Understanding what bed bugs are and how they can find their way into your home is the first step in preventing their unwelcome presence. Let’s go over how to properly identify bed bugs and the many ways they can make their way into your home.
What are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are small, parasitic insects that primarily feed on the blood of humans and animals. The reddish-brown, oval-shaped creatures are about the size and apple seed when fully grown. Bed bugs are expert hiders, which makes identifying bed bugs challenging until an infestation is underway.
How Do Bed Bugs Enter Your Home?
- Traveling: Bed bugs can easily latch on to clothing, luggage, or personal items, and travel with you from place to place. Infested hotel rooms, motels, public transportation, or even the homes of friends and family can be potential sources of bed bug exposure.
- Secondhand Items: Bringing in used furniture or clothing that has been infested with bed bugs is another common entry point. Items like used clothing, mattresses, sofas, or upholstered chairs can provide the perfect hiding spots for bed bugs.
- Visitors: Unfortunately, your visitors could be unknowingly carrying these pests with them, especially if they have been dealing with an infestation themselves.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs
Preventing a bed bug infestation begins with awareness. Here are some steps you can take:
- Inspect secondhand items thoroughly before bringing them into your home
- When traveling, inspect hotel rooms for signs of bed bugs and keep luggage off the floor and away from walls
- Regularly wash and dry your bedding, curtains, and clothing at high temperatures to eliminate potential bed bugs
- Use mattress and box spring encasements to reduce hiding spots for bed bugs
- Learn the signs of a bed bug infestation
Understanding how to identify bed bugs and how they can enter your home is the first step to keeping these pests away. If you suspect you have bed bugs, reach out to your local pest control company for an inspection and plan of action!