Having an infestation of bed bugs sounds like the worst kind of infestation you could deal with! Their tiny, flat bodies make it very easy for them to hide during the day when they aren’t active. They will hide in mattresses, bed frames, bedding, carpets, furniture and baseboards. The presence of one fertile female in a friendly environment is an infestation just waiting to happen. One well-fed, healthy female can produce 200-500 eggs during her lifespan and she can lay 2-5 eggs every day.
Dirty Clothes Are a Cozy Place for Bed Bugs to Live
Researchers have discovered that bed bugs would rather hang out in your dirty laundry rather than clean clothes. An experiment was done where two bins of clothing were placed in two rooms with bed bugs; one clean and one dirty. Carbon dioxide was then pumped into one of the rooms to simulate human breathing. The bed bugs in the room absent of carbon dioxide were found in the soiled bin of clothing and the room with the carbon dioxide had bugs that went searching for a human to feed on. This study suggests that it’s a good idea to place your worn clothing in a sealed bag, keep your suitcase closed and don’t throw your clothes on the floor. Keeping your dirty clothes in a sealed bag can prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride back to your home after a vacation. This step can reduce the chances of having an infestation of bedbugs in your future.
How to Prevent Bud Bug Bites While Traveling & Staying in Hotels
Even the fanciest hotels are susceptible to bed bugs. Place your suitcase in the bathtub or the luggage rack in a hotel before you start looking for these pests. Do not unpack until you’ve inspected the room. Use the flashlight on your smartphone to inspect darker hiding spots and a credit card to get under the folds of the mattress. Pull the sheets back and check the seams on the mattress. Check under the mattress and behind the headboard. Check all four corners to play it safe. You will be looking for tiny blood spots or black specks that look like pepper. Check the carpet, couches and chairs and any other wood and paper in the room. Bed bugs can even be found hanging out around electronic items, so check those too! If you find any signs that bed bugs might be in the room, call the front desk immediately.
How to Prevent Bringing Bed Bugs Home from Vacation
If beside your best efforts you see bed bugs in your sealed bag of dirty laundry, you will need to deal with them. Put the sealed bag right over the washing machine and open it. Don’t lift the clothes out of the bag because this can cause them to fall off outside the washing machine. Ball the empty bag up and place it in another sealed bag and throw it away immediately. Wash and then dry the clothing at the highest temperature possible to kill the bed bugs.
Bed Bug Inspections, Control, Removal & More in Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville, Cedar Park & Austin Texas
If you need professional help dealing with bed bugs contact A-Tex Pest Management. We will eliminate these pests from your home so you can sleep tight and not let the bed bugs bite!