Accidentally encountering Bed Bugs and introducing them into your home can happen during the travel process or while completing day-to-day activities.
They live and hide in a variety of locations, usually in public places where groups of people come and go each day. Hotels, airports, taxis, movie theatres, hospitals, shopping centres, and libraries are all places people can encounter Bed Bugs. Bed Bugs also hitchhike their way inside of used mattresses and box springs.
Eliminating Bed Bugs is a difficult task, and a job that is best left up to trained and experienced professionals. It is important you seek pest control services at the first sign of Bed Bugs, the longer you wait the more time these creatures have to infest a space. For home and business owners looking to eliminate Bed Bugs, ABI PEST offers comprehensive pest control services. Our industry-leading services use the latest techniques and best products to provide our customers with peace of mind and pest-free properties.
If you do not eliminate an infestation quickly, the Bed Bugs will travel to other parts of a home, including upholstered furniture, floors, behind baseboards, in wall voids behind outlets, and inside keyboards and electronics.
A little bit about bed bugs
Bed Bugs are parasitic insects, and their appearance varies at each stage of life: egg, nymph, and adult. Their sole source of nutrition is blood from warm-blooded mammals, with people being their favourite hosts. Adult Bed Bugs are brownish-red and about the same size and shape of an apple seed. After feeding, their bodies swell and turn a purple-red colour. Nymphs are smaller and are transparent, turning bright red after feeding. Eggs are very tiny – only the size of a pinhead –and almost impossible to see.
When Bed Bugs get into homes, they bring with them sleepless nights and stress-filled days. Their bites produce red raised welts that are very itchy; secondary infections may develop due to excessive scratching. Although Bed Bugs are nuisance pests, they can harbor some disease-causing pathogens. Bed Bug excrement and blood left from their bites, stains walls, floors, fabrics, upholstery, mattresses, and box springs. With large infestations, you may also notice a sweet, musty smell developing in your home.
Bed Bugs got their name because they gravitate to the sleeping areas near people initially. Common hiding spots for Bed Bugs include headboards, mattresses, and box springs.
In addition to our professional services, the following prevention tips will help you to keep Bed Bugs out of your home or business:
- Regularly vacuum your home, not forgetting the seams of mattresses, box springs, and upholstered furniture.
- After returning home from travel, wash all clothing on the highest heat setting the fabrics can handle.
- Never purchase used mattresses, box springs, or upholstered furniture for use inside your home.
- Vacuum and wipe down suitcases used during vacation.
- After purchasing clothes from retail stores or second-hand stores, immediately wash and dry them.
- Reduce hiding spots in your home by placing Bed Bug proof covers over all mattresses and box springs.
When traveling, use suitcases with hard sides and always inspect your hotel room for Bed Bugs before bringing luggage and other personal belongings inside.
