Sleeping With Bed Bugs?
by Maura Forsyth | April 26, 2019 | Blog
Sleeping with bed bugs can send you from a peaceful sleep into a waking nightmare. Learn how our pest control experts can find a provider to eradicate these pests and get you back to a good night’s sleep ASAP.
Are You Sleeping With Bed Bugs?
While bed bugs are becoming more common around the country, there are still many misconceptions about these invasive pests. Having bed bugs doesn’t mean you have a dirty home, and it certainly doesn’t mean you need to throw out your mattress. Let our network of pest control experts help get you back to a peaceful night’s sleep.
Where Did They Come From?
Bed bugs are fantastic hitchhikers. They are small and can travel in anything with a crease. Pants legs and shoes, suitcases and book bags all make great transportation for these sneaky pests. You should always inspect these items after an overnight stay in a hotel room before putting them away in your home.
A less common but interesting way bed bugs have been known to travel is by hitching a ride in the spines of library books. People tend to read in bed and occasionally fall asleep with the book still on their lap or the covers. Since these pests are able to go long periods without feeding, they have no problem waiting a few days in the library for some unsuspecting reader to carry them to a new home, and a new source of food!
I Thought They Only Live in Beds!
Another common misconception is understandable, as it stems from the name itself. Bed bugs like to feed on human blood and the easiest time to make that happen is when the human is asleep. The pests like to live near their feeding ground so they often set up shop in mattresses when possible. But bed bugs are not restricted to living only on your bed, no matter what their name would have you believe.
Bed bugs can live almost anywhere in the home, including behind wall hangings and outlet covers. Baseboards, curtains, and rugs are also great places for these pesky creatures to hide.
What Do I Do Now?
Bed bugs love clutter. Try to keep your sleeping area free of disorder and if possible do not store items under the bed. Bed bugs will take up residence anywhere they can. They are small enough to fit in any crevice the width of a credit card or a grain of rice. And once they’ve found a home, they have only two goals: Eat and make more bed bugs.
And while the bugs themselves are small, their eggs are even smaller. They can be difficult to spot once embedded in a mattress or some other area of the home.
There are several methods available for treating bed bugs. High-powered suction, heat, and gentle, not-toxic insecticides can all be used to clear an infestation. Because of their invasive nature, treatment can often require a combination of these methods to be effective. The best thing you can do once you’ve spotted bed bugs in your home is to contact a professional right away. The longer the problem persists, the harder it will be to contain and control.
Let our network of pest control experts find the professional that will be right for you.
