While many pests love cluttered homes, bed bugs aren’t necessarily one of them. These pests are common invaders of Louisville homes during the holiday season and throughout the year, but many people have heard a lot of myths about them.
One of the main myths about bed bugs in Louisville is that they seek out dirty or messy homes. Many people also assume that bed bugs sneak inside from outdoors just like species such as spiders or ants, but this isn’t the case either. Instead, bed bugs are usually brought inside unknowingly after traveling outside of the home to other locations.
Because of this, bed bug problems can happen to almost anyone. They are common in residential homes and apartments of all kinds, but even businesses can have bed bugs. While bed bugs prefer buildings with beds, they can also live in holes in the walls or on other furniture.
No one wants to deal with these blood-feeding, invasive pests while the holidays are near, so this guide is here to give you all you need to know about bed bug infestations begin and what you can do to prevent them.
How Bed Bug Infestations Begin In Homes
Bed bugs can be found in other people’s homes or commercial buildings of all kinds, but certain places are known as bed bugs “hot spots.” These are usually places where many different people tend to come and go, and include schools, buses, laundromats, airports, and hotel rooms.
Bed bugs don’t attach to humans, but they will grab a ride on the items we bring with us, such as clothing and luggage. Then, they can hang on until we get home where they will start to establish an infestation.
Overall, it can be difficult to completely prevent bed bugs because they are only the size of an apple seed and can be found nearly anywhere, but you can still do these three things:
- If using any shared laundry facilities, carry all of your laundry to and from in a plastic bag.
- Avoid putting baggage on the ground as much as possible.
- When in hotel rooms, check bedding, other furniture, and the walls for any signs of bed bug activity.
Another Way That Bed Bug Infestations Begin
While bed bugs usually get picked up during general travel or running errands, there is one other way that bed bugs can be brought into your house. This is through buying second-hand items that already have bed bugs living on them.
Mattresses and other bedding items are usually the problems, but other kinds of furniture and even appliances could have bed bugs living inside.
In order to keep these items out of your house, check for the following signs of bed bugs:
- Brown stains in irregular shapes that are created from bed bug droppings
- Rust-colored stains that come from dried blood spots
- Discarded eggshells that are cream to dark brown in color depending on how old they are
What If Bed Bugs Get Inside Your Louisville Home?
Bed bugs are very difficult to prevent, so if you wind up with an infestation, don’t feel like you’ve done anything wrong. If you have bed bugs, contact the bed bug control experts at Action Pest Control.
Don’t let these nasty pests ruin your holiday. Instead, give us a call today. We will quickly remove the entire infestation and apply treatments to keep them from returning.