Bed bugs are creepy blood-sucking parasites that have plagued homes for thousands of years. Contrary to the popular misconception, bed bugs are not more common in dirty homes. These pests are found from the most pristine to the most soiled homes throughout every state in the country. They are masters of evasion and survival.
Bed bugs are oval-shaped. They grow to be a little less than a quarter-inch in length and have six legs and two antennae. Adults can be seen for those that are looking closely. Nymphs are a bit harder to spot since they are smaller in size and paler in color. Once they find their way into your home, they can be nearly impossible to evict. So how do bed bugs get into our homes?
Bed Bug Hotspots
As you would expect, bed bugs often take refuge in our beds. Hiding in mattress seams and headboards provides them easy access to sleeping victims. However, bed bugs are opportunistic and can survive anywhere that people gather. This means that you are at risk of bringing home a bed bug infestation whenever you visit public spaces. Bed bugs are found in homes but also in schools, hotels, offices, stores, and public transportation. While they do not have wings to fly, bed bugs will latch onto clothing, suitcases, and other materials and hitchhike long distances to populate new areas. To avoid giving bed bugs a ticket into your home, take preventative measures by limiting contact:
- Always avoid putting bags or luggage on the floor in public spaces. If you need to place a bag on the floor, try to limit the amount of time it stays there.
- Investigate hotel rooms before settling in. Ask to be moved if there are any signs of bed bug activity.
- When staying in a hotel, it is a good idea to wrap your suitcase in a plastic bag and/or place it on a luggage rack or desk instead of the floor or extra bed.
Uninvited Guests
Another common way bed bugs find their way into homes is through second-hand items like furniture and, believe it or not, appliances. Learn the signs of bed bug activity and check items before bringing them into your home. Check seams, tufts, and folds of mattresses or daybed covers for the presence of bed bugs before accepting them into your home. Also be on the lookout for other signs such as egg casings, or molted skins, small reddish-brown fecal spots, or blood spots. Keep in mind, while bed bugs may be more commonly found on second-hand goods, these pests are skilled stowaways. New furniture that has been stored or shipped in infested warehouses, trucks, or railroad cars is also capable of introducing bed bug infestations to your home and should be checked closely.
Eliminating Bed Bugs From Your Home
If, despite your efforts to deter them, bed bugs gain entrance to your home, don’t delay calling the experts at Greenforest Termite & Pest Control. Seventy-six percent of pest professionals name bed bugs as the single most difficult bug to eradicate. Bed bugs reproduce at an alarming rate with females laying up to twelve eggs each day. Add to this their ability to hide almost anywhere in your home, including behind wallpaper, inside electrical outlets, in picture frames, and almost anywhere else, and your chances of wiping out an entire population on your own are slim to none.
Bed bugs are survivalists of the insect world. They reproduce year-round, survive for up to a year without food, and develop resistance to most over-the-counter pesticides. Trying to treat bed bugs on your own can actually disperse them and lead to a more difficult infestation later on. If bed bugs have made your house their home, contact Greenforest Termite & Pest Control today for effective bed bug treatments to send them packing. We are standing by to help. Learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control services.