Most pests do not need your help to invade your home, bed bugs in Louisville are one of the few exceptions. Why is this? Turns out sucking blood is one of the only things bed bugs do well. Unable to fly, jump, or move very fast, bed bugs are not equipped to invade homes on their own. Combine this with their lack of survival skills and inability to survive out in nature for extended periods of time and you can see why they rely so heavily on us to get them where they need to go. So how are they using us to get around, and what can you do to stop them?

How Bed Bugs Get Around

Bed bugs may not be good at moving, but they are skilled at hitching rides on items we carry around on a day-to-day basis. Do you leave your bag in the gyms locker room while you work out? Bed bugs could crawl into it and hitch a ride. Do you have kids in school? If left in the wrong place, their backpacks could become easy transportation for bed bugs. You can even bring bed bugs home on a piece of used furniture. Thrift stores are notorious for having bed bug problems. All bed bugs have to do to get into your home is find an item heading your way and hop on it.

Bed Bug Hot Spots

There are some locations that bed bugs are more likely to be. This is mostly measured by two things, how many people flow through an area, and how likely they are to stop for an extended period of time. To put this into perspective, a bed bug only needs 20 minutes to climb from one stationary item to another. If you sit down to watch a movie or wait for a bus at the bus station, you may be giving bed bugs the time they need to hitch a ride with you. Locations that bed bugs are most active include public transportation stations, schools, healthcare facilities, and hotels.

Tips For Avoiding Bed Bugs

When it comes to avoiding bed bugs, there are two things you can do. The first is to know what they look like and the second is to know what signs they leave behind. Bloodstains, dots of reddish-black fecal matter, and live reddish-brown, oval-shaped bed bugs are all things you can look for before bringing potentially contaminated items home with you. The second thing you can do is avoid placing an item in one spot for more than 20 minutes when out of the house. If there is a chance bed bugs are around, carry your things on your person. Bed bugs are much less likely to hitch a ride on you than they are to hide on something you are carrying.
 
Some other ways you can fight back against bed bugs include storing used clothing and other fabric-based items in plastic bags before bringing them home (and washing them right out of the bag, on a high-heat setting) before putting them away. This will kill off any hitchhiking bed bugs hiding within and will reduce your chances of a bed bug infestation.
 
Finally, let potential guests know about bed bugs to reduce their chances of bringing bed bugs into your home when they visit. If their home is infested, they run a high risk of spreading their infestation with anyone they visit or those who visit them.

What To Do If Bed Bugs Get Inside

If you suspect the bites on your body and your lack of sleep is being caused by bed bugs, we are here to help. At Action Pest Control, we have advanced and proven methods for eliminating bed bugs from Louisville homes. To get bed bugs out of your home and your family back to the sleep they deserve, give us a call today. Your best pest solution is just around the corner with Action Pest Control's bed bug control services in Louisville.