What Causes Bedbugs? Tips for Identifying and Dealing with Them

Bedbugs are dreaded by so many people that even mentioning them gives most people a bad case of the heebie-jeebies.

Theres a good reason for that: Having a home or hotel room infested with bedbugs isnt fun. It can be a huge hassle to get rid of an infestation.

But a bedbug problem isnt impossible to solve.

Well go over how they can get into your stuff and your home in the first place, how to recognize when you have a bedbug problem, and what you should do once youve diagnosed your bedbug issues.

And most importantly, well tell you when you can solve it yourself and when you need to call in the pros.

Bedbugs love people and they tend to gather where lots of people live.

They feed on our blood by piercing through our skin with tiny, saw-like mouthparts. They also numb the area with saliva full of anesthetic and anti-clotting chemicals to reduce pain while sucking the blood out.

Bedbugs are also survivors. They can live for up to a year without any food, and theyre pros at hopping into peoples stuff and hanging on for dear life until they find nice, warm beds, clothes, or furniture to live and breed in.

Thats why we tend to associate them with hotel beds: Theyre far more common in places where many people come and go frequently with their belongings in tow. The most common places to house bedbugs include:

It doesnt matter if your home, the hotel, or other place youve stayed is immaculate or grimy. Bedbugs can make their homes in any space if theyve tagged along on something youve brought indoors from a place where they got into your belongings.

They can even survive pesticides by simply moving away from sprayed or treated areas and finding new places nearby to live.

Despite their names, they dont just chill in bed all day. They can hang out in all sorts of indoor objects, including:

Bedbugs are quick crawlers, too. They can move up to four feet every minute and go long distances unimpeded across carpets, wood, and tile. This allows them to make their way across entire hotels, apartment complexes, and homes, no matter the size.

Not sure if youve got bedbugs or something else? Here are the clear signs of bedbugs that youll want to check:

Unlike other indoor pests like fleas or mosquitoes, bedbugs are relatively large and easy to spot.

Heres your checklist to identifying a bedbug and telling it apart from other pesky bugs. If you answer yes to all of these questions, youre likely dealing with bedbugs:

Getting rid of bedbugs isnt too difficult if the infestation isnt widespread. Here are a few ways to keep bedbugs from breeding and infesting your home if youve noticed some indoors.

You should consider calling a pro if youve tried some or all of the strategies listed, but are still seeing signs of bedbugs.

Professional exterminators may use a combination of chemicals, pesticides, and steam or heat treatments to get rid of infestations that have grown out of control.

It can be challenging to locate all the sources of bedbugs around your home yourself, but a professional may know exactly where to look and how to isolate the infestation.

If you live in an apartment complex or shared living space, you may need to work with your landlord or property owner to properly address the infestation in the entire complex.

Hiring a bedbug elimination pro can vary in cost, from as low as a few hundred dollars up to $2,000 or more. The following factors may affect the price:

You likely have several local exterminators in your area, including national chains like Terminix. Call around for estimates and read reviews closely to make sure that a pest control company is trustworthy.

Heres are some tips for making sure you never bring any unwanted bedbug buddies home:

Bedbugs are understandably distressing, but theres plenty you can do to get rid of them.

Try one or more prevention tips each day to minimize your risk of exposure. Even if you have an infestation, a few home treatments or a quick professional job can stop them from bugging you for good.

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What Causes Bedbugs? Tips for Identifying and Dealing with Them