If you have been waking up to small bites on your skin, tiny blood stain on bedsheets, and seeing dark spot-on mattresses (droppings), these are signs of bedbug infestation in your house. Many homeowners are shocked and frustrated because bedbugs can appear even in clean homes, wondering how these pests manage to get into the house.
Bedbugs are good in hitch hiking. They don’t fly or jump, but they can easily attach themselves on people or everyday items.
The truth is, understanding how bed bugs enter your home is the best way to prevent an infestation.
How bedbugs enter your home
1. Luggage After Traveling
Travelling is surely fun. We pack our essential items in our luggage bag and get prepared for our flight. Our luggage bag gets checked in at the airport/stored in the overhead compartment, then brought to the hotel room and finally back to our house and into our own bedroom.
Bedbugs can easily attach to our luggage bag during travels, the question is whether they hitchhike from the aeroplane or the hotel room. These pests hide very well in mattress seams, headboards, furniture, and cracks which we might not notice as they are very small in size.
When you return home, they may leave your suitcase and settle into your mattress, bed frame, or nearby furniture.
Tip: Always inspect hotel beds upon arrival and avoid placing luggage directly on the floor or bed of your hotel room. As you return, always check your luggage bag before entering your home and avoid placing your luggage back into your bedroom instantly.
2. Second-Hand Furniture
Buying used furniture supports environmental sustainability and saves cost. However, second-hand furniture is of high risk for bedbug infestations.
Items that commonly carry bed bugs include:
- Used mattresses
- Sofas
- Bed frames
- Wooden furniture with cracks or joints
Even a small number of bed bugs hiding inside furniture can quickly multiply. A single female bedbug can lay 1-5 eggs daily, which eggs hatch within 6-10 days. What started as a small infestation can turn into thousands of bedbugs within just 3 to 6 months.
3. Visitors and Guests
Bed bugs can hitch a ride on clothing, handbags, backpacks, or luggage. If someone unknowingly has bed bugs in their home, the insects can easily transfer during a visit to your home.
This is why infestations sometimes spread between neighbouring homes or apartment units easily.
4. Public Places and Transportation
Bed bugs can also be picked up in public spaces where everyone shares a common seat.
Common locations include:
- Public transportation
- Movie theatres
- Offices
- Schools
If a bed bug gets transferred from public spaces onto your bag or clothing, it may travel home with you.
Get Professional Treatment
If you are facing bedbug infestation in your home, do not delay treatment. Bedbugs are hard to deal with as they are capable of hiding in extremely small spaces such as mattress seams, bed frames, wall cracks, furniture joints and more. DIY treatment often fail because their hiding spots are hard to reach and, bedbug eggs are extremely difficult to kill as its shell shields them from many insecticides.
Sincerae Services Bed Bug Treatment use specialized equipment and targeted solutions to eliminate bed bugs at every stage of their life cycle.
In conclusion, bed bugs usually enter homes by hitchhiking on luggage, furniture, clothing, or personal belongings. Once inside, they can spread quickly and become very difficult to eliminate.
Early detection and professional treatment are the most effective ways to protect your home from a full-blown bed bug infestation to prevent it from getting out of hand.
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