Bed bugs are small insects that live by feeding on people and animals. The most common symptoms of bed bug bites consist of tiny red bumps or welts to form on the skin where a bed bug bites.
The causes of bed bug infestations are due to man’s habitation. Some come from their biology. Their presence is not an indicator that there is poor hygiene in the home or workplace. They do not transmit through airborne means. Many times, other pests will come with them.
Although their name insinuates otherwise, bed bugs do not only infest areas where you sleep. They can also invade your living rooms or working spaces.
How do bed bugs start in your home?
Many causes can attribute to a bed bug infestation. Some of them include:
- sharing a residence with an individual who recently brought them home
- visiting a place where they have been residing before your arrival
- coming in contact with an object where they had been previously feeding off of someone or some animal
- not responding appropriately after you discovered their presence
- allowing them more opportunity to reproduce and spread throughout your home
The causes of bed bug infestations are not as direct as you might think. You do not just find these pests indoors. Certain factors appear for these insects to thrive. When left untreated, their numbers will continue to grow and cause massive infestations. Bed bugs love to hide in any place they can find. They might even hide on your sheets right now.
What Causes Bed Bug Infestation?
Know how travel and used furniture can encourage bed bugs to stay in your home or business.
Traveling
Traveling is one of the causes of bed bug infestations. You may visit a person’s home and notice these pests within their living space. It is always best to take preventative measures before you even go to another person’s place! This is especially when they reported a bed bug problem to you.
These pests are not only a concern for travelers but anyone who stays in hotels. The “it will never happen” thought and lack of awareness have contributed to the spread of these pests. You can also call them travel bugs.
Cite global travel among some countries’ biggest contributors towards an increase in infestations within your country. Bed bugs are having appearances all over again!
These bugs are a major source of stress for both businesses and private homes! Once primarily found in hotels, many types of businesses experience problems with their infestations.
Furniture (second hand)
You may also experience causes of bed bug infestations due to second-hand furniture items. But you will not notice it until you are already home.
The popularity of second-hand furniture is one common cause for the introduction and spread of bed bugs. Unlikely though it may seem, bringing an infested item into your home or business can easily lead to an unwanted life cycle. These annoying insects hitchhike on their journey back home with you as unsuspecting travelers!
Another contributing factor is renting out a place without inspecting it before sending it off again. Do thoroughly check over your possessions after every single use or tenancy period expires, whichever comes first.
Do You Have Bed Bugs?
Familiarize yourself with three ways on how you can have bed bugs in your home or business. Know about them below:
Check for Bites
Bed bugs are nocturnal. Most of the time, they are actively feeding during the night when you are sound asleep. The following day, you may notice itchy or red marks on your skin that cause discomfort. These wounds are where bed bugs bite into your flesh and then suck up its blood supply for nourishment.
Other causes of bed bug bites include allergic reactions to their saliva. This is especially when you happen to have open wounds in your body at the same time as the infestation started. It is also possible for bed bugs to feed on you by sitting on your clothes or skin. Inspect furniture, beds, and clothing regularly. Look out for these bugs!
Find little red dots. They are about 0.2 cm to 0.5 cm in diameter. You can find them on your skin in a line or spread out all over the surface like an octopus when you have hives!
Check for Live Dead Bugs
The worst cause of bed bugs is their presence. Spotting live or dead bed bugs in your home is a sure sign that they are around! You must act as soon as possible to prevent further infestation from occurring.
Inspect all over, including the seams and crevices on furniture. Bed bugs thrive in undisturbed places out of sight. They hide within bedding, floors, carpets, walls, and even electrical sockets. See also along baseboards or inside lamps because these areas are common for them to feed on you.
Always use a flashlight when it is easier for you to inspect dark places where bed bugs could hide. Shine light into the previously described places and look for bugs and eggs.
Check for Other Signs of Bed Bugs
Inspecting for bed bugs must go hand in hand with checking for signs of their presence. Although these causes of bed bug infestations are a bit more subtle to spot, you can tell when you see them.
Find evidence that bed bugs crawled across or otherwise left marks on your mattress. You can also look out for bloodstains and dark spots on the surface where they feasted on your flesh and sleeping time. Sometimes, even fecal stains and cast-off skin pieces would show you that they are there.
Many people who live in Washington or Oregon might complain about an increase in cases of bed bugs infestations starting from 2012 up until now. It is a natural behavior for them to suddenly appear then disappear!
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
For causes of bed bug infestations, it is best to have a pest control specialist handle the situation! They know how to rid your home or business of these causes forever.
