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Watch Out! Bed Bugs Are Not Just In Beds

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You may think that you are safe from bed bugs, just because your home’s bedroom is not infested with them. Think again. Bed bugs are in a growing number of locations these days. Leaving your house may mean that you can brush up against bed bugs in taxi cabs, movie theaters, and even hospitals.

According to an annual survey of pest management professionals, bed bugs are in all sorts of places you may not have expected. In February, the National Pest Management Association and the University of Kentucky surveyed the in-the-field bed bug detection experts for the Bugs Without Borders report. ”In the third installment of the Bugs Without Borders survey, according to Pestworld.org, “bed bugs are found to be as much, if not more of a problem today than they were a few years ago.” Yikes!

Places bed bug detection professionals found bed bugs

The survey says that virtually all of the pest management professionals found bed bugs at some point in their work – 98 percent found them in apartments or condos, and 96 percent found them in single-family homes. But that is not the only place bed bugs were discovered. Here are some of the places the survey found bed bugs, and the percentage of pest management professionals who discovered bed bugs there:

  • Hospitals: 33 percent
  • Movie theaters: 10 percent
  • Schools and day care centers: 41 percent
  • Nursing homes: 46 percent
  • Transportation (train/bus/taxi) : 21 percent
  • College dorms: 47 percent
  • Office buildings: 36 percent
  • Hotels/motels: 75 percent
  • Libraries: 12 percent
  • Laundromats: 9 percent
  • Retail stores: 15 percent
  • Airplanes: 2 percent
  • Restaurants: 7 percent.

That means that you could potentially be exposed to bed bugs at a variety of diverse locations whenever you leave your home. Needless to say, this is a scary prospect.

Bed bugs the toughest insects to control

If this doesn’t make you want to itch, here is some more information to make your skin crawl. According to the pest control professionals, bed bugs are the toughest pest to control. The Bugs Without Borders survey says that 76 percent of the experts find the bugs the worst, with 17 percent finding ants the worst, 6 percent say roaches are the toughest, and 1 percent find termites the most difficult.

What can you do to stay away from bed bugs?

Pestworld.org says that “bed bugs are as much, if not more of a problem today than they were a few years ago,” and that “these pests continue to plague people wherever they go.” The site says that raising awareness of the issue and being vigilant about bed bugs can help alleviate the problem.

If you travel, or have had to spend much time away from home, like in a hospital, you can keep bed bugs from being a problem in your home by putting your clothing in the dryer on high heat for 20 minutes before putting them in the washer. You should also put your luggage in a separate area of your home to make sure that any potential bed bugs don’t hitch a ride into your bedroom.

And if you think you might have bed bugs in your home, contact a bed bug professional like Bed Bug Finders LLC. Good luck.

Lisa Swan writes for a variety of home and office websites. She lives in New York City.

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How To Protect Your Home And Family From Bed Bugs

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The frequency of domestic and international travel has greatly contributed to the resurgence of bed bug problems nationwide. A few years back, everyone thought that bed bugs were a thing of the past. Now, however, with homes, schools, hotels, and all kinds of accommodation facilities, including buses, airplanes and cruise ships all being infested by bed bugs, people have realized how easily a once contained pest problem can become a national issue once again.

Today, it’s pretty difficult to stop the spread of bed bugs because travel, as mentioned earlier, is more common, and the creatures themselves are pretty sneaky. They can easily hide in bags, clothes, linen, and other items. They are pervasive, and they suck blood. All of these characteristics make them scary even though they might only be as small as apple seeds. Bed bug infestations are frightening, and no homeowner would want to be saddled with this kind of problem. Hence, people should take measures to protect their home, especially their kids, from bed bugs.

Here are a few things that will help you protect yourself and your loved ones from the nasty bloodsuckers.

1. Know who their friends are. You have to be involved in your children’s lives so that you’re updated about the latest happenings. Your child might mention something about a classmate who has a bug problem at home. In case you discover this, be extra vigilant and check your kid’s things and his room. It will also help to alert the teacher about this.

2. Be informed before allowing your child to go on a sleepover. Determine if the friend hosting the event has a problem with bed bugs. Try to glean some information about the home life to determine if the family has had pest issues in the past. It would also be better to talk to the parents concerned. Tell them about your bed bug concerns. They will likely open up to you in case they have a pest problem.

3. Clean and vacuum regularly. This way, you’ll easily get rid of lost bed bugs that might have just migrated into your home. Bed bugs also prefer clutter. If you regularly clean, you’re removing hiding places. Don’t forget to caulk cracks or put weatherstripping in gaps so that small pests will not be able to enter your house.

4. Teach your child how to protect his things from bed bugs. Tell him to keep his school bag zipped closed so that the bugs won’t be able to hide in his things. Ask him to check his bag first before taking this inside your house and in his room so that he won’t unwittingly carry bugs in your abode.

5. Use your laundry machine to your advantage. Bed bugs can be killed by heat. In case you believe that your house is infested, regularly launder clothes, bedding, and other things. After washing stuff in hot water, put things in a dryer and opt for the highest heat setting. Expose infested items to very hot air for at least 30 minutes.

Citations:

Claire Trent is a pest professional who wants to help spread awareness about bed bug infestations. In her articles, she talks about Maryland bed bugs exterminator, how to identify the bugs, and what to do in case of a widespread invasion.

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