Sep 18, 2025 | Bed Bug
Waking up with mysterious bites? Finding tiny brown spots on your sheets? If you’re scratching your head (literally), wondering how bed bugs found their way into your Murfreesboro home, you’re not alone. These sneaky little hitchhikers are masters at finding new places to call home, and unfortunately, your cozy Tennessee house might’ve just made their list. Don’t panic though! Understanding how these pests arrive is your first step toward getting rid of them for good. Let’s explore the most common ways bed bugs enter Murfreesboro homes and what you can do to prevent future bed bug infestations.
The Great Bed Bug Mystery: How They Really Get In
Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs aren’t a sign of poor housekeeping. These crafty creatures can infest even the cleanest homes because they’re excellent at finding rides. Think of them as the ultimate freeloaders of the pest world.
Travel Is Their Favorite Transportation Method
Did you take a vacation recently? Stay in a hotel or rental property? Bed bugs love to stow away in luggage, backpacks, and even the clothes you’re wearing. They’re particularly common in hotels, where they can easily move from room to room through luggage and belongings. Common hiding spots include mattresses, headboards, and in and around bedside tables.
Here’s the thing about traveling to and from Murfreesboro: whether you’re visiting Nashville for a weekend getaway or heading out on business, you might be bringing more than memories home with you.
Secondhand Finds Can Bring Unwanted Guests
Love hunting for treasures at thrift stores, garage sales, or online marketplaces? That vintage dresser or “like new” mattress might come with some unwanted extras. Bed bugs can hide in the tiniest crevices of furniture, making secondhand purchases a common source of bed bug infestations.
Your Neighbors Might Be Sharing More Than Sugar
In apartments, condos, or closely situated homes, bed bugs can actually walk from one unit to another through wall voids, electrical outlets, and shared spaces. If your neighbors are dealing with an infestation, you might be next on the guest list.
Prevention Tips That Actually Work
Ready to become a bed bug prevention pro? Here’s how to keep these unwelcome visitors from making themselves at home in your Murfreesboro house.
Travel Smart, Travel Bug-Free
Before settling into any hotel room or rental property, do a quick inspection:
- Pull back the sheets and check the mattress seams for dark spots or stains
- Look for tiny blood spots on pillowcases
- Check upholstered chairs and curtains near the bed
- Keep your luggage in the bathroom while you inspect (bed bugs hate hard surfaces)
When you get home, wash all your clothes in hot water immediately, even if you don’t wear them. Store your suitcase in the garage or basement until you can thoroughly inspect it.
Shop Secondhand Safely
That antique nightstand calling your name? Here’s how to bring it home without hitchhikers:
- Inspect every crack and crevice before purchasing
- Look for dark spots, shed skins, or sweet musty odors
- Consider quarantining items in your garage before bringing them inside
Create a Fortress Around Your Home
While you can’t control what your neighbors do, you can make your home less appealing:
- Seal cracks around baseboards and electrical outlets
- Use mattress and box spring encasements as protective barriers
- Reduce clutter, especially around sleeping areas
- Vacuum regularly, paying special attention to seams and crevices
Eco-Friendly Solutions for Murfreesboro Homeowners
If bed bugs have already moved in, don’t despair. You’ve got options that won’t harm your family or Tennessee’s beautiful environment.
Steam Cleaning Power
A quality steam cleaner can kill bed bugs and their eggs on contact. Focus on mattress seams, furniture crevices, and carpet edges where these pests like to hide.
Natural Deterrents
While not eliminating methods, essential oils like tea tree, lavender, and peppermint can help repel bed bugs. Mix with water and spray bed frames and furniture.
When to Call Murfreesboro Bed Bug Professionals
Sometimes DIY just isn’t enough, and that’s perfectly okay. Consider professional help if you’re seeing:
- Multiple bites appearing regularly
- Live bugs during daylight hours
- Dark stains or spots on mattresses
- Sweet, musty odors in bedrooms
Professional Murfreesboro bed bug control experts understand local conditions and can implement targeted treatments that work specifically for Tennessee homes.
Don’t Let Bed Bugs Win
If bed bugs continue to be a problem despite your efforts, it’s wise to consult a pest control professional who can provide targeted treatments for bed bug infestations and help restore comfort to your Murfreesboro home quickly and effectively.
Apr 21, 2014 | Uncategorized
Bed Bug Awareness Week
This week (April 20-26) is Bed Bug Awareness Week. It’s a week to spread awareness about bed bugs and what people can do to prevent bed bug infestations.
