If you’ve ever had bedbugs in your home before, you’ll know those tiny, little, bloodsucking creatures are crafty. Bedbugs will not only make sure you have a terrible night, due to their incessant bite, but will also cling to your clothes, bags, or your personal belonging and follow you home. They are annoying hitchhikers. And you definitely don’t want them in your home. Call a pest control expert if the situation gets worse.
Although these tiny creatures are not drawn to filth but blood, the worst part is that they can be found anywhere, even in the cleanest environments, since they are drawn to blood. They are usually found in hotels and/or motels, but they are not only limited to those places. They can be found in other busy and high traffic locations where people come with their belongings to sit for a while. For example, your friend’s or relative house, bus seats, taxis, trains, airports or airplanes, movie theaters, restaurants, libraries, etc. Therefore, it is important for you to know that you can pick up bed bugs anywhere without you knowing.
However, before you learn how to keep these unwanted guests from hitchhiking home with you, you should be able to identify them.
How to identify bedbugs
Adults bedbugs are flattened, oval-shaped bloodsucking insects with light brown to reddish-brown color. They grow up to 4 -5 mm in length and are about 1.5 – 3 mm wide. They usually emit a strong disagreeable odor when crushed and are found in items such as box springs, bed frames, mattresses, nightstands, books, couch, upholstered furniture, to mention but a few.
Although bedbugs can be seen during the day, they are usually nocturnal—that is, active at night—making it difficult to notice or track them down. They often lodge in dark crevices and their tiny adhesive eggs can be nestled in your belongings.
How to keep bedbugs from hitchhiking home with you?
Whenever you’re staying at a hotel or vacation rental property, kindly inspect the environment for possible signs of bedbugs. Signs such as fecal stains of digested blood that resembles little black spots.
You can or should also:
- pull back the covers or sheets, mattress, and box spring for any signs of activity.
- consider carrying some plastic trash bags in your luggage to enclose your clothing and other items. If possible, double‐bagged your luggage and seal the bags with tape or tie them in knots.
- Never place your luggage on beds, furniture, couch, or on the floor near beds. But you can keep them in the bathtub.
However, if you think you’ve been exposed to bedbugs, you must place any washable clothing into a washing machine upon getting home. You should also run them and other dryer-safe belongings through a hot cycle in the dryer, which will kill any bugs and eggs. Exterminators are also a great help if the situation gets out of control.
