Bed bugs get into your space by hitching rides on your belongings or even by traveling from unit to unit in apartment buildings. These pesky pests are on the lookout for snacks. If they find food and water in your home, they’ll probably stay for a while. Learn how bed bugs get into your space and how to prevent them when you travel!
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are blood-eating insects.They feed on human blood, most commonly at night. If you have bed bugs in your home, it’s probably the Cimex lectularius (the common bed bug). They are small, flat, wingless insects that can be anywhere from 1 to 7mm in size. They spread by crawling between nearby locations or by being carried within personal items; they don’t fly but they can crawl very quickly.
How do you get bed bugs?
Bed bugs can be found in hotels, schools, offices, retail stores, and even public transportation. They hide out in these spaces looking for blood to feed on. There are several ways bed bugs could have snuck into your space, including:
They traveled from another apartment or unit
Bed bugs can travel between rooms in multi-unit buildings. So, if you live in an apartment and you have bed bugs, there’s a chance they came from another space in the building.
They hitched a ride
Bed bugs can latch onto suitcases, linens, clothes to make their way into your home. This is often the case during travel, as you pack and unpack your luggage in different hotels, for example.
You didn’t take precautions during and after traveling
When you travel, you could be offering a free ride to bed bugs into your home. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to make sure you’re not bringing unwanted guests home with you.
How do you prevent bed bugs when you travel?
Don’t let bed bugs come home with you after a nice vacation—take these precautions!
- Pack with one or two trash bags. Inside your suitcase, use a trash bag or two to ensure the safety of your clothes.
- Pack a flashlight for bed bug inspection.
- Don’t unpack right away. When you get to your hotel, leave your belongings in the bathroom—the least likely place for bed bugs to be. Use the flashlight to inspect the bed and linens for bed bugs.
- Inspect before you repack. When you’re leaving, inspect your clothes with the flashlight for bed bugs.
- Kill them at home. Unpack your clothes directly into your washing machine. Bed bugs die at temps over 120° F, so, if you brought any back with you, washing and drying your clothes should kill them off.
If you have bed bugs in your home, it’s important to get in touch with the professionals right away! The expert team at Plunkett’s can rid your home of unwanted visitors quickly and efficiently—get in touch!
