If you think your home might have bed bugs—or you just want to make sure your home never gets them—it’s important to have all the facts. There’s a lot of misinformation online, but you can trust that Scherzinger Pest Control will tell you what you need to know. We’ve been providing pest control services in family homes and businesses for over 80 years!
Bed bugs are everywhere. And we mean everywhere: if there are people around, bed bugs are likely nearby.
Bed bugs are most often found in places where people sleep or spend significant amounts of time, which means that hotels, motels, hostels, homes, and apartments are most at risk for a bedbug infestation. But that’s not all! Bed bugs can also be found in schools, libraries, movie theaters, planes, college dorms, hospitals, nursing homes, daycare centers, train stations, bus stations, laundromats, churches, cruise ships, retail stores, health clubs, gyms, moving vans, office buildings, restaurants, thrift stores, used furniture outlets… The list goes on.
Right now, you might be wondering, Where do all these bed bugs come from? Wouldn’t I notice them if there were so many out there?
Bed bugs are very good at hiding. Since they’re very small, they can hide in the most unlikely of places. This includes on the seams of mattresses, box springs, upholstered couches, and chairs; in the cracks of furniture and baseboards; under loose wallpaper; on curtain folds; inside electrical outlets and electronics themselves (like your TV or alarm clock); on clothing; inside picture frames and books; and under clutter. And since bed bugs are mainly active at night, hiding during the day, they are difficult to spot.
Bed bugs are almost as good at hitchhiking as they are at hiding. Bed bugs are attracted to people and will crawl out from their hiding place onto a person’s clothes, shoes, or bags, which is how they are often transported from one place to another.
The good news is that you don’t have to barricade yourself in your home to avoid a bed bug infestation; you just have to keep your eyes open for bed bugs.
Consider this your go-to reference guide for everything you need to know about bed bugs—from the basics to more in-depth information.
Let’s get started with some basic info and bust any bed bug myths.
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that feed on human blood. They’re parasitic, but unlike other parasites—like ticks, lice, and scabies—they don’t stay attached to the host. Instead, they feed and then retreat to their hiding place, where they reside.
Bed bugs are mainly nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night.
What do bed bugs look like?
Adult bed bugs are about the size and shape of an apple seed: they have a smaller head, a flat, oval-shaped body, six legs, and two antennae. They are reddish brown. As they feed, their body swells and get darker in color. They are quite a bit different from bat bugs.
Most articles online discuss adult bed bugs, including their appearance, detection methods, and other relevant information. That’s because nymphs, or newly hatched bed bugs, are about the size of the head of a pin and whitish in color. This makes them very difficult to see.
Do bed bugs spread disease?
Given that bed bugs bite, you might be wondering if they spread disease. The good news is that bed bugs, unlike mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects—do not spread disease.
Bites from bed bugs can cause small, itchy marks or even no reaction at all. Severe allergic reactions to bed bugs are possible, but rare.
Unfortunately, because bed bug bites don’t look much different than any other bug bite, it’s hard to tell from bite marks alone if you have bed bugs.
Where do bed bugs come from?
We’ll answer this question with a question: where does any bug come from? If it seems like you’ve heard a lot about bed bugs all of a sudden, that’s because they’re making a comeback after years of dying out.
The fact is that bed bugs have been a problem in human homes for as long as written history (and probably before). Decades ago in the U.S., people used DDT to get rid of bed bugs—and it was very effective, almost eradicating the bugs. However, DDT has been banned worldwide after it was found to have negative effects on human health and the environment.
Today, the pesticides available are not as good as DDT was at killing bed bugs. (That’s one reason why we prefer our signature Heatigation℠ technique.) In addition, increased travel has spread bed bugs across the world (and especially in Cincinnati). That means more bed bugs.
Where do bed bugs live?
Bed bugs can live anywhere that people congregate (since humans are their food source).
Bed bugs prefer areas where people rest (sitting or lying down) for an extended period of time. Because bed bugs tend to be nocturnal, that means that bed bugs are most likely found in places where people sleep: family homes, hotels, hospitals, college dorms, nursing homes, shelters, etc. They are also often found in places where people spend long hours sitting, like airplanes, airports, and train and bus stations.
Bed bugs have been found in other places, like shopping malls, libraries, gyms, and schools. The good news is that these types of places don’t typically have large infestations, since people don’t sit or sleep there. So, how do bed bugs get there? Well, bed bugs are good at hitchhiking, so many public places aren’t bed bug homes as much as they are way-stations: bed bugs travel in on one person and out on another.
Where do bed bugs hide?
Bed bugs like to hide within several feet of their food source, which usually means the furniture a person sits or sleeps on (bed frames, mattresses, box springs, couches, etc.). However, those aren’t the only places bed bugs will hide.
Bed bugs can also be found hiding in headboards, nightstands, dressers, end tables, and other furniture near the bed or couch, as well as behind baseboards and wallpaper. They can be found under rugs and in the seams of carpet, in closets, and on luggage racks. Bed bugs are also found in some strange and surprising places, like picture frames, electrical outlets, electronics, toys, and cars.
Bed bugs are not usually found in kitchens, bathrooms, or other places far away from sleeping/lounging areas; however, they can be found in those places if the infestation is large enough. Simply put, when there are so many bed bugs that the usual hiding places won’t fit them all, they will hide throughout the house.
How do you find bed bugs?
