New York police recently received a report about a strong gasoline smell coming from a Brooklyn apartment. When they investigated, they found that the apartment’s resident had poured gasoline on his couch, to try to rid it of bed bugs. The man admitted to the drastic measure, but thankfully, the man did not light his couch on fire and no one was hurt. Needless to say, there is considerable amount of misinformation about bed bugs and bed bug infestations. What is true, and what’s not?

You Can’t Get Rid of Bed Bugs With Gasoline
The Brooklyn man’s method of pouring gasoline all over affected furniture and hoping for the best doesn’t work. In fact, bed bugs can survive in pretty extreme conditions, such as freezing temperatures or temperatures as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a distinct infestation of bed bugs, professional services and bed bug heat treatment equipment are often necessary. Professional bed bug treatments, including non-toxic bed bug treatments and thermal remediation services, work by heating homes to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours or 130 degrees Fahrenheit for three hours.

Where Else Can You Find Bed Bugs?
Many Americans believe that they will only find bed bugs in beds, chairs, and other furnishings. This is a myth. You can find in most furnishings (soft or solid) and personal items. Bed bugs, for the most part, lives approximately eight feet from beds. Often, they infest the nooks and crannies of personal items, such as children’s toys, books, and laptop computers.

Bed Bugs Leave Telltale Signs
When all is said and done, however, many Americans panic about bed bugs — and unnecessarily, too. If you have bed bugs, they will leave telltale signs. In other words, you will easily be aware of the problem. If you believe you may have bedbugs, look out for exoskeletons, red splotches or blood, or tiny black dots (the bugs’ droppings).

If your home has bedbugs, you do not have to set your house on fire to get rid of them. Opt for sanity instead; know the telltale signs of an infestation, when you need to seek professional bed bug treatments, and where you are most likely to find the pests.