Highlights

• Bed bugs are not a socio-economic problem
• Bed bug infestation is not a result of being dirty, cluttered or messy
• Clutter and mess hamper the control efforts to remove a bed bug problem
• Having bed bugs can happen to anyone

The general myth is that bed bugs are related to poverty, bad sanitation, old buildings, and poor personal hygiene. The main difference in today’s society is that the impoverished often don’t have the financial means to get rid of the problem and are most often associated with it. People in the nicest and cleanest homes often get infested. Sanitation has nothing to do with bed bugs. However, if someone is infested it is crucial to make the infested areas as accessible and clutter free as possible to allow for a thorough and complete treatment. Bed bugs and their large amounts of eggs can be hidden in any crack or crevice found in a home. Clutter is the enemy of the pest control operator.

Because bed bugs can be transferred among people, it places a great deal of social, emotional and financial stress on sufferers. Control is challenging and costly. Even though they have been found virtually in every commercial establishment one can think of, there is still a certain amount of social stigma attached to living with bed bugs. Having bed bugs may restrict the social lives of people. Sufferers avoid visiting friends and family and often throw away belongings, at great cost, and minimal benefit.