But how about when you want to do the duty yourself? The first step must start with inspecting your space properly. Identify all causes of bed bug infestations that need immediate fixing! Seek solutions from professionals only after taking care of the issues at hand.
The hot steam method for bed bug eradication can get rid of these annoying creatures in small crevices and cracks. Its powerful C02 molecules come from your favorite toy, pressurized garment steamer, or commercial cleaner is enough to kill these pests! No damage to anything else around them.
Getting Rid of Bed Bugs
Gain insights on three ways that you can prevent bed bugs from returning to your home or business. Below is a guide:
Inspection
This is the key to knowing the causes of bed bug infestations. Keep a lookout for signs and symptoms as a precautionary measure. Get rid of all causes of bed bug infestations by steaming away or hiring pest control professionals to take care of these causes for the last time!
In this day and age, the causes of bed bug infestation are always seemingly increasing! Proper knowledge about these causes is especially important. It will allow you to identify any problems immediately! That is before they can come back vigorously!
With this information in mind, the next time you spot causes of bed bug infestations, you should act right away! This will prevent any further infestation from occurring.
Staff Training
Education is vital when it comes to the causes of bed bug infestations. It allows staff members and employees to take the necessary steps in preventing them from occurring.
It also gives them confidence that they can deal with causes should any occur. After all, what good would it do when you have knowledge about them but lack the skills? Better yet, what good would it do when you know there is an infestation but do nothing about them?
Educate workers on how to prevent bed bugs or remove them with a variety of treatments. Conduct these activities through the local health department, entomologist, and pest management company that specializes in these types of insects.
They should also identify susceptible areas for infestation. So as not only to remove clutter but also unnecessary items like furniture from those locations.
Businesses High Risk for Bed Bugs
Identify the causes of bed bug infestations in commercial areas. These are places that are most at risk for them to occur! Some include:
- hospitals
- hotels
- apartments
- condominiums
- motels
- inns
When people come to these locations, they have an opportunity to spread an infestation. A simple scratch on their skin can infect any one of the many beds within the establishment!
The best way to fight against these causes is through effective communication and public awareness. This helps keep everyone safe from harm or physical damage through spreading into homes and businesses. Coordinate with staff members, tenants, pest control professionals, local health departments, and entomologists (experts who study insects) to keep the causes away!
Should You Try Pesticides?
Some causes of bed bug infestations are becoming resistant to pesticides. This lets pest control professionals look elsewhere for options. Some causes are more easily treated with steam or heat. That is why they are popular solutions among professionals!
It may not become the most effective method, but it can provide results when used properly. Explore a variety of benefits even when you do not have much experience in controlling causes like these.
At least now, there are ways on how you can prevent infestations from occurring again. All it takes is proper knowledge and skills on how to get rid of them before they take over your home or business completely!
Prevention
Prevention is the best cure in this case! It is also much more efficient than trying to get rid of causes when they already infest you. With that in mind, do not hesitate and take control of your situation today! Remember to also share this information with others. It could become useful for them as well. Knowledge is power among causes like these so use it to your advantage!
Secondhand furniture, beds, and couches can become a wonderful place to find the perfect item for your home! But before you buy it, make sure there are no signs of bed bug infestation. Use protective covers that encase mattresses as well as box springs. So they will stay clean from any lurking bugs hiding out in these hard spots.
Bed Bug Treatments
Using heat for causes of bed bug infestations can become amazingly effective! Some of these bugs cannot survive in certain temperatures. So it is worth a shot when you do not have experience with other sources or products!
With the right tools, you can make sure your home stays safe from origins like these. It would also benefit you to get professional help when there are many starting points throughout your house! Do not attempt to get rid of causes on your own. It will only lead to more stress and damage that could cost a hefty bill at the end of the day!
Getting causes out before they infest your home is always best! This allows you to save money and prevent unnecessary damage from occurring.
Bed Bug Extermination
Insecticides are useless solutions to bed bug infestations. They lose their effectiveness in a short matter of time to let causes survive in your home. So do not waste your money on these products when they will not work for you!
It is also important to identify where causes come from in the first place. That way you can take preventative measures before an infestation occurs again! It gives you a chance to start early and fight them before they spread any further.
Professional bed bug exterminators provide knowledge to keep you safe from harm or damage from bed bugs. Many areas become susceptible to the causes of bed bug infestations due to the climate or population. Take a look at them and try to avoid them before it is too late!
When you notice any signs of causes, contact your local pest control professionals today! They can provide information on its sources in your area so you can prepare yourself for damage. It is also important to learn more about them. So you know how to prevent them from occurring again in the future!