Bed bugs, as their name suggests, are usually found around the bed and in dark areas. With most people forgetting to pay attention to their beds, bed bugs may make a home of the bed, multiplying in population and a short while infesting the area, whether home or office space.
While bed bugs are commonly found in the bed areas, they are also known to be travelers. They can hide in bags and baggage, journeying with travelers from one point to another, mostly from cheap hotel rooms, airport areas and other places into the home.
Several people often come home from their summer travel season with this unwanted companion. As one of the top and leading bed bug extermination service providers in Houston, A1 Bed Bug Exterminator Houston and its crew have dealt with several of these situations.
To keep your home safe from these unwanted travel companions, there is a need to know where to look, especially before offloading your travel items into the home.
Inspecting for Bed Bugs
When you are fresh off your summer travel season, there is a need to pay attention to all items that have come home with you as these may have harbored the unwanted travel partner. To ensure that your home is safe from a bed bug infestation, it is recommended that you should create some sort of quarantine where your bags and luggage are kept for a few days before they are introduced fully into your home.
While adopting this method to keep your home safe and secure, below are some of the common areas where bed bugs are usually found:
Purses
Bed bugs are oftentimes interested in hiding in dark areas and this means that your purses are not safe from bed bugs. Since these miniature pests can fit into small tight spaces, it may come as a surprise to you that they can fit in the smallest crevice provided by your purse.
More often than not, your purse may become a temporary home for bed bugs when it is placed near the beds and/or furniture that is already infested. In addition, your purse may also provide the perfect opportunity for the bed bugs to be re-introduced into a new environment which may be your home, office or other places.
Stuffed Animals
Stuffed animals present the perfect environment for bed bugs to hide and thrive. Seeing as kids love to fly and travel with their perfect companion, these stuffed animals may become a carrier for the bed bugs which may be picked up anywhere from the hotel room, lounge or lobby, airplanes or other areas. To get rid of bed bugs from stuffed animals, especially after returning home from your vacation, washing and drying on a hot cycle is recommended.
Fluorescent Light Bulbs
While bed bugs are commonly found in dark places with little to no light penetration, in some cases, they can also be found in bright areas like in fluorescent light bulbs. Seeing as there are common openings around the electrical areas of the light bulbs, these areas may present the perfect shelter for the pests.
School Buses
School buses provide a converging point between students from different backgrounds. With many students meeting in the same bus for a ride to school, a child can easily pick up a bed bug in his or her bag from infested upholstery, backpacks, and clothing items. To protect the home from possible infestation, it is recommended that you vacuum backpacks from time to time and also check around the house to ensure that these pests have not infested your home.
Airplanes
Being public transportation boasting of people from different backgrounds, the airplane is one of the common places where bed bugs can also be picked up. A person may pick up bed bugs from their hotel room and offload to another person during the trip. It is recommended that luggage be properly inspected before they are re-introduced into the home after each trip
Other Ways You Can Bring Bed Bugs Home
Having identified the major areas where you can bring bed bugs home, below are some other ways your home can become infested.
Buying thrift items or bringing second-hand goods home
For most people who love to save money by investing in thrift or second-hand items, it is recommended that you carry out proper inspection practices to prevent infestation of bed bugs in the home. More often than not, items that are placed for sale may be infested and this means its introduction into your home poses a great risk to your health and that of the inhabitants of the home.
Hospitals or Gyms
Hospitals and gyms are public areas that are accessible to almost anybody. This means that the chances of bringing bed bugs home with you are greatly increased. It is recommended that you should properly inspect items that are being brought back from these areas to avoid the introduction of bed bugs into your home.
Movie Theatres and Laundromats
Upholstery in movie theaters and laundromats may also be a perfect place for bed bugs to hide. Be sure to inspect your belongings when in areas like this.
What To Do When You’ve Brought Bed Bugs Home
Bed bugs multiply rapidly and this means that it only takes some weeks before your home becomes infested. If you have noticed bed bugs in your home, it is recommended that you seek the help of experienced experts like A1 Bed Bug Exterminator Houston.
