When bed bugs appear in the house, the first desire is to get rid of them as quickly as possible. People call exterminators or carry out the treatment themselves, expecting a quick result. However, in practice, everything turns out to be not so simple. Many people face the situation when bedbugs continue to bite even after treatment, causing anxiety and frustration. A reasonable question arises: what is the reason? After all, the means were used, the apartment was treated, but the bites remain.
Understanding the reasons for this situation will help not only to cope with the problem, but also to avoid repeating mistakes in the future. Often it’s not about poor quality work, but about how the life cycle of bed bugs works, where they hide, and how they adapt to drugs. Let’s find out why bed bugs may not disappear immediately and what steps should be taken.
The treatment did not cover all foci
Bed bugs are extremely secretive insects. They hide in places where they can be overlooked even with careful inspection. Many people think that treating the mattress, sofa and bedding is enough, but in fact bedbug nests are often far away from the sleeping area.
They can easily get under baseboards, into the crevices of furniture, and into the casing of appliances. Even in new apartments, where there is no visible damage, there may be tiny gaps, enough for bedbugs. And if the drug has not gotten there, the insects will calmly survive the first wave of treatment.
Even with professional disinfestation, bed bugs can hide in hard-to-reach places and become active a few days later, when they “think” the danger is over. This is a natural behavior, laid down by nature.
The most common places that are missed in treatment:
- Crevices under and behind baseboards;
- sockets and switches;
- Cavities in furniture, especially upholstered furniture;
- space under carpeting or linoleum;
- behind wallpaper, especially in areas of peeling;
- folds and seams on sofas, armchairs, mattresses.
If you notice bites again after treatment, it may be due to the fact that some insects were hiding in deep crevices. It is important not to jump to conclusions and assess the situation in 10-14 days, when the drug will fully manifest itself. Sometimes it is enough to wait a little longer for the bed bugs to leave their hiding places and come into contact with the poison.
The remedy does not give instant effect
Modern bedbug repellents increasingly use delayed-action formulas. This is done so that bedbugs do not die immediately, but have time to return to the nest, infect other individuals and possibly larvae. This approach allows for more insects to be covered, but takes time.
This is why bites can persist for days after treatment. The insects are still active, but already poisoned – their life cycle ends, just not instantly. This is especially noticeable in heavy infestations, when there are many bedbugs and some of them may not have come into contact with the treated areas in the first 24 hours.
In addition, in hot weather or with insufficient ventilation, the effect of the products may be slightly slower. All this should be taken into account before drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of disinfestation.
What is important to know about the effects of bed bug medications:
- contact preparations kill only when the bed bug comes into contact with the treated surface;
- some act only on adults without affecting eggs;
- there are products with prolonged action, the result of which can be seen after several days;
- the odor or composition of the product can scare away bedbugs and they will hide temporarily and then return.
This delay is not an indicator of low effectiveness. On the contrary, it is the slow effect that gives a chance to affect the whole nest, not a single individual. It is important to be patient and do not try to wash off the product before the recommended period of validity has expired.
There are eggs that hatch later
Even after a complete and quality treatment, bed bug eggs may remain in the room. Most chemicals do not penetrate through their dense shell. Therefore, a few days after disinfestation, these eggs hatch into nymphs – young individuals that begin to feed almost immediately.
This process is the normal stage of population destruction. The initial treatment destroys adult bed bugs, but to achieve full results, it is necessary to kill the young generation. This is why a second treatment is carried out after 10-14 days. This is a standard practice, which is laid down in any professional disinfestation.
If it is not carried out, young bed bugs will survive, grow up and continue to reproduce. Therefore, a second visit to the specialist is not a sign of ineffectiveness of the first procedure, but part of a premeditated plan.
Features of the life cycle of bedbugs:
- one female can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime;
- incubation period – 5-14 days, depending on temperature;
- Young individuals (nymphs) start feeding almost immediately after hatching;
- After 4-5 molts, the nymph turns into an adult bed bug capable of reproduction.
It is important to understand: if you notice bites again 7-10 days after the first treatment, it means that the product has worked, but a new cycle has started. Repeated treatment will complete the cycle and ensure complete eradication of the colony.
Bugs came from the neighbors>
It often happens that after a successful disinfestation, bed bugs return – but not from hiding places, but from outside. This is quite common in apartment buildings. The insects move between apartments through cracks, ventilation shafts, and gaps in the ceilings.
If neighbors do not treat their apartments, there is a risk of re-infestation. And sometimes bedbugs move in response to treatment: when they smell the product, they go to another room where it is safe. And after a while they come back when the poison has already weathered off.
This problem is especially acute in older houses or in the presence of common ventilation ducts. In such cases, professionals recommend agreeing with neighbors on joint treatment to block migration channels.
The main routes bed bugs take to migrate between apartments:
- ventilation shafts;
- holes for pipes;
- sockets and electrical boxes;
- cracks in the ceiling and walls;
- common corridors and storerooms.
If bites appear after a complete disinfestation, and the signs of bedbugs are noticed again, it makes sense to consider the option of migration. This does not indicate failure, but only emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach to the problem.
Poor preparation before treatment
Proper room preparation is an important element in bed bug control. Even the most effective remedy will not work if you do not provide access to all potential insect habitats. It is not enough just to invite a specialist – you need to create conditions for maximum penetration of the drug.
A common mistake is leaving furniture against the walls, not disassembling sofas, not removing bedding, not taking things out of closets. It can also happen that the cleaning is done too early and the residue is washed off before the expiration date.
All of this can undermine even a professionally done job. Therefore, when preparing, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions and fulfill all the recommendations of the service.
What not to do in preparation and after treatment:
- do not move furniture or open sofas;
- do not wash bed linen on high temperature;
- do not seal contaminated items;
- don’t allow the drug to adhere to surfaces;
- do wet cleaning immediately after treatment.
If bed bugs reappear after treatment, it is important to make sure that all areas were actually accessed and the product was not removed prematurely. Preparation is the responsibility of the occupant, not the exterminator, and it directly affects the outcome.
Bug resistance to the drug
Bed bugs, like any other insects, can develop resistance to certain substances over time. This is especially true for populations that have been repeatedly self-treated with the same products.
Even professional preparations require rotation – alternation of active ingredients to avoid addictive effects. Fortunately, the arsenal of disinfestation services today has sufficiently powerful agents of different classes to solve such problems.
If the treatment has previously been carried out independently and the insects are “familiar” with a certain poison, this may temporarily reduce the effectiveness. In such cases, it is necessary to change tactics.
Which suggests possible bedbug resistance:
- only a part of insects dies after treatment;
- bites continue, although the remedy is of good quality;
- no typical reaction of bedbugs to the odor of the drug;
- treatment is not the first time, but to no avail.
It is not always possible to identify resistance immediately. However, an experienced specialist will easily recognize when this is the problem and select the right combination of products. The main thing is not to delay and not to fight bedbugs with the same means on your own.
The cause of the bites is not bedbugs>
Sometimes the bites continue, but they are not bedbug related. Mosquitoes, fleas, and allergic reactions can all cause irritation, redness, and itching. Especially during the summer season or in homes with animals.
It is also not uncommon for the skin to react to laundry detergents, cosmetics or even bedding. Such manifestations can easily be confused with bites. Only a specialist can figure this out, rather than visual inspection.
So if you don’t see any signs of bed bugs, but you still get bites, the cause is probably something else entirely. This has nothing to do with the quality of the treatment and does not mean that it has been wasted.