It’s Bed Bug Awareness Week! While bed bugs are most certainly not a fun topic to discuss, it’s important to be aware of how to look for and prevent them, and what to do if you find them. Here at 855Bugs, we strive to be your go-to source for information on all aspects of pest control whether it be detection, prevention, or treatment.
How do you get bed bugs?
Bed bugs are the ultimate hitchhikers! The most common way that people introduce them into their homes is through travel. Staying at a hotel or motel makes you susceptible to unknowingly bringing bugs home. Because of their size (roughly ¼ inch in adulthood), they can be easy to miss when they hitch a ride in your luggage, your clothing, or other personal belongings. When you arrive at home carrying these unwanted houseguests, they will often make their home nearest to where humans (their food source) spend the most time: the bed.
So, how do you protect yourself from bed bugs while traveling? There is no bulletproof way, but the following are a few tips that can help:
- When you arrive in your room, thoroughly inspect any areas the nugs may be hiding. This includes the seams and crevices around a mattress, the luggage rack, around baseboards, behind pictures, upholstery, and even things like curled or peeling wallpaper. You are looking for the bugs themselves, their eggs, the shells left behind when they molt (shed their skin), and small dark stains. If any signs of bugs are found, change rooms immediately.
- Keep luggage in large trash bags to keep bed bugs from accessing it and hitch a ride home.
- Keep dirty clothing securely in bags.
- When you arrive at home, thoroughly inspect all luggage before bringing it inside. Immediately place all clothing into the dryer and run it for 20 minutes at the highest temperature.
How do I inspect my home?
While travel is down greatly during this pandemic, we anticipate a much quieter bug season. However, travel is not the only way to introduce bed bugs to your home! They can be found in office buildings (we’ve seen and treated for that!), public transportation (airplanes, trains, ride-share vehicles, etc.), and can be introduced to your home through packages (this is rare but can happen). So, even if you haven’t been traveling, it’s important to periodically inspect your home or business. Places to check for signs of bed bugs include:
- Crevices & seams around mattresses and box springs (wash the bedding often)
- Headboards, nightstands, and bedside lamps
- In the cracks of baseboards and around electrical outlets and light switches
- Behind blinds, drapes, or curtains
- In the upholstery of often used furniture like couches, armchairs, recliners, etc.
- In the perimeters of the room where the carpet meets the wall (vacuum frequently)
What do I do if I find bed bugs or signs of them?
Treating bed bugs can be tedious and difficult and is best left to professionals! If you suspect that you have bed bugs in your home or office, give 855Bugs a call as soon as possible to schedule a FREE inspection. Our experienced Sales Inspectors and Technicians know where to look and what they are looking for! We use industry-proven methods to eradicate bed bugs in a multi-step process. Our process includes first determining the level of infestation, step two is the initial treatment, followed by one to two follow-up treatments depending on the severity of the infestation.
More information on what bed bugs look like, and their habits.
