There is a lot of misleading information around about bed bugs which can cause treatment failures, frustration and cost you money.
Lets straighten out some common misconceptions.
Bed bugs cause disease: There is no evidence of any disease being passed by bed bugs at this time. If this ever occurs it will become a massive health issue.
Bed bugs are due to poor hygiene: Bed bugs aren't fussy and will happily infest the cleanest home or hotel or a hovel. If there is a host present then the bugs will party.
You can pick up bed bugs by visiting an infested house: Generally, only if you spend the night. Bed bugs are only active in the wee hours of the night and it is then that they can get into your clothes or luggage.
I got bitten by a bed bug today: As stated, bed bugs are only active at night, bites by day are 99% something else.
My bed had bed bugs so I put it in the sun: There was a time when it was recommended to put stuff in black plastic and leave it in the sun but they also said once the world is flat, IT DOESN'T WORK!
Freezing will kill bed bugs and eggs in my goods: Another disproven theory. Sites or pest controllers who say this are not up to date with current research.
My bed had bed bugs so I was told to throw it away: If you have bugs in the bed, they are probably elsewhere and throwing your bed away is a waste of money as they will just re-infest the new one. Also, you can spread them by moving the bed.
BED BUG NESTS AT THE JUNCTION OF THE CARPET AND SKIRTING BOARD.
Bed bugs will not infest a metal bed: Bed bugs prefer wood or material but will take whats available. I have found bugs in pipe bed frames and in springs.
"It definitely said, served on wooden slats" "You just can't trust these restuarant guides!"
I have bed bugs in my couch: Unlikely, and only if you actually sleep all night on the couch on a regular basis. Bed bugs are active between approximately midnight and four am so it is where people regularly sleep at this time that bed bugs gather.
If I just use steam I can get rid of bed bugs: Steam ( steam vapour cleaners that is, don't confuse this with carpet steam cleaners as few of them will help) will kill every lifestage of bed bugs including eggs however, the first lifestage or instar is 1.2 mm long and transperant, so is virtually invisible. Add this to the ability of bed bugs to wedge into the tiniest of spaces and I think claiming to get every bed bug with steam is a bit ambitious if not ludicrous. It will, on a positive note, kill them without making things worse so if you have a steamer, go for it.
If I vacate I can starve them out: Bed bugs have been known to survive for twelve months without a blood meal.
You just need to spray a couple of times to get rid of bed bugs: Also, a very random method of control. Pesticides do not kill the bed bug egg, so controllers who can't be bothered with steam, recommend a second application after a couple of weeks to try and break the hatching cycle. Ocassionally this is affective but it's costly and often fails.
My regular pest controller sprayed and the bed bugs were gone for a couple of months, but are now back: The application of an unsuitable pesticide may kill some bed bugs but, due to the high sense of smell of the bed bugs, surviving bed bugs will move out of range of the pesticide and wait until it fades before returning. There are specific pesticides which are residual and are undetected by the bed bugs thereby ensuring a total eradication.
UPDATE: BED BUGS DON'T RETURN, THEY REMAIN NESTING IN CAVITIES AND FEED ON YOU FROM THERE, MAKING TREATMENT MUCH, MUCH HARDER.
PYRETHROIDS, THE COMMON CHOICE OF MOST PEST CONTROLLERS AND THE INGREDIENT IN PRACTICALLY ALL THE PESTICIDES AND BOMBS YOU CAN BUY OFF THE SHELF (DELTEMETHRIN, PERMETHRIN TETRAMETHRIN ETC), HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE INEFFECTIVE IN MOST CASES (SEE CONTROL PAGE)
DO IT ONCE, DO IT RIGHT AND DON'T LET THE BED BUGS BITE!
