Why do bed bugs keep coming back? (2024)

bed bugs on the furniture

We know how frustrating it can be to treat your home for bed bugs only to have them return. You think you’ve done everything right, but the bed bugs keep coming back. You washed the bed sheets, multiple times, and even used bleach, yet, there they are. You vacuumed, used a steam cleaner, ever covered the bed mattress, and still those resilient bed bugs are in your clothes, furniture, carpet, and other places.

The fact of the matter is bed bugs are tricky pests. You can pick them up from just about anywhere regardless of when you last treated your home. Check the Internet and you’ll find articles on bed bugs in malls, schools, subways, and hotels.

• NY Times headquarters stricken by bed bug infestation
• Bed bugs strike school, hospital
• Bed bugs found in LaFarge residence center

A single female bed bug can create as many as 200 bed bugs. If one room in a hotel or apartment gets bed bugs, the entire building will eventually have them.

What if they were never really gone to begin with? You went to the store, bought some bed bug spray, and treated the area where you saw them … but did you get ALL of them? You may have missed a spot. Perhaps you didn’t notice that they were also in your closet, on the chair next to your bed, or even in your suitcase.

(540) 94-SIGMA

Bed bugs have a thermal death point, and when exposed to temperatures over 120 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period, the entire population of bed bugs at all life stages (including eggs) are eliminated. Sigma Pest Control are your licensed and trained heat treatment experts. Our Bed Bug Control program is your answer to a bed bug free home.

Call today for a FREE inspection and consultation! (540) 947-4462

bed bug spray with actual bed bugs on the bottle

Do-it-yourself bed bug treatment is not a recommended solution. While it is convenient to go the local hardware store and pick-up a bottle of bed bug stray, we can tell you from experience that it won’t be the last time to have to go back for more. Sprays kill living bugs, but bed bugs lay hundreds of eggs, making them particularly difficult to get rid of.

We often find that many do-it-yourself bed bug treatments are applied incorrectly and can often be dangerous. Sometimes people choose an outdoor only chemical and apply it indoors. This is extremely dangerous if you apply such chemicals to the bedrooms and bed mattress where children sleep.

Adults and children could have a terrible reaction to pesticides if they are applied improperly. Your best option is to call a professional like Sigma Pest Control. Not only are we good at what we do, but we also protect you by using HEAT TREATMENT and NOT chemicals or sprays.

Unfortunately, yes, but that is often the result when treatment is applied incorrectly. Remember, just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t in your home. Treating the infested area is a start, but it is often a small part of the overall problem.

Sometimes, when a customer contracts with an exterminator, the customer thinks by treating only certain rooms that they’ll save money. This also is a reason bed bugs appear to return after treatment. The fact is, the treatment wasn’t thorough enough and spots were missed.

Regardless of the treatment, bed bugs can return under the right conditions. Treatments kill the existing bugs, but it is always possible that you’ll bring them into the house again.

If you’ve already had a professional treat your home for bed bugs, be sure to keep a watchful eye out for their return. You’ll already know the areas treated, but also watch out for other areas as well. Create a routine where you inspect everything in your home thoroughly for bed bugs. Being vigilant takes a lot of effort, but it is worth it. Here are some things you can do to prevent a re-infestation:

• Vacuum regularly the room, cracks and all seams, to pick up live bed bugs.
• Use a hand steamer on all cracks/crevices where bed bugs lay their eggs.
• Add mattress covers for use after treatment for both the mattress and the box spring.
• Wash bedding, sheets, blankets in hot water followed by the dryer.
• Treat all furniture near the bed.

When traveling:

• Never place luggage on the carpet or bed. Always use the luggage rack.
• Be sure to check for signs of bugs by lifting up the corner of the sheet and look on the edge of the bed near the seam for droppings.
• Wash all items in hot water when you return to kill any bedbugs that may have come home with you.

Bed bugs are small, and they can hide out in the smallest spaces: cracks in the floor and walls, inside wall outlets, in carpet, drapes, folds in the blankets, shoes … etc. Heat treatment treats the entire room all at once, and a certified pest control manager can administer the treatment much more effectively than a do-it-yourself approach.

Bed bugs have a thermal death point, and when exposed to temperatures over 120 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period, the entire population of bed bugs at all life stages (including eggs) are eliminated.

Heat TreatmentHeat treatment is an environmentally friendly substitute to using chemicals, pesticides, or insecticides to eradicate insect infestations. Also known as Thermal Remediation®, heat treatment utilizes a high-powered heater to raise the home’s air temperature to a bed bug lethal zone, killing all life stages from adults to eggs

Bed bugs are hard to see, so if you think you have bed bugs, call a pest management professional. Bed bug infestations can be a real nuisance to deal with. To take care of an infestations, it’s important to know what these pests look like, how to identify bites, and what potential risks are associated with bites. Thankfully, getting rid of bed bugs is as easy as calling a Sigma Pest Control technician. If you find that you have a bed bug infestation, be sure to call a Sigma Pest Control for efficient, professional, and effective pest control services.

CALL US! (540) 947-4462 Sigma Pest Control