It’s no secret that bed bugs are one of the hardest pests to control, even by pest professionals. They are easily transported by hiding in handbags, luggage, etc., are quick to reproduce, and can be difficult to see with the naked eye. Even though they can be difficult to treat, rest assured, that they can be treated by a knowledgeable, highly trained pest control professional.
Throughout the next few months people will begin to travel more and it is important that people are educated and aware of the steps to take to prevent bed bugs. This is where Bed Bug Awareness Week and Northwest Exterminating come in to help!
What can you do to prevent bed bugs?
- Be aware of what bed bugs look like (here).
- When traveling, do not put luggage on the bed or on the floor. Use a luggage rack.
- Pull back the corner of the mattress cover to check mattress seams for signs of bed bugs.
- Check sheets and pillows for signs of bed bugs.
- When returning home, leave luggage outside and wash all clothes in hot water.
- Contact a pest professional if you think you may have a bed bug infestation in your home. A highly trained professional will be able to quickly identify the problem and develop a customized solution for your infestation.
For more tips on how to prevent bed bugs visit our past blogs for helpful tips:
How to Protect Yourself from Bed Bugs on Spring Break
The 411 on Bed Bugs
The Dreaded Hitchhikers…The Bed Bugs
Apr 17, 2014 | Uncategorized
Just hearing about bed bugs is enough to make most people’s skin crawl and frantically check their beds just in case the nasty little bugs have made it into the house. New research has led us to believe that there is actually a bed bug season. The researchers gathered information from various service providers over a 4 year period that offered bed bug treatments. They analyzed all of the data and noticed that there is a definite trend from April through October where the number of bed bug treatments increases. Bed bugs are like most other insects despite living indoors, they begin to make a reappearance as the weather warms up and decline as the weather cools down.
We are now entering bed bug season, so here are a few precautions to keep in mind:
- When arriving in your room be sure to pull back the sheets at the corners and check for the presence of bed bugs around the cracks and crevices of the mattress and box spring.
- Make sure to place your luggage on the luggage rack.
- When returning home from your trip be sure to wash/dry clean all contents.
- Luggage should be placed up in the attic or left out in the garage.
- If you do bring bed bugs into your house, Northwest Exterminating can help you out. We have bed bug specialists who only perform bed bug treatments. Northwest Exterminating will guarantee elimination of a bed bug infestation before the contract is considered finished. We can also provide preventative services that will decrease the likelihood of a bed bug population becoming established should they be brought in accidentally. Please visit the website at www.callnorthwest.com for more information.
Katherine King
[email protected]
Dec 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
The holiday season is a busy time for travel. People visiting family or taking holiday trips…it is a fun and exciting time. But there are precautions to take when traveling. Bed bugs have made a comeback in recent years and are a real concern for travelers. Not only are they a concern for while on a trip but bringing them home can cause thousands of dollars and loss of sleep.
But this shouldn’t discourage people from traveling. With knowledge and diligence, you can protect yourself and your home from bed bugs.
Tips for Avoiding Bed Bugs While Traveling:
- Research the hotel. If staying in a hotel do your research by reading reviews on the website and visiting The Bed Bug Registry. The Bed Bug Registry is a free, public database where people report bed bug infestations across the US and Canada.
- Keep luggage off of bed and floor. Place your luggage on a luggage rack, bathroom floor, or balcony when you enter the room. Placing it on the bed or carpet could give present bed bugs easy access to your luggage.
- Inspect your bed. Check the headboard, foot board, mattress, sheets, pillows, and comforter for little bugs or dark red or brown spots that mark a trail. Check seams and corners closely and the box springs. If you see scurrying, dead bugs, or dark colored trails, notify the hotel management immediately.
- Inspect your room. Check sofas and chairs, or other places that bed bugs could be found.
- If you find bed bugs after you’ve slept in the room, notify hotel management right away. They should launder all of your clothing and give you a new room immediately.
Preventing bed bugs from making their way home with you:
- Unpack your bag in the garage or on a hard, light colored surface. Do not unpack on the bed or carpet. This will allow you to see any bed bugs if they scurry out of your bag.
- Wash and dry all clothes as soon as possible on hot.
- Vacuum your suitcase.
- Although it’s unusual for bed bugs to travel on a person, shower before you sleep in your own bed.
If you suspect that bed bugs have made their way into your home, there is a solution. Northwest Exterminating has a dedicated team of experts that specialize in the treatment of bed bugs. Call the Mouse to get rid of bed bugs in your house.
