“I’m a very clean person. How could this happen?” is a response we often get when helping our customers solve a bed bug problem. People often associate bed bugs with filth, poor hygiene and squalor, so they are often shocked to find that their homes could be infested with these pests.
The truth is that bed bugs don’t care how clean or dirty your house is. As long as your house has the things they need to survive, they’ll be happy to move right in. Even the most immaculate home is susceptible to a bed bug infestation. With that in mind, let’s talk about what does cause a bed bug infestation.
What causes bed bugs in Bartlesville, OK?
Let’s start by talking about what bed bugs need, or what will make your home ideal for bed bug inhabitants. Bed bugs are pretty tough, and really only need human blood and a place to hide. While bed bugs will consume blood from most warm-blooded animals, they prefer human blood. Bed bugs molt and shed their skin five times before reaching maturity, and they need a meal of blood between each molt. Female bed bugs also need a blood meal before laying their eggs. Bed bugs don’t build nests, but they tend to congregate and need someplace to hide during the day. They’re not picky and will pick any dark nook or cranny they can find, although they typically hide near their food source, which is why you typically find them in or around beds.
How do bed bugs infest in Bartlesville, OK?
Bed bugs are hitchhiking bugs. Unlike other creatures that migrate or travel on their own, bed bugs tend to be willing to only crawl a few feet to get a meal. So, if you have bedbugs, chances are, you or someone in your household picked them up somewhere, or someone you invited in for a visit brought a bed bug with them. It’s hard to pinpoint just how an infestation started. Bed bugs can hide in clothes, luggage, backpacks, furniture or just about anywhere until they discover a new host. Here are some common ways that bed bugs get into people’s homes:
- You spent the night at a hotel or resort with a bed bug problem, and the bugs got into your clothing or luggage.
- You were riding public transit and picked up a bed bug from a fellow passenger
- Your child spent the night at a friend’s house and brought bed bugs home
- You had guests over and they brought bed bugs with them
- You purchased a used piece of furniture or clothing that had bed bugs in it
As you can see, there are many ways that a bed bug infestation can occur. Thankfully, there are also some steps you can take to end a bed bug infestation. At Excellence Pest Control, we have tried and true methods for safely and quickly ending a bed bug problem in your home. To learn more or to schedule extermination services, call us today!