It is hard to tell when you have bed bugs, as they can quickly go unnoticed. They are small wingless insects, meaning they can wriggle into spaces often out of sight.
They have adapted to having flat bodies to protect them from being squashed by humans sleeping on the bed.
Although remaining hidden is likely their preference, bed bugs come out of hiding to feed when a host is nearby. Bed bugs aren’t the same as flies as they are not attracted to decay or organic build-up in filthy areas.
They are generally found anywhere where the bed bugs can find human blood.
Travel is widely recognised as the most common cause of bed bugs.
The most common cause of bed bug infestations is travel. Bed bugs tend to hitchhike on clothing or any personal belongings. The only way to ensure you don’t bring bed bugs back with you to your home is to check the bedsheets anywhere you go away to ensure that you don’t get back any unwanted friends.
Second-hand furniture
One of the most common causes of bed bugs is second-hand furniture.
They can often infest a property if a second-hand piece of furniture with bed bugs living on it is brought into a new property.
Therefore, whenever you purchase second-hand furniture, I strongly recommend thoroughly cleaning the furniture.
Where do Bed Bugs Live, and Where Do They Hide?
Some people believe that bed bugs are only generally found on beds due to their names. They can be found on :
- Mattresses
- Headboards
- Areas of clutter
- Clothes
- Suitcases
- Under carpets
- Seams of upholstered furniture
- Beneath cracking paint or wallpaper
Bed bugs are pretty quick movers, so the place where they live will change regularly. It is thought they can move at around four feet every minute.
This allows them to spread across entire houses or hotels in the space of a day.
The most prominent signs are that you may have bed bugs in your home.
- Clusters of spots on your body tend to be gathered in the same area when bed bugs are at fault.
- Small blood spots on bed sheets – show the skin that has been bitten has made contact with the bedding.
- Red, itchy spots are slightly darker in the middle where the bed bug bites you.
Ways to remove bed bugs?
Pick up any clutter from around your house – this removes possible homes for the critters, leading to a higher chance of quickly removing them from your home.
Vacuum regularly – Focus your cleaning on places where bugs will likely hide and live.
Wash and dry your clothes and bedding on high heat – This is highly effective because of how deadly high temperatures can be to the bugs.
Freeze your clothes or bedding – Bugs can also freeze to death, so that you can put clothes/bedding in the freezer for a couple of days. Scrub the seams of the mattress or upholstery with a stiff brush.
Fix or seal cracks in your paint or wallpaper – this will give the bed bugs one less place to hide.
When should you bring in an expert to solve your problem
If you have already tried the strategies listed and still feel there may be some bed bugs within your property.
Professional exterminators will have the necessary chemicals, pesticides, and steam or heat treatment to eliminate infestations.
It can be challenging to locate all possible homes of bed bugs around your own home, whereas professionals know precisely where to look.
What Causes Bed Bugs
The first thing we need to know is what is a bed bug before we find out what causes it!!
They are small insects no more significant than an apple seed, and they can hide in many places, including mattresses, clothing, and any furniture, especially near your bed.
Many think you only get bedbugs in filthy, cluttered conditions, but unfortunately, that isn’t true. They can live in any environment if they can get food.
Bedbugs are hitchhikers and can land on you or any object without realising it.
They have sticky, clingy bodies and use their legs and beak to attach to personal belongings.
You can bring them back from many places once they are attached to you or your belongings. Here is a list of familiar places where you can catch bedbugs from:
- Hotels
- Schools/nurseries
- Offices
- Nursing Homes
- Libraries
- Bus Stops (from seats)
- Used furniture (inner compartments)
Bed bugs can transfer from one person to another, and you won’t realise you have them until they multiply in your bed!!!
So, they are now in your home after moving around and exploring many different places. They have made it theirs as well!!!
They will start seeking body warmth to find your bed, and they always travel as male and female.
So, once they have found that exciting bed, they know what their food supply is.
Bed bugs will find a dark spot near or on the bed to mate and produce eggs continuously to build their circle of bedbugs over days, weeks, and months.
Bed bugs are hungry and need feeding, and this will occur in the middle of the night while you are asleep, and nobody can see them.
Bed bugs inject a weak anaesthetic when they bite, so you don’t feel anything, and they can feed off you until they are complete, without you knowing anything until the morning. When……you can find blood spots on your bedding sheets, bedbug bites on yourself, or bedbugs on your sheets