The presence of a bed bug generally means that there are many other bed bugs that simply have not been found. If you see any bed bug, alive or dead, or remnants of bed bugs are found in the sheets, you generally need to use proper bed bug removal methods around your home if you hope to get rid of them permanently. One Hour Pest Control can help.
But what if you just have ONE bedbug?
Often we are called to homes because someone has found unexplained bites on their body, and there is reason to believe it may be bedbug related. For example, they may have recently spent the night at a hotel out of state, and think that it’s possible they brought a bedbug back with them.
Sometimes, when we explore the property for evidence of bedbugs, we’ll find one. It may even be recently engorged (indicating it fed in the past 24 hours). Does that mean the problem is solved?
Here’s where it becomes more complicated:
- Bedbugs do need a fertilized female to have babies. But once they reproduce, they do so quickly. If there is any reason to believe that a female bed bug is or was present, it usually makes more sense to treat for bed bugs.
- Bedbugs are outstanding hiders, and know how to run away from a pest treatment. That’s why, in general, pest control for bed bugs treat an entire home even if the problem is likely limited to one area. If there is any reason to believe that there may be another bed bug, treating the entire home is the likely next step.
That said, if you and your pest professional truly believe that there was likely only one bedbug, it is possible to wait it out and see what happens. The only problem is that a significant infestation can be harder to treat, and you may have to share your home with bedbugs in the interim.
What we recommend is contacting One Hour Pest Control for an inspection. We will provide you with open and honest feedback about what we find, and how we recommend to treat it. If you have any concerns, please share them with us and we’ll take them into consideration with our recommendation.