Do Bed Bugs Come From Outside?

This can be a question you ask yourself if you have an infestation at your home. Bed bugs come from several places outside your home, and that is because of the way they search for a home with a host to feed upon. They can neither fly nor jump from location to location, searching for blood meals. Instead, they primarily hitchhike from place to place. If you are concerned about bed bugs coming into your home, here are ways in which bed bugs can enter your home:

Travelling

If you are the type that loves to travel or tour around, there are chances that you get to meet with people from different places. But, unfortunately, you don't know if they are dealing with a bed bug infestation at home. Since bed bugs possess legs that can crawl on surfaces and even clothes, there is potential that people you meet might have them on their clothes, and these bugs can crawl from them to you, especially when you are in close contact with them or when you sleep together.

Also, bed bugs can hitch a ride on your luggage, clothes, backpack and upholstery surfaces. For example, when you travel either by airplane, bus or ship, there are familiar places where all transporters keep their luggage; from here, bed bugs could hitch a ride from an infested luggage to yours, and then you take them to your home unknowingly, and this is where bed bug infestation begins in your home.

Related:   How to Avoid Bed Bugs Before They Bite

Neighbours

Studies have shown that one in every five households in the United States is affected by bed bugs. In the same manner, there is a possibility that one in every five of your neighbours, friends or families could be a potential harbourer of bed bugs. For example, when your neighbours or friends come to pay a visit to your home, bed bugs could have hitchhiked on their clothes or handbags, and they can potentially transfer them to your furniture or bedrooms.

Used items

Purchasing second-hand items like beddings, bed frames, chairs, and tables are one of the easiest ways bed bugs can get into your homes. The homes in which these items were formerly used might have suffered from a pathetic infestation and, in some cases, hyper infestation. The old users of these items might have chosen to sell them off due to bed bug infestation, even if they found a way to kill the bed bugs before selling. Sooner or later, their laid eggs in cracks and crevices of this furniture may begin to hatch and you might be dealing with infestation soon.

Hotels 

People from different places lodge in hotels and might be carrying bed bugs. These bed bugs might be left on the bed before leaving. Since most hotels don't have pest inspection services, roaming bed bugs might cling to your clothes when you visit the same hotel or sleep on the same infested bed; from here, you may take them to your home, and the infestation might begin to spread.

Related:   Bedbugs: The Horror That Lurks in Your Bedroom 

FAQs

Does showering get rid of bed bugs?

Bed bugs can't stick to your skin. This is because they don't live with their host. If at all you find one (which is almost impossible),, then taking a shower will eventually get rid of it as they can't withstand the pressure from the water.

Can bed bugs live in your pillow?

Yes, bed bugs can live in your pillow. It is one of the best places for bed bugs to leave as they will get easy access to feed on their host.

What to do if bed bugs infest your home?

The best way to treat an infestation is to seek a professional bed bug exterminator. You can also try other methods by reading our previous post.

How do you find bed bugs dwelling?

Once you can spot a bug, it may be challenging to trace it back to their dwellings as they crawl very fast and disappear from your sight before you know it, especially when they detect a threat. However, you can look for signs like dark spots or blood stains on beddings and eggs, and you may decide to check for cracks on your walls.

To know more about hidden sites of bed bugs, check out our previous posts.

Is it challenging to keep bedbugs away? 

Yes, bedbugs are tough to control. But, unlike cockroaches, they hide in dark places, especially corners, between the mattress, box springs, and under-bed frames. This is where you can find them when you search under the bed and in the seams of the mattress. 

Related:   What causes Bed Bugs - Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?

Leave a Comment