Bed bugs. Small insects that drink human blood to survive. Notoriously difficult to get rid of, bed bugs are commonly found in homes (91%), apartments (89%) and hotels (68%).
How to prevent these creepy crawlies from entering your home?
The first step is to understand what attracts them.
What attracts bed bugs?
Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt, although that is a common misconception. Insteady, they’re attracted to heat (body warmth), food (your blood), and CO2 (what you exhale). You, just by being human, are the ultimate attraction.
While you can’t stop being human (and therefore, stop attracting bed bugs), you can do things to discourage bed bugs from entering your home – and spreading if they do.
How to prevent bed bugs
Check items after travel
Anywhere with large numbers of people: hotels, hospitals, public transit – are all common areas to pick up unwanted bed bugs. Be sure to check items like luggage, clothing, and purses after travel to discourage bed bugs from entering your home.
If you do find bed bugs have hitched a ride, placing any items in a dryer on high heat for at least thirty minutes; this will effectively kill any bed bugs.
Inspect hotel rooms
Areas where large numbers of people sleep (like hotels) are common areas for bed bugs, regardless of how clean.
Before unpacking, it’s a good idea to use a luggage rack to place your suitcase while you check areas bed bugs are likely to hide. To begin, it’s a good idea to remove the sheet and inspect the seams of bed, mattress pad, and box springs.
This website goes more in-depth on checking your hotel room for bed bugs.
Check furniture
Second hand furniture or used items are common carriers of hidden bed bugs. It’s helpful to thoroughly check any item for bed bugs before bringing it into your home. Look in tiny holes, cracks, and upholstery where hidden bed bugs may catch a ride home. Look for flat, oval shaped bugs the size of a seed.
Dark brown spots, like these, are a common indication of bed bugs; they are stains from bed bug excretion left behind.
This is a useful post on signs of bed bugs.
Conclusion
If bed bugs sneakily found their way into your home despite your best efforts, there are preventative measures you can take to keep them from becoming a full blown infection. Keep in mind, bed bugs (and their eggs) are incredibly resilient and pest control is usually needed to completely get rid of them.
