Let’s play a game. I’ll state a fact about bed bugs, and you decide if it is true or false. You can find the answers at the end of the blog and earn ten points for each right answer. Let’s see if you can get a 100. No peeking!

Facts:

1. Bed bugs only live in dirty, cluttered homes.
2. Bed bugs can fly.
3. Bed bugs can leap, like a jumping spider!
4. Bed bugs only bite while you’re sleeping.
5. Bed bugs are invisible to the naked eye.
6. Bed bugs carry disease.
7. Bed bugs are only found in the bed.
8. Bed bugs can live for months without feeding.
9. Encasing a mattress and box spring will prevent an infestation.
10. Some pest companies use dogs to detect where bed bugs are.

Answers:

1. Bed bugs can live in the cleanest of homes and hotels. These bugs have been found in the wealthiest and cleanest of homes. But, cleaning your home and getting rid of clutter can help reduce your chances.
2. Bed bugs do not have wings. Though they are a blood eating insect, like the mosquito, they do not have the ability to plague you while you’re walking around.
3. Bed bugs do not jump or hop. You don’t have to worry about them springing from the floor to your bed.
4. Though bed bugs are much more active at night, they can bite any time during the day.
5. Bed bugs can be quite small in the larvae stage of development, but once they reach adulthood they are about the side of a seed and can be easily seen. When they are engorged with blood they can be significantly larger.
6. Bed bugs are not vectors for disease, but the anticoagulant they administer can cause an allergic reaction that leads to large red bumps on the skin.
7. Bed bugs can be found in many places, including furniture, bed boards and even electrical outlets. These bugs have even been found in laptops at colleges.
8. Bed bugs can live for many months without feeding.
9. Encasing your mattress and box spring will help, but it will not prevent a bed bug infestation.
10. Dogs have a wonderful sense of smell and, yes, they are able to detect bed bugs, even through walls. Many pest companies rely upon canine bug sniffers to make sure infested areas are heavily targeted.

So here is the breakdown: false, false, false, false, false, false, false, true, false, true. If you got all of these correct, you are a genius! Learn more about bed bugs, and how to detect them and keep your family safe against these invasive bugs.