Why Are Bed Bugs So Tough?

by Kevin Smith Author

You've seen the news and read the stories: bed bug infestations are on the rise. If you have a problem with them yourself, then you know that they are disgusting little beasts that will leave tiny, irritating welts anywhere on your body, and they are nearly impossible to get rid of. (Do yourself a favor and don't look up "bed bug infestation" on YouTube - it will give you nightmares). And if you're unfortunate enough to be in the middle of an infestation, the first step is to know you're enemy, so you can take the necessary steps to wipe out these monsters.

Bed Bugs Are Tiny and They Are Fruitful

No larger than a grain of rice, their size is how they can multiply unnoticed. And boy, do they multiply! A female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs over her lifetime, with her offspring ready to reproduce within months. And while they can't fly, they can move very quickly, using their flat bodies to hide in crevasses - usually starting with the bed, then moving throughout the home.

They Are Hardy

Bed bugs reproduce most quickly in environments between 70 and 82 degrees - naturally, perfect for cohabiting with humans. But if no humans are around, they're very patient, surviving up to 500 days without feeding. And any effort to exterminate must be thorough. If every living bed bug isn't killed, the infestation can come right back.

They Are Resistant to Poisons

Because, of course they are! If they weren't, they wouldn't be such a nuisance. Bed bugs can sense dangerous chemicals. Once they get a whiff of the odors, they retreat to safety, and are unlikely to return to places that have been chemically treated. So if you thought you could get rid of theme they way you get rids of ants, tough luck. That's why increasingly, home and business owners are turning to bed bug heat treatments. Professional heating equipment can kill bed bugs without the use of dangerous chemicals often just over the course of several hours. And since bed bugs can't flee from the heat the way they can chemicals - and the heat penetrates every imaginable hiding place - it's proven very effective at eliminating every bug, keeping the infestation from returning.

Yes, bed bugs are disgusting and difficult to get rid of. But if you wash and dry all of your linen and bedding, and apply high heat to affected rooms with professional bed bug heat treatments, they can be defeated.