in length. Nymphs are translucent and are about the size of a pinhead. Eggs are the hardest to detect without magnification as they are 1/32 inch long and are whitish in color.
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Q: What is the likelihood my building or home will get bed bugs? For any multifamily property or hospitality building, it's not a question of if you can get Bed Bugs, but when.
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Q: How do buildings get Bed Bugs? They are brought in either on people, including clothes or belongings, or on furniture.
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Q: What risk is there for expansion of the infestation once a building has Bed Bugs? Studies show that female Bed Bugs migrate away from their host if left uncontrolled. This will lead to infestations in adjoining rooms or units. On average, 20-30% of adjacent units are infested. Infested rooms or units may not report seeing Bed Bugs. Over 30% of people living with Bed Bugs don't realize they are being bit. Other people may be afraid to report having them because they think they will be evicted or are embarassed because they are associated with being unclean.
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Q: If someone is in an infested room, can I just move the person to another room? No. Most likely the Bed Bugs will move with them. The Bed Bugs are living or hiding in their belongings. Bed Bugs left behind can either migrate or move to other rooms for a blood meal or go dormant for up to one year.
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Q: Can I replace the mattress or other furniture to solve the problem? That can help, but without treatments, the new items will rapidly become reinfested by bed bugs that are living in the walls, cracks and crevices, etc. Bed Bugs are frequently spread when someone moves infested furniture out of a room without encasing the items in heavy gauge plastic.
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Q: Can I take care of them myself? Almost 90% of Bed Bugs are genetically resistant to common household insecticides. Only professionals have the access to the products and training required to control Bed Bugs.
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Q: Can you guarantee that they are gone? A Bed Bug scenting dog has a 97% accuracy rate in finding Bed Bugs. If this final inspection with a Bed Bug scenting dog indicates they are gone, they most likely are.
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Q: Will they come back? Yes, they could. A repeat infestation can occur just like the original infestation.