Bed bugs, shed skins and eggs hiding in a group on defected dry wall.

Biggest mistakes homeowners make with bed bugs:

One of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make when dealing with bed bugs is trying to handle the infestation on their own without seeking professional help. While DIY bed bug treatments may seem like a cheaper and quicker option, they can often make the problem worse by causing resistance to insecticides and lead to further spread of the infestation from disturbances to their habitat. There are many other common mistakes besides DIY treatments though.

Other common mistakes include:

1. Waiting too long to take action: Bed bugs are highly resilient and reproduce quickly, so it's important to address an infestation as soon as possible to prevent it from becoming more widespread. A week or so won't make or break your chances of success with most bed bug management businesses but can cause the cost of your treatment to be larger in the long run.

2. Failing to properly identify the source of the infestation: Bed bugs can be introduced into a home in a variety of ways, including through secondhand or sometimes even new furniture, travel, stores, offices or guests. It's important to identify the source of the infestation to prevent reinfestation after treatment. They often are accidentally transported to other areas of a home and just simply over looked because no one has noticed them yet. It's normally 3-6 months into an infestation before most homeowners realize they are infested with bed bugs. That's plenty of time to spread throughout an entire home to areas like the living room, bedrooms and basically anywhere you sit or lay for regular periods of time.

3. Not preparing the home for treatment: Bed bug treatments often require thorough preparation, including drying clothing, towels and bedding at high temperatures, then clearing clutter from the infested area. Failing to properly prepare can reduce the effectiveness of treatment.

4. Using ineffective or unsafe treatments: There are many DIY bed bug treatments that may not be effective or safe for use in the home. There's also many insecticides that can cause more problems than they fix. Most chemicals for bed bugs that you can purchase at local stores will contain what's known as a pyrethroid. Pyrethroids are weak and ineffective against bed bugs. They've grown resistant to it over the years from over spraying. also supposedly cause spreading issues because it is a repellent, although disturbing them most likely is enough. It's important to consult a professional pest control expert who can recommend safe and effective treatment options.

5. Going with the first pest management company they contact: Pest control companies are no different than other service related businesses when it comes to choosing the right fit for your need. Vetting a company or individual before paying for any service is crucial for success. Not all bed bug control companies are equal by any means as well as the way they choose to treat for the bug.

6. Not properly vetting a company: Read reviews! It's incredibly important to understand that reviews are crucial in decision making that gets you a great choice. It's also just as important to be able to spot fake reviews. Fake reviews will normally have incorrect spelling or punctuation. They also may have words in the wrong place of a a sentence. An example would be: "This great place for kids", instead of "This is a great place for kids". It will sound generic like it's written by a computer, because it actually was most likely. They take and write short reviews, then run each one their an article spinner which changes the words around each time. Some of those times will spit out incorrect grammar, hence the generic sounding review. Actually speaking to a company on the phone or in person at your home is a great way to see if a pc company is up to par. They should be able to answer any questions you have and offer you more information other than scheduling an appointment. If you aren't wowed move on to the next business on your list. You should at the very least be speaking to 3-4 companies before making any kind of choice. Whether your wowed by the first company you call or not.

Best course of action:

Overall, the best course of action when dealing with a bed bug infestation is to consult a vetted professional bed bug expert or specialist who can provide effective treatment options and guidance on preventing future infestations. Do not go with a corporation if you want a more experienced professional. In most cases corporations use technicians instead of experts or specialists. This means they will be the same people that would come if you called for ants instead of bed bugs. That means they will not have nearly as much experience as someone like a bed bug specialist that services for bed bugs every day. Experience is key to success with bed bugs!