Case Study: A Home Infested With Bed Bugs

Without a doubt, bed bugs are one of the most feared insects in modern life. The idea that they can crawl all over you without you knowing it, while you are asleep, gives many people the heebie-jeebies. While the number of reported cases of bed bugs has decreased since the heyday of a couple of years ago, they show up often enough that you still need to take precautions.

The Infestation

Take the “Smith” family, for instance (a real family whose names have been changed). This was a typical suburban family in the area until a bed bug infestation changed their lives. One day everything was normal, but then the next, one of the children in the family started to complain about bug bites, itchy bumps and patches of redness. When they called an exterminator, the symptoms as described suggested a bed bug infestation. Because the family didn’t want to hear this news, they chose to ignore the exterminator’s words.

This waiting proved to be a costly mistake. Two weeks later the infestation had spread to all three bedrooms, and the family was at their wit’s end. At this point, they were ready to take the professional’s advice. They changed all of the bedding (and even went so far as destroying their old bedding) and made sure to lift up all of their mattresses to spray underneath. The family saw dozens of bed bugs during this time and sprayed all that they could find.

Unfortunately, this did not take care of all of the bed bugs, although it did help for a while. Soon, the infestation returned, and it was not until the exterminators came to the house and did a treatment that the bed bugs were eradicated.

The Cause

What made this so frustrating for the family was that they were a family that prided themselves on their clean home. At first, they couldn’t figure out how this infestation occurred. It was not until they remembered their oldest daughter’s recent trip to Europe that they realized that some of the bugs might have hitched a ride back in her luggage.

Dealing with Your Own Infestation

While this story had a happy ending, bed bug infestations don’t always end like this. If you are not diligent, bed bugs can become long-term visitors that you can never truly get rid of. If you don’t want to find yourself in a situation like this, it’s important to get professional help right away. If you are worried about your home, please don’t hesitate to contact Eden today.