Although bed bugs are excessively small, you would think that most people would have an idea as to what they look like since they receive a lot of coverage in the media. However, the truth is that most people are clueless when it comes to bed bugs. Pest control professionals often discover bed bugs in homes that are owned by people who reported a different type of insect infestation. According to a study conducted by researchers with “Bugs Without Borders”, eighty four percent of bed bug cases are reported as other types of insect infestations by residents. Once pest control professionals arrive to an infested home, they find bed bugs instead of the bugs that the homeowners reported having in their home. Homeowners and tenants often confuse bed bugs with fleas and even cockroaches. The study found that seventy one percent of bed bug cases were initially reported as fleas by homeowners and tenants, and twenty eight percent mistook bed bugs for cockroaches. It is hard to imagine confusing cockroaches with bed bugs, but apparently it happens often. The study was sponsored by the National Pest Management Association. The researchers were surprised to learn that the public is more ignorant of bed bugs than they had thought.

 

The study found that there is a myth that is widely believed about bed bugs being limited only to beds. It would be strange to find an insect species that can only survive on mattresses and bedding, but many people believe that this is the case. In reality bed bugs can be found basically anywhere. Some of the most surprising bed bug hangouts include stuffed animals, wheelchairs, airplanes, school buses and even bedside lamps. The study also found that ninety seven percent of pest control professionals have treated bed bugs before, and bed bug populations are increasing with each passing year.

 

Do you believe that most people first learn of bed bug infestations as soon as they are bitten?