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Bedbugs can cause many a sleepless night, but not everything you hear is true. Here's everything you need to know to identify and get rid of these nasty insects. 5 things to accept about bedbugsBefore you start pointing fingers at the reasons your home is infested or why you do or don't have a bedbug problem, you need to know these facts:1. Bedbugs don't care if your home is neat or messy.They only care that their food source, aka people, is nearby. There's also no evidence they transmit diseases. The real threat is itchy red bites.2. Most people wrongly identify these critters.Entomologist Richard Pollack has found that fewer than 10% of the critters people identify as bedbugs actually are bedbugs. That's why he doesn't trust websites that list reports of bedbugs at hotels.3. You should contact a professional ASAP."The biggest mistake people make is waiting too long to call for help, because the longer the problem goes on, the bigger of a chance they'll spread within the home and even outside of the home," said David Dunham, of Go Green Bedbug Dogs. He said the first sign your home is infested is you having bites.4. Not everyone has a skin reaction to bedbug bites.Surprising, we know. "It's common for one person to become the host or the person getting all the bites, while their spouse or partner will get no bites at all," said Dunham. "Usually the person not getting bites will discredit their partner's concerns. But if you wake up with numerous bites, especially under your clothes, it could be bedbugs."5. Traveling isn't the only way to pick them up.They can easily be carried into the house on secondhand furniture, so inspect such items very carefully. Encasement products, such as AllerEase mattress protectors, which carry the Good Housekeeping Seal can also prevent bugs that do make it inside from hunkering down in crevices. But while reports of bedbugs at movie theaters and in retail stores have made headlines, it's rare that someone actually brings them home, said Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, an urban entomologist at Cornell University.Here's how to get rid of bedbugs:The first step is searching your furnishings, particularly along and behind the headboard and sides of the mattress. Bedbugs will hole up in furniture, along baseboards, in cracks in walls and, yes, in beds. Look for black stains — they leave behind blood and fecal matter — as well as discarded, molted skins and the bugs themselves.You can also buy a ridged saucerlike trap to place beneath bed legs or wrap legs tightly with double-stick tape to catch some critters trying to climb up. For a diagnosis, send or bring evidence to your local cooperative extension office, which usually charges $5, or contact an online bug-ID service, such as Pollack's IdentifyUS which cost about $20 for a diagnosis.As soon as you determine you have bedbugs, isolate clothing and start putting it into clean plastic bags. Accuracy is very important, so pinpoint the areas and rooms that need treatment and act swiftly. While some people think over-the-counter sprays are a solution, pyrethroid-based pesticides may kill or repel some of the insects but can be dangerous if misused, and it's doubtful you'll be successful on your own. Instead, get written quotes from three licensed exterminators detailing their course of action, including pesticides, traps and/or heat treatments they'll use and how and where they'll use them. "You should ask lots of questions to the companies you interview, because a good company will answer them and will never pressure you to make an appointment," said Dunham.According to Dunman since most people will only deal with bedbugs once in their life, if at all, it's a must to ask the company about its success rate and if its treatment comes with a guarantee, should its efforts not be successful. Want to know more about these pesky creatures? Learn how to check for bedbugs.