Bed bugs are a nuisance for both home and business owners. Aside from homes, these small, flat bugs also often plague hotels and other hospitality businesses. Bed bugs usually conceal themselves in mattresses, bedding, box springs, and bed frames, hence their name. However, they will also seek shelter among other fibers, such as carpets. You may also find them along baseboards or within clutter around your room and would need to call bed bug control immediately. Recognizing signs of an early bed bug infestation is important so you can call for bed bugs Toronto help.
Many people wrongly assume that filth attracts bed bugs. In truth, learning where bed bugs come from can help you understand the best way to prevent them from invading your home. It is important to realize that bed bugs do not discriminate. They do not care if you are rich or poor. It does not matter how sanitary your home is, either. Bed bugs will take up residence in your home no matter how much you clean from top to bottom.
Bed bugs are extremely difficult to exterminate successfully even by seasoned exterminators. These critters hide in obscure places from seams of beddings to under wallpaper. Successful treatment typically requires several applications and treatments.
A single adult female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime. These infestations spread fast so you need to get treatment as soon as you suspect you might have bed bugs. There is no room for error during extermination since missing even two or three of these critters mean that the infestation comes back in full force in just a few months. Since bed bugs don’t seem to be attracted by filth or dirt, most people wonder what brings them into the house in the first place.
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Infestation Origins
Bed bugs are some of the best hitchhikers. They attach themselves to humans and their belongings, particularly luggage, hence the reason they are such a nuisance in hotels. When guests stay in hotels infested with bed bugs, they risk transporting the bugs back to their homes. As such, bed bugs will infest the homes of people.
During the holidays, family and friends travel to visit others. Bed bugs may travel through luggage into the homes of others. If bed bugs feel disturbed, they will move and infest other areas, which makes them difficult to treat. A bed bug infestation can quickly turn into a large, hard to control problem. Identifying an outbreak early can help you get ahead of the infestation before it becomes a major ordeal.
What Causes Bed Bugs to Come into Your House?
Bed bugs, unfortunately, have very few requirements to survive. All they need is a human host for a blood meal. They don’t fly or jump and they do not live on their host as fleas do. Instead, bed bugs find a safe hiding and breeding spot near the host and come out occasionally to feed, usually at night.
The only cause for bed bugs is that you somehow picked them up. It doesn’t matter how clean or hygienic your home is. There are a few ways that bed bugs actually get you your house.
Hotels and motels are notorious for hosting bed bugs. The high turnover and high traffic increase the chances of the parasites getting introduced. One of the most common causes of bed bugs in the house is a resident who picked up the parasites during a stay at a hotel.
Used furniture is also a good way to unwittingly introduce bed bugs in your home. Be wary especially of upholstered furniture. Do not pick up furniture in dump sites or on the street since you do not know why it was thrown out in the first place. The same goes for used clothes.
Furthermore, bed bugs easily migrate from one home to another especially in the shared housing such as dormitories, apartments and condos. Call an exterminator as soon as you find out there is an infestation in your neighbourhood. A professional can help to caulk and seal potential gaps and cracks where the critters may find their way through.
Make sure you know what bed bugs look like so you can identify them readily and take the appropriate measures as soon as you spot them. Watch out for guests that you let sleep over at your house and where you or your children sleep over.
What to Do If Someone with Bed Bugs Comes to Your House
Bed bugs don’t fly or jump but they are great hitchhikers. You may be doing your part to keep the pests away only for a guest to bring them in a suitcase or clothing.
If you are worried that a guest may have bed bugs, it is within your rights voice your concerns and the measures you intend to take to prevent an infestation in your home. Despite the risk on your part, it is crucial that you are tactful during this encounter. This is definitely a touchy subject and you risk offending.
Request the guest not to put clothing or luggage on the bed as this may infest the bedding. Instead, clean out the closet of all its contents and encourage the guest to put his belongings inside and keep it locked unless in use. Where possible, ask the guest to put his bags or suitcases in large, sealed plastic bags inside the closet. Vacuum the closet thoroughly after the visit and dispose of the vacuum bag safely.
Use a bed bug proof mattress encasement and slipcovers for your upholstered furniture. Launder these as soon as the guest leave and dry at high heat.
Ask the guests to leave their shoes at the door. Clean the mat thoroughly in high heat, at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit between 20 minutes and an hour. Repeat with the dryer. Place the guest shoes in the dryer at 120 degrees if possible.
Wash all the guest’s clothes in high heat and cycle through the dryer. Encourage the guest to keep dirty clothes in a sealed plastic bag, inside a second bag, and in the closet before laundry time. Launder fabric gifts such as scarves and jackets in high heat. Place wrapping papers and boxes in sealed plastic bags and dispose safely.
The biggest asset you have when dealing with a guest with bed bugs is cooperation. If you suspect that you have bed bugs, hire a professional exterminator to take care of the problem. These pests hide in the most unlikely places including gaps under wallpapers and inside picture frames. The chance that you will successfully treat the infestation on your own is virtually zero. Make sure you get a warranty for the extermination before committing to the service. If you need help dealing with a bed bug infestation, call bed bug removal Toronto.
Prevention
There are ways you can prevent a bed bug outbreak. If you book a stay in a hotel, make sure you check the room carefully for signs of bed bugs. Search the seams of the mattress for deep brown stains, which is bed bug feces. Also, look for reddish-brown stains, which indicates blood from squashed bed bugs. If you notice any signs of bed bugs, contact hotel staff immediately. Do not leave your belongings in the room or you run the risk of bed bugs attaching themselves to your things.
If you have friends or relatives come from out of town for an overnight stay, you will have to check the room carefully upon their departure. If they happen to bring bed bugs with them, you can keep your eye out for signs of an infestation, so you can catch it early on. At the first sign of a bed bug infestation, contact a professional. Exterminators can help you rid your home of bed bugs. Contact Pest Control Toronto – The Exterminators: 647-496-2211 to deal with bed bugs now. If you are interested in DIY methods please check our store for bed bug control products.
