Do you leave your home? If so, chances are you could unknowingly pick up bed bugs and bring them back home. Bed bugs can be found in every state in the US and all over the world. Since bedbugs are blood-eating bugs, they dwell almost exclusively with humans and they are happy to hitch a ride with an unsuspecting host. Many people believe they are only picked up in hotel rooms, while it is true you can pick them up from a hotel there are many other places such as:
Beware of Hitchhiking Bed Bugs
- Modes of transportation, i.e., buses, trains, planes, cruise ships and taxis
- Office buildings
- Schools including colleges, universities, high school, elementary schools
- Nursing homes
- Daycares
- Theatres
- Luggage
- Clothing
The list goes on and on. The bottom line is that any public place is fair game for picking up bed bugs. Their flattened bodies make it possible for them to fit into tiny spaces. Cleanliness has nothing to do with whether or not a bed bug infestation can happen. People often fall under a false sense of security believing that bed bugs are only found in dirty places, but that is not true. Bed bugs do not discriminate; they are simply looking for a food source…You!
How do you know if you have bed bugs?
- In the beginning, they are very hard to see because they are as small as the tip on a pen.
- Immature bed bugs will take about a month to fully develop into adults. Once they are adults, they have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. After they feed, they will swell and turn a reddish color.
- They do not have nests like ants. They do tend to live in groups in hiding places. One of their favorite hiding places is mattresses, box springs, bed frames and headboards, hence, their name. If left untreated, they will eventually scatter throughout the bedroom and to nearby rooms.
- Bed bug bites are painless at first but eventually turn into itchy welts.
- Bloodstains on your sheets or pillowcases.
- Dark or rusty spots of bedbug excrement on sheets and mattresses, bedclothes, and walls.
- Must odor from the bugs’ scent glands.
If you suspect you have bed bugs, remove all bedding and check it carefully for signs and then giveTerminator Termite and Pest Control a call today!