At Alta Pest Control, we understand the frustration and discomfort that bed bugs can bring into your home. These tiny pests are not only a nuisance but also challenging to eliminate. In this blog, we’ll focus on how bed bugs spread and provide insights into their survival tactics and habits.
How Bed Bugs Get Into Your Home
Bed bugs, also known as backpack bugs, are expert hitchhikers and can easily find their way into your home. Their ability to latch onto various items makes it easy for them to travel and infest new locations. Here are the primary ways bed bugs get into homes:
Travel
Bed bugs often latch onto luggage, clothing, and personal items while you're traveling. Infested hotels, motels, and even public transportation systems like buses and trains are common hotspots. When you bring these items back home, you may unwittingly introduce bed bugs into your living space. Always inspect your luggage and belongings carefully after traveling to help prevent this.
Second-Hand Items
Purchasing second-hand furniture, mattresses, or clothing can be a major source of bed bug infestations. Bed bugs hide in the seams and crevices of used items, and when these are brought into your home, the pests come along for the ride. Always inspect and, if possible, treat second-hand items before bringing them indoors.
Shared Spaces
In multi-unit buildings such as apartments or condos, bed bugs can move between units through small crevices, cracks, and shared utilities like plumbing and wiring. This means that even if your apartment is clean, an infestation in a neighboring unit can easily spread to your home. Regular inspections and communication with building management can help address this issue.
Preventing Bed Bugs from Getting Into Your Home
Preventing the spread of bed bugs involves vigilant inspection and cleanliness. Here are some tips to keep them from getting into your home:
- Inspect Luggage and Clothing: After traveling, carefully check your luggage and clothing for signs of bed bugs before bringing them into your home.
- Treat Second-Hand Items: Before introducing second-hand furniture, mattresses, or clothing into your home, inspect and treat them to eliminate any bed bugs.
- Seal Cracks and Crevices: Regularly inspect and seal any cracks and crevices in your home to limit potential hiding spots for bed bugs.
- Regular Cleaning: Vacuum regularly and wash bed linens, curtains, and clothing in hot water to reduce the risk of infestation.
How Bed Bugs Spread Within Homes
Once inside, bed bugs can quickly spread throughout your home. They move through walls, electrical outlets, and along plumbing pipes to infest multiple rooms. Bed bugs are nocturnal and hide during the day in cracks, crevices, bed frames, mattresses, and box springs. At night, they emerge to feed on human blood, which is why bites are often noticed in the morning.
Daytime Hiding Spots
- Cracks and Crevices: Bed bugs are small and flat, allowing them to hide in tiny cracks and crevices around your home.
- Furniture: Bed frames, mattresses, and box springs are common hiding spots due to their proximity to sleeping humans.
- Behind Baseboards and Wallpaper: These areas provide safe, dark hiding spots where bed bugs can stay undetected.
Preventing Bed Bugs from Spreading Throughout Your Home
If you've already brought bed bugs into your home, it's crucial to prevent them from spreading. Here are some steps to take:
- Isolate Infested Items: Keep infested items isolated from the rest of your home. Use plastic bags to contain clothing, bedding, and other items until they can be treated.
- Use Bed Bug Covers: Encase mattresses and box springs in bed bug-proof covers to trap any existing bugs and prevent new ones from entering.
- Professional Treatment: Consider hiring Alta Pest Control to thoroughly inspect and treat your home for bed bugs.
- Regular Monitoring: Use bed bug traps and regularly inspect common hiding spots to monitor for any signs of bed bugs.
By understanding how bed bugs spread and taking proactive measures, you can protect your home from these unwelcome guests and keep them from spreading if they've already made their way in.
How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs
At Alta Pest Control, we employ a comprehensive approach to help you get rid of bed bugs. Our process includes:
- Inspection and Detection: Our trained technicians meticulously inspect your property using specialized equipment like flashlights and black lights to identify bed bug infestations. We locate their hiding spots and assess the extent of the problem in each area before proceeding with treatment.
- Vacuuming: If bed bugs are detected, we immediately vacuum them up using high-powered vacuums equipped with 5-gallon buckets. This step helps remove visible bed bugs and their eggs, preparing the area for further treatment.
- Steam Treatment: We utilize steam cleaners to apply high heat and steam to infested areas. Steam treatment is applied first in each room, as it effectively kills bed bugs at all stages of their life cycle without the risk of chemical breakdown. Our technicians focus on crevices, seams, and other common hiding spots, ensuring thorough coverage.
- Spray and/or Dust Application: Next, we apply appropriate treatments such as Crossfire spray and Cimexa® dust to targeted areas. These treatments are carefully and uniformly applied to baseboards, corners, mattresses, box springs, furniture, and other potential harborage sites. We also dust cracks and crevices where bed bugs may hide, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
- Closing Steps: After treatment, we dispose of any used equipment and materials responsibly. We advise customers to place bed bug traps on furniture legs and protect mattresses and box springs with bed bug-resistant covers. Additionally, we schedule a follow-up inspection to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment and provide guidance on preventive measures.
Bed bugs are persistent pests, but with the right knowledge and tools, you can protect your home and family. If you ever find bed bugs or suspect an infestation, remember that Alta Pest Control is here to help. Our professional services are designed to eliminate bed bugs and prevent them from returning, ensuring your home remains a safe and comfortable place to live.
For more information on bed bug control or to schedule a service, contact us today. Let's work together to keep your home bed bug-free.
FAQs - Bed Bugs
How long can bed bugs live without food?
Bed bugs can survive for several months without a blood meal. In ideal conditions, some bed bugs can live up to a year without feeding.
How long can bed bugs live without a host?
Bed bugs can go without a host for many months, patiently waiting for their next opportunity to feed.
Do bed bugs jump?
No, bed bugs do not jump. They move by crawling, which they do quite quickly for their size.
What are the signs of bed bugs?
Look for small, rusty stains on sheets or mattresses, tiny white bed bug eggs, shed skins, and itchy red bed bug bites on your skin.
How can I prevent bed bugs?
Preventing bed bugs involves being cautious when traveling, inspecting second-hand items before bringing them into your home, and maintaining a regular cleaning and inspection routine in your living spaces.
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