Contrary to popular misconception, you dont get bed bugs because your house is dirty or because you live in a low-income neighborhood. Its not a punishment from God or karmafrom a past lifetime of douchebaggery.<\/p>\n
So then, how do you get bed bugs?Lets start with the bad news there are countless ways to get bed bugs. And bed bugs dont discriminate when theyre looking for a new home.<\/p>\n
It doesnt matter if you vacuum and mop everyday andyou live in the poshest part of your city if a bed bug finds its way into your home, itll stay, breed and bite.<\/p>\n
So whats the good news? For bed bugs to enter your home, they need to hitch a ride on someone or something.Which means that as long as youre careful about who and what you let into your house, you have a good chance of avoiding a bed bug problem.<\/p>\n
Heres a list of the most common causes of bed bugs and what you should do instead toavoid coming into contact with these annoying-as-hell parasites.<\/p>\n
That familiar little jingle couldvebeen composed by a troupe of bed bugs cause they are at hotels, motels and the holiday inn. In fact, hotels and motels rankamong the top 3 places pest professionals report finding bed bugs.<\/p>\n
Not too surprising consideringtemporary lodgingsare an ideal breeding placefor bed bugs lots of people plus high turnover equals ongoing opportunities for the introduction of these parasites.All it takes is one sexually mature female bed bug to get in her foot in the door and shell be laying up to 5 eggs daily and mating with her own children til the place is overrun with bed bugs.<\/p>\n
Once bed bugs have entered the property, they can spread rapidly to other rooms through pipes and in vacuum cleaners as well as to your houseby hiding themselves as stowaways in clothing, purses, and luggage.<\/p>\n
Unwittingly picking up hitchhikers while traveling is one of the most common causes ofbed bugs so if youre planning a trip soon youll want to know how to avoid getting bed bugs at hotels.<\/p>\n
Tempted by that gorgeous ottoman lying unprotected and unclaimed on the street corner by your house? Resist the urge bringing discardedfurniture into the house is a very common cause of bed bugs.<\/p>\n
People dont always clearly mark bed bug-ridden furniture and especially if you live in a city with a bed bug infestation you really dont want to take that risk, no matter how tempting that suede sofa looks.<\/p>\n
But although used furniture poses a higher risk even new furniture like mattresses and sofascan be exposed to bed bugs during storage or in delivery vehicles. For example, if the company you buy your mattress from also hauls out old, used mattresses from homes their truck can be harboring bed bug fugitives who are just waiting for a brand new mattress to call home.<\/p>\n
Bed bugs cant fly or jump very far they have to crawl to get anywhere. But thanks to their tiny size and the fact that they can survive months without a blood meal, bed bugs have no problem traveling from place to place.<\/p>\n
They simplyhide themselves in clothes, bags, and purses and off they go from one infested home to another.<\/p>\n
So be careful about who you let sleep over at your place and whose place you crash at, especially if you live in an area with a bed bug infestation. Inviting the wrong person to spend the night is a far-too-common cause of bed bugs.Find out the signs someone has bed bugs.<\/p>\n
This one isnt fair at all you could be doing everything right to prevent bed bugs but then your dumpster-diving neighbor picks up what he thinks is a practically new armchair and pretty soon, youre dealing with a bed bug problem.<\/p>\n
Bed bug migration, especially in shared housing situations like condos, apartment and dormitories, is pretty common since these buggers can crawl over 100 feet in a night and gothrough tiny cracks in the walls, through connected vents, or even in the seams of floor boards! Of course, they can also travel the old-fashioned way: simply crawling out a front door, down the hall and into another apartment.<\/p>\n
Since bed bugswill even breed with their own mothers all it takes it one sexually mature female bed bug to make the trip.<\/p>\n
Be especially wary ifany of your neighbors report bed bugs they may try to get rid of the infested furniture by dragging it through the common areas without having properly sealed it off. The result? Bed bugs and their eggs drop offthe infested furniture andpotentially enter your residence.Find out how to secureyour residence from bed bugs!<\/p>\n
Used clothes you get at a thrift store, from donations or borrowing from a friend can be a cause of bed bugs. You can still shop at thrift stores but dont bring any used clothing into your home without washing it first.<\/p>\n
And they should be washed with seriously hot water bed bugs cant survive temperatures above 122degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n
Of course this doesnt just apply to clothes. Used stuffed animals, bedsheets, etc all must be washed in very hot water before being allowed into your home.<\/p>\n
Note: Even new clothes can be a cause of bed bugs a few retails stores (including Hollister and the flagship Nike store) in Manhattan had to temporarily shut downdue to a bed bug infestation.<\/p>\n
Think that book you got from the street-side vendor for a dollar is safe? Not necessarilyalthough books arent a common way to get bed bugs it can happen, especially if the books have been hanging out in a box in a homeor area infested with bed bugs.<\/p>\n
Bed bugs have also been known to fester in alarm clocks, coffee makers, and other appliances especially those that have dark crevices that are great for bed bugs to hide in.<\/p>\n
Check and double check anything you bring into your home.<\/p>\n
Bed bugs can live anywhere people live, work, stay and rest this means offices, schools, and even movie theaters can be infested with infested with bed bugs.<\/p>\n
If you live in an area thats dealing with a bed bug infestation, it could be as simple as your child placing his backpack next to another childs backpack that has bed bugs.<\/p>\n
If you suspect you may have broughta bed bug problem into your house you may be wondering how you can keep the infestation from spreading.<\/p>\n
The good news is that bed bugs typically tend to stay put once theyve moved into a new home.<\/p>\n
The bad news is that a number of things can cause bed bugs to spread to new locations. So to avoid spreading the bed bug problem throughout your house and to other people avoid doing the following things:<\/p>\n
Oh, a word on bed bug foggers (aka, bed bug bombs) dont use them!Not only are they ineffective at killing bed bugs, but they can also cause the infestation to spread. Foggers dont reach deep into cracks and crevices prime hiding spots for bed bugs so they wont kill the bed bugs, but instead just drive them to neighboring rooms. Once the fogger is done, guess whos moving back in?<\/p>\n
So skip the fogger and start eliminating with the problem with bed bug treatmentsthat actually kill bed bugs and help control the infestation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n