The Trick To Keep From Bringing Bed Bugs Into Your Huntsville Home
November 15, 2020
Bed bugs only invade dirty homes, right? You do your laundry, you wash the sheets regularly, and you pick up after yourself, so you’re good to go … or so you think. However, the more you learn about bed bugs, the more you’ll realize just how wrong you could be.
Hitchhiking Vampires
Does a hitchhiker care what kind of car you drive? No. They just want a ride. Does a vampire care what your house looks like? No. They just want your blood. Bed bugs are, terrifyingly, no different. Feeding off of human blood, bed bugs wait until you’re asleep to begin their feeding process. They wait until you stop moving because they are very, very slow. With tiny legs stemming off of bodies that are five millimeters long at the most, bed bugs can’t get very far.
However, they are also very talented at hitchhiking on the back of your luggage in order to gain access to your house. Migrating from bag to bag in travel hubs like bus stations and airport terminals, bed bugs can easily wind up on your bag if you set it down for a prolonged period of time. They’ll also climb into your suitcase if you put it down on your hotel bed as you unpack. You might not notice that you have bed bugs in your room before you go to bed, but those bed bugs could still be traveling back home with you.
Along with travel, buying secondhand furniture is a very risky activity when it comes to picking up bed bugs. These invasive insects will infest any sort of residence or office building (and any sort of furniture). This means that no matter what you’re buying, whether it’s an office chair, couch, or mattress, you’ll need to inspect it for the signs of a bed bug infestation. These include:
- Musty odors
- Bloodstains left behind from feedings
- Rust-colored rings from bed bug excrement
Eradication Errors (And Their Long-Term Effects)
Once they’re in your home, noticing signs of bed bugs early is very important. While they may not transfer diseases as they feed, they can still create long-term health risks. Along with signs of infestation on the furniture, you’ll also notice bed bug bites on yourself if you do have an infestation. These itchy, red bumps appear the morning after an attack and are typically in a straight line or zig-zagged pattern. Repeated attacks will not only lead to skin irritations and long-term damage, but they’ll also lead to insomnia and anemia that can remain after the infestation is eradicated.
When homeowners do recognize these signs early, they almost always make a mistake when they try to get rid of bed bugs themselves. Relying on store-bought sprays, vacuuming, and other home remedies like washing the sheets, homeowners will only get rid of the bed bugs on the surface. However, there are almost always more bed bugs (and their eggs) hiding under the surface of your mattresses and other furniture. After a week or so, the infestation will be back, repeating the cycle of sleeplessness and skin irritations.
Since bed bugs are so hard to prevent and so difficult to eradicate on your own, what are you supposed to do? Fortunately, Custom Pest Control has your answer. With treatments you can count on to work completely (the first time), you’ll be able to say bye-bye to bed bugs for good. So, if you think you have bed bugs, don’t waste your time on home remedies; contact Custom Pest Control right away.