Allergen Protect Bed Bugs - Frequently Asked Questions Can you tell if you have Bed Bugs from the bites? No, you cannot. Feeding bites from insects - including Bed Bugs - contain no venom. The irritation is caused by tiny amounts of the insect's saliva that remains behind in the wound after feeding. The saliva is not toxic in itself, but is treated as a "foreign protein" by the your immune system, so the swelling, itching, and redness of the bite are all due to your own immune system's reaction. This varies from person to person and even from bite to bite, not just in severity but in the speed of the reaction. Bites can develop within minutes or up to two weeks later, and in some people they will not show up at all. The only way to tell if you have Bed Bugs is to find one. The Active and the Matters Passive Bed Bug detectors would be the simplest and most cost effective way. I have not seen any Bed Bugs since I had professional treatment, but I'm still worried. How can I be sure they are all gone? Your worries are a common response to a Bed Bug problem. The psychological effects of a Bed Bug infestation are considered to be as serious as the physical effects. The best ways to confirm the success of the treatment is with Bed Bug monitors. Both the Allergen Protect Matters and the Allergen Protect Passive monitors are easy to use, and will provide the confirmation you need. How did I get Bed Bugs? That depends on a number of things. The most common way that Bed Bugs enter buildings is by being carried there within something else. Items such as luggage have the sort of small gaps and cracks that Bed Bugs like to live in, and may be the "carrier". In a typical case, travelers stay in an infested hotel and some of the Bed Bugs hide inside the frame of their suitcases while they are there. When they return home the suitcases are placed into storage. The Bed Bugs emerge looking for a meal and take up residence in their home. This is true also for second hand furniture (and, traditionally, firewood made from it). Bed Bugs may also enter buildings from other connected buildings, although this is considered less common. Unfortunately, Bed Bug infestations are often hard to spot until they have developed into a significant size. This can allow small populations to spread through conjoined buildings before control is implemeted. Bed Bugs have been known to move considerable distances through pipe work and similar connections in multiple family structures. Are the pesticides in the Allergen Protect Matters products safe to use around the house? The Allergen Protect Matters products contain no pesticides! They have been designed as a pesticide-free component for use as part of a Bed Bug elimination program. The ingredients that are used to attract Bed Bugs to the Allergen Protect Matters Active monitor are routinely used in the food industry. Can I carry Bed Bugs home on my clothes? It is potentially possible, but very unlikely. Bed Bugs are not usually active around moving hosts, and the clothes you are wearing are not a very stable or secure hiding place. Bed Bugs are much more likely to seek a gap in a backpack or briefcase that had remained stationary in the infested area for some time, which makes them a far more likely transport mechanism. Now, if you were caught out without a coat, and borrowed an "old" one that had been hanging undisturbed in a closet for some time ... then that would be a different matter. I have found Bed Bugs. Should I throw out my mattress and furniture? Throwing away your mattress and furniture will not solve the Bed Bug problem - Bed Bugs commonly live in many places other than the mattress and furniture. The solution is to seek treatment from a professional pest control operator and have all the Bed Bugs eliminated. If you are concerned about having sensitive items treated (such as the mattress or delicate soft furnishings) then request a non-pesticidal Bed Bug treatment for them. Treatment protocols such as Allergen Protect Matters O2PM are highly effective without using any pesticides, and will be a considerable saving over the cost of replacement. Where can I buy the Allergen Protect Matters products? from this web site and at a wide range of distributors Bed Bugs .