I recently discovered that my house is infested with bedbugs. So I doused my bed and furniture with bug spray, but it didn't work. I ended up having to hire an exterminator to do the job.

Why Is It So Hard To Get Rid Of Bedbugs?

Good question, and a relevant one, given the bedbug infestation that's been brewing around the world for the past few years.

The thing you have to understand about bedbugs is that they've learned to co exist with humans over thousands of years. And one way they've done that is by becoming very, very good at hiding during the day and only coming out at night to feed.

Bedbugs Are Survivors

Not only that, but bedbugs can hide for a really long time without any food. The little buggers have been known to hide out for as long as a year without feeding, only to emerge when the time is right.

So when you spray with a regular insecticide, you're probably missing your bedbugs. And in any case, over the years bedbugs have built up a resistance to common bug sprays.

Call An Exterminator!

So if you find you have bedbugs, pretty much the only way to get rid of them is to call in the exterminator. Professional bug killers have all sorts of tricks, including bug sniffing dogs and frozen carbon dioxide treatments.

The good news, I guess, is that bedbugs don't spread disease. So while you're waiting for the exterminator to do his thing, at least you don't have to fret about getting sick.

Read More:

• Bedbug Nation: Critters Make a Comeback (Bloomberg Business Week)