Most householders of this generation have never seen a bed bug. Until recently, they also were a rarity among pest control professionals. Bed bug infestations were common in the United States before World War II. But with improvements in hygiene, and especially the widespread use of DDT during the 1940s and '50s, the bugs all but vanished. The pests remained fairly prevalent, however, in other regions of the world including Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. In recent years, bed bugs have also made a comeback in the U.S.

Bed bugs are harder to treat than any other household pests for several reasons. Bed bug treatments/removal require cooperation from both the professional and the home owner. The home owner will be asked to handle their personal items in a specific way; such as washing all clothing from the infected area in very hot water and dry on hot temps. Any items removed from the infected area should be bagged and sealed. The tech will have to be very thorough in the inspection and treatment. He must locate the bugs and their eggs. This means looking behind pictures and window coverings, under bed frames, mattress, box spring, inside dresser drawers, edges of carpet and many other hiding places, all of which will need to be treated accordingly.

The bed bug is not attracted to baits like ants and roaches, so we have to treat them directly. Another issue with treating bed bugs is the fact that they have the ability to build up a resistance to synthetic pyrethroids very quickly. This means you must use a variety of products and techniques to remove bed bugs.

Although bed bug removal can be very time consuming and labor intensive, you do not want to let this pest go unchecked. There have been many cases where furniture has to be discarded. This is a very expensive option. With an increasing number of infestations and bed bug bites across the country many people are trying to prevent or eliminate infestation. This is found commercially and at home. Travelers can bring them home in luggage from motels and hotels and traveling abroad.