Many people know that bed bugs infest mattresses and old furniture, but most don’t pay much mind to how bed bugs end up there in the first place. In reality, these parasitic pests are a lot more mobile than people realize, which helps them spread from hotspots to individual homes. Learning how to spot and avoid bed bug infestations will help you avoid getting bitten.
Bed Bugs Are Everyone’s Problem
Bed bugs in Indianapolis are a pest that we tend to only think of as existing in dirty conditions. It’s a misconception that only dirty homes get bed bugs, and the people who don’t take their fast-spreading nature seriously often wind up with an infestation themselves. Bed bugs can hide inside of containers or infested items for weeks without food, allowing them to wait for the right time to emerge for feeding or catching a lift elsewhere. These are some of the most common ways people tend to introduce bed bugs to their home:
- Travel: When traveling to other areas, especially overseas, we expose ourselves to hotspots like businesses and transportation hubs where bed bugs can congregate.
- Containers: The same goes for packages that are shipped from far away and delivered to your home or place of business. Bed bugs or their eggs can sometimes survive the journey.
- Second-hand purchases: One of the most common ways people get bed bugs is by bringing infested items like used furniture and clothing inside. It’s important to closely inspect used items before bringing them home, looking for the seed-like bed bugs or their peppery eggs.
How Bed Bugs Get Around
Because they can hitch rides on infested items, bed bugs can essentially dole out the task of transportation directly to the animals or people they feed on. Not only can they get around easily, bed bug populations also thrive in certain hotspot areas where they can both nest and feed. The following are areas where bed bug populations can grow and easily transmit to other areas:
- Hotels: A building full of mattresses and sheets? Sounds like a bed bug’s paradise. Indeed, hotels are often known as hotspots for bed bug activity.
- Hospitals: Another place where there are plenty of beds to infest, hospitals also act as a hub for potentially infested humans to spread bed bugs to others.
- Schools: Not only do schools have closets and storage areas where pests can hide, they are also a place where children from hundreds of different households congregate. If just one household is infested, bed bugs can quickly spread to others.
How To Prevent Getting Bed Bugs
Not only should you avoid hotspot areas and be smart when traveling, it’s also important to do little things that can reduce your risk of getting bed bugs. Here are some smart bed bug prevention tips for you to consider:
- Smart buying: Being a thrifty has its benefits, sure, but it also has its risks. When buying used or second-hand items, carefully inspect them for signs of bed bugs or eggs.
- Package inspection: The same can be said for packages, which cross many borders and change many hands before arriving at your doorstep. Open them outside and inspect thoroughly for pests.
- Inspections: Inspecting potentially infested items is one thing, inspecting your home is another. To truly rest easy knowing bed bugs haven’t moved in, you should contact professionals to determine your home’s level of protection.
For True Protection, Trust Action Pest Control
Because there are so many ways and places for bed bugs to get around, true protection is a tall order for any homeowner. While you can take preventive action to avoid bed bugs, the only guarantees come from routine, professional pest control. At Action Pest Control, our trained staff can get started right away on an inspection of your home, determining your level of risk for bed bugs. If a population is already there, we’ll eliminate them and any unhatched eggs before the problem can grow out of control or spread to other households.
Don’t wait on bed bug control, get started today by contacting Action Pest Control.