Bed Bugs FAQs

What do bed bugs look like?
Adult bed bugs are mahogany to rusty brown, but turn dark red after a blood meal. They are oval shaped, flat, and about ¼ inch 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.

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.

How do buildings get bed bugs?
Bed bugs are brought in either on people, including clothes and belongings, or on furniture.

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 embarrassed because they think they are associated with being unclean.

If someone is in an infested room, can I just move the person to another room?
No. Most likely the bedbugs will move with them.  The bed bugs are living or hiding in their belongings.

Bed bugs left behind can either migrate to other rooms for a blood meal or go dormant for up to one year.

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. See our form, Preparing for Bed Bug Service for more details on how to prevent this.

Bed bugs frequently reinfest buildings through reintroduction of infested items from a dumpster.  Render anything thrown away unusable or take it directly to the dump.

Can I take care of them myself?
Almost 90% of bedbugs are genetically resistant to common household insecticides. Only professionals have the access to the products and training required to control bed bugs.

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 that they are gone, they most likely are.

Will they come back?
Yes, they could.  A repeat infestation can occur just like the original infestation.

How can I prevent or reduce the likelihood of getting a bed bug infestation?
We recommend that you...

• Ban used furniture, or, if not possible, inspect used furniture upon being brought in. A trained human inspector has about a 30% accuracy rate, whereas a bed bug scenting canine has a 97% accuracy rate.
• Inspect units with new tenants or with frequent turnover (such as hotel rooms) on a regular basis.
• Schedule a chemical treatment to high risk units once a quarter. This can help kill any bed bugs that are brought in.
• Ask your tenants to not visit or allow anyone that has a known bed bug infestation in their home to visit your property or home until they have successfully eliminated their bed bug infestation in their own home.