If you have bed bugs, don’t be too hard on yourself. There are all sorts of reasons this happened to you. Plus, you can get rid of them!
Having bed bugs does not mean you are a dirty person or that you do not take good care of your home. You don’t have to be dirty to end up with bed bugs. If you have bed bugs now and you’re wondering where they came from, we’re going to help you get to the bottom of it.
There are many reasons why you might have a bed bug infestation. Bed bugs are sneaky little insects that can find their way into your home and take over before you notice them.
Blaming yourself might be tempting, but the truth is there is no way you can ever 100% prevent bed bugs from invading your home. They are masters of stealth, with hundreds of years of practice feeding on their hosts undetected.
When your home is overrun with blood-sucking pests, it can be discouraging. It may help you feel less helpless when you understand what happened.
Bed bugs are a common problem in the U.S. But that doesn’t guarantee you’ll react calmly when you find that you have them in your home or hotel room.
It’s important to remember that it’s not your fault if you get bed bugs.
They don’t have preferences based on whether or not someone is clean, tidy, or otherwise prepared for an infestation. Since bed bugs are so elusive, whoever brought them into the building was likely not aware of their presence.
If you’re dealing with bed bugs, there are some things you can do right now to resolve the issue.
Here are some steps you can take:
Contact a professional pest control service immediately. A bed bug exterminator will have experience dealing with infestations. They will be able to offer advice on how to handle these situations before they become overwhelming problems.
Prepare your home for bed bug extermination. Clean your clutter. Strip your bed, empty your dressers, and clear your closets. Pack your belongings into clear plastic bags. It will help you better track and manage any ongoing bed bug activity in your home.
Treat your infested washable items by doing bed bug laundry. Remember to pack your clean items into new and unused, clear plastic bags after washing them. Doing this will help you get rid of some bed bugs before pest control arrives.
Whichever way you ended up with a bed bug infestation, it’s essential to understand that you are not necessarily to blame. But figuring out the source of the problem may help you avoid getting bed bugs in the future.
So, we’re sharing everything we know about what causes bed bugs, where they come from, and what you can do to protect yourself.
Most Common Ways to Get Bed Bugs
If you have bed bugs, pinpointing how you got the infestation may help you minimize the chances of getting them again. It may also simply help make you feel better about getting them in the first place.
These are the top ways you can get a bed bug infestation:
- You can get bed bugs anywhere that has an infestation. They good be at your friend’s house, on the train you take to work every day, or at the nursing home your parents stay.
- Bed bugs can travel between rooms in multi-unit buildings. They use electrical outlets to move from room to room. If your neighbor has them, you might get them too!
- Visitors can also bring bed bugs into your home. Bed bugs may be hiding in their belongings. Once you let your guest in, the bed bugs come in with them.
- Bed bugs are tiny hitchhikers. You can bring them into your home in luggage, clothing, used furniture, and other items – especially if you like shopping secondhand!
- Bed bug eggs hatch within five to ten days. The nymphs reach maturity after about a month. A mature adult female may lay hundreds of eggs during her lifetime. They are difficult to eliminate because of how quickly they spread.
Bed bugs are attracted to warmth, carbon dioxide, and blood. They most commonly hide in or near your bed because you release higher levels of carbon dioxide in your sleep. But they will also crawl into crevices or cracks in furniture or walls to hide during feeding times.
Since bed bugs are so good at hiding you may not notice them right away. That’s one reason why it matters so much to maintain a regular pest control routine.
Simply cleaning your home is not enough.
You have to be proactive against pests.
Do Bed Bugs Come Because of Filth?
There are cases where unkempt homes may be subject to a bed bug infestation. But it is more complicated than simply being messy. Bed bugs are not a sign of filth and disarray. They don’t care if your home is clean or not.
A bed bug’s only objective is to access a healthy source of blood meals. As long as they can live undetected, they’ll just go wherever there are people to feed on.
If you have clutter in your house, it gives them more places to hide. An infestation could grow right before your eyes. Clutter will make you unable to see it.
When you do finally notice the infestation, it may be too large to handle on your own.
So organization does impact your ability to detect and get rid of bed bugs.
But while it is more difficult for you to exterminate bed bugs if your home is dirty, it does not mean you have an infestation because your home is not clean.
That said, even if your home is clean you can still get bed bugs. They’re crafty little creatures who will find any nook or cranny they need to hide.
Cleaning your home and keeping it clutter-free is great.
But knowing how to spot the signs of bed bugs can help you catch an infestation before it starts.
How To Know if You Have Bed Bugs
If you wake up with bug bites on your body, you may have a bed bug infestation. You’ll want to check for signs of bed bugs in your home as well. Look for evidence on your sheets and other furniture near where you sleep.
If there are blood stains on your sheets and pillowcases, it may be an indication that you have bed bugs. Keep your eyes peeled for small black or rust-colored stains as well. These could be the leftovers of bed bug droppings after they’ve relieved themselves of your blood.
You can find bed bugs hiding in mattresses, headboards, and box springs They may also be in your headboard, the drawers of your nightstand, and other places around the bed.
Bed bugs like to remain out of sight. They will come out into rooms where people are sleeping just so they can feed on them while they sleep at night.
If there is an infestation in your home, don’t panic. You should hire someone who knows how to treat them properly so that you can get rid of these nasty insects once and for all!
Can you get rid of bed bugs on your own?
Bed bugs are difficult pests to manage on your own. That’s because they can live in tiny spaces and spread throughout the house if left unchecked. Without proper pest control measures in place, your bed bugs could come back in just several weeks.
DIY pest control is fine if you want to stay proactive. In fact, we highly recommend you practice pest control at home every day. But bed bugs are clever insects.
If you are not ready to deal with them swiftly, you may end up living with them for a long time.
We recommend hiring a professional pest control service to eradicate them properly.
When To Contact the Professionals
If you’re unsure whether you have bed bugs and want to know more, working with a professional can help you. A professional can identify the infestation if you have one or rule it out if you don’t.
You also may not have the resources, time, or patience to deal with a bed bug problem yourself. Getting rid of bed bugs is a lengthy process that requires a specialized approach.
Putting down traps or using bed bug spray is not enough to get the job done.
Working with a professional cuts down tremendously on the time and effort it will take you to execute a bed bug treatment.
Your infestation could be bigger than you think. If you underestimate it, you may be doing bed bug treatments for months without seeing results.
Bed bugs are pesky little critters that can cause a lot of problems. If you think you have an infestation, take action quickly.
BedBug911 is the leading bed bug exterminator in NYC.
Our comprehensive treatment process will safely eliminate bed bugs from your home.
Unlike other pest control services, we handle everything from beginning to end. We will even help you take proactive measures to protect yourself from bed bugs in the future.
Don’t wait until it’s too late.
If you think you have bed bugs, give us a call. 718 517 2227
