Experts theorize that two things have to lead to the resurgence of bed bugs after an almost 40-year hiatus; banning of pesticides including DDT and easy travel. Bed bugs are among the most competent hitchhikers and spread rapidly and widely.
Bed bug cases have become so common that having an infestation is no longer taboo. Recent studies into bio-pesticides show great promise as far as combating these pests go but for now, bed bugs remain high on the list of the most difficult pests to exterminate.
How Bed Bugs Spread
Bed bugs spread primarily in 3 ways; on people, in furniture and on public transit.
Travel has become easier, cheaper and faster with many options to choose from. With easy travel has also come easy spread of pests including bed bugs. Hotels, motels, dorms, conference rooms, libraries and other public buildings and even rental cars have become bed bug havens because of their high foot traffic. Taxis, buses, subways and other transportation help people, and bed bugs move around. There is an increasing rate of reports indicating bed bugs in car rental stations.
Bed bugs mainly attach to luggage although they will climb into clothes. They do not like to live on the human host and will disembark as soon as the chance arrives. Many people inadvertently travel with bed bugs in their computer bags and luggage.
Bed bugs get their name for their close proximity to the host, usually in the bed. These pests like to hide within six feet of the host which means another furniture is also vulnerable including bedside cabinets, desks, couches, wardrobe and more. The sale and transport of second-hand furniture have played a big part in transporting bed bugs from one place to another.
Once the bed bugs have travelled to a home or apartment building, the potential for spreading is exponential. Bed bugs have flat backs and are the size of an apple seed meaning they easily fit under doors, through cracks and crevices and any space about the width of a credit card. A single female can lay between 200 and 500 eggs in her lifetime. The infestation can spread rapidly and into other rooms and apartments.
How to Keep Bed Bugs from Spreading
Bed bugs don’t care about cleanliness or hygiene and will infest the cleanest homes. Bed bugs in five-star hotels are not unheard of. The point is not to be ashamed of admitting to having bed bugs especially if your risk spreading them to other places such as the office or homes of friends or family.
There are a few things you can do on your part to prevent bed bugs from spreading.
- Carry plastic bags to store your dirty clothing in when travelling. Bed bugs are attracted to the scent of dirty clothes. Desist from throwing dirty clothes on the hotel floor and seal them in a plastic bag and back in your luggage until laundry time.
- Learn to spot signs of bed bugs including live bugs, discarded exoskeleton and dark or rust coloured fecal stains on sheets or mattress. Notify management in such as a case or switch hotels.
- Keep your luggage away from walls and furniture if you suspect the hotel or motel may have bed bugs.
- Avoid spraying pesticides if you have bed bugs and hire an exterminator instead. Bed bugs are mostly resistant to common pesticides so your risk dispersing them and spreading them further by attempting DIY extermination.
Hire an Exterminator to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are back with a vengeance and you will need all the professional help you can get to rid your home of these pests. They hide virtually anywhere you can imagine including behind wallpaper and in picture frames so the chances of finding and treating all harborages are close to zero. Bed bugs are most effectively treated with direct application. If you need an effecient and quick way to get rid of your bed bugs look no further than Bed Bug Exterminator Toronto. Your stop for everything bed bugs!
A bed bug exterminator Toronto can guarantee that the infestation is removed permanently. Experts rely on a combination of strong active ingredients and techniques gathered over decades to formulate the best treatment plan for the situation. Make sure you get a warranty for the extermination. Call Pest Control Toronto now for a consultation and book the treatment.