Bed bugs are hard to find, since they are nocturnal and hide during the day. This means that your first sign of bed bugs might be what they leave behind:
- Dark spots on bedding, much like the dot of a bleeding marker, which is their excrement (this is the earliest, most accurate sign of their presence)
- Rusty or reddish stains on sheets or mattresses, caused when bed bugs are crushed.
- Eggs or eggshells, which are white, very tiny, and resemble a speck of dust
- Skin casings that are shed as the bed bugs mature
If you want to check for evidence of bed bugs in your home, we recommend looking at the seams of your mattress, your headboard, and your nightstand. To catch a glimpse of live bed bugs, try using a flashlight: at night (or when the room is dark), don’t turn on the overhead light; instead, turn on the flashlight and aim it at common bed bug hiding places. A lot of people are scared of bed bugs but have little idea what they look like. (Find out here.)
How Do Bed Bug Infestations Spread?
Bed bugs are small, flightless insects, barely bigger than an apple seed. They can’t even jump, only able to move by crawling quickly—yet they have a knack for spreading to the far corners of the earth. How is this possible?
Typically, bed bug infestations spread in one of two ways.
First, bed bugs can spread by crawling from an infested area into a non-infested one. This often happens in multi-unit buildings, like apartment complexes and dormitories. One apartment or dorm room gets an infestation, and bed bugs then slowly spread to other apartments and dorms.
Second, bed bugs can spread by hitchhiking a ride on a person’s belongings. In this way, bed bugs are able to spread far quicker and more easily than they would be able to by crawling. Bed bugs can hide in furniture, linens, clothing, moving boxes, appliances, books, picture frames, and more. You’d be surprised where bed bugs can hide!
By hitchhiking on a person’s belongings, bed bugs can travel anywhere. This is why bed bugs often infest areas where people congregate—like homes, hotels, schools, theaters, airports, bus stations, etc.—and spread from there. The more people congregate in an area, the more likely it is that at least one person can bring bed bugs.
In one recent example, bed bugs took Paris Fashion Week by storm this past year. Attendees of the fashion week flooded social media with reports of bed bugs crawling on the metro, hiding in mattresses, even being present in movie theaters. While Paris already has a problem with bed bugs, it’s very possible that more bed bugs were brought to the city by people traveling to attend the shows, via their clothing and luggage.
You can expect bed bugs to remain a big problem in Cincinnati (and everywhere else) in the future. Now that more people are traveling post-pandemic, we are seeing a resurgence in the spread of bed bugs. Essentially, as people travel, so do bed bugs.
How to Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs Home
Bed bugs can happen to anyone: they are an equal opportunity pest. Even the cleanest homes and the most luxurious hotels have had bed bugs.
Since anyone could bring bed bugs into your home, it’s important to know the signs of bed bugs, so you can nip the problem in the bud early.
There are also a few situations when you are at increased risk of “catching” bed bugs. In these situations, we recommend taking steps to avoid bringing bed bugs home with you.
When You’re Traveling
Travel is often considered the most high-risk activity when it comes to bed bugs. Traveling in areas with lots of bed bugs (which is most metropolitan areas) and sleeping in places where lots of other people have slept substantially increases your risk.
However, that doesn’t mean that bed bugs have to ruin your vacation. To avoid bringing bed bugs home with you, we recommend checking your hotel room for signs of bed bugs prior to unpacking. Also, keep your luggage off the floor, and don’t unpack into the hotel dressers. If you see signs of any pest activity in the room, speak up! Ask hotel management for a different room (one far away from the original booking) immediately. If you can’t get a different room, switch hotels.
When you get back from your travels, do a post-trip check. Check your luggage and other belongings, wash your clothes on high heat, and stay vigilant for signs of bed bugs in the weeks following your trip.
When You’re Buying Secondhand Goods
Buying secondhand goods is great for a number of reasons: it’s often cheaper, plus it’s great for the environment. However, buying something that’s been in someone else’s home can come with an increased risk of bed bugs.
Items like furniture, clothing, and anything made of cloth can hide bed bugs. If you do decide to purchase one of these items, it’s a good idea to inspect the item carefully pre-purchase. Clothing and soft goods can be laundered on high heat to kill bed bugs, and some furniture can be steamed. If you’re concerned that an item might have bed bugs, skip it! It’s not worth the risk.
How do you get rid of bed bugs?
Bed bugs are hardy pests: they can survive for about a year without a meal, and they can survive between temperatures of 0 and 125 degrees. You can’t kill the pests with a bug spray that you buy at the store, and home remedies (like diatomaceous earth) don’t really work to get rid of infestations, because there are always more bugs hiding and reproducing elsewhere in the house.
So, how do you get rid of bed bugs?
Eliminating a bed bug infestation requires a multi-pronged approach that includes the following:
- Cleaning your home of clutter (reducing the places bed bugs have to hide)
- Washing and drying clothes, blankets, bedspreads, and pillowcases in hot water and drying them on high heat for 30 minutes.
- Vacuum carpets and seal and throw away the bags in an outside trash can.
Some homeowners choose to go the DIY route when getting rid of bed bugs. If you choose to do so, we recommend you proceed with caution. We do not recommend foggers, as they do not reach all crevices where bed bugs are hiding and can cause fire and explosions when used improperly. Discard any items that you can’t treat (or, alternatively, store them in sealed plastic bags for 1+ years outside the home). Finally, do not use rubbing alcohol or untested remedies purchased online.
Protect your things.
When you check into your room at a hotel, keep your suitcase off the floor. Similarly, if you know of a bed bug problem at your office or your child’s school, store your belongings in a closed plastic bin.
Toss it in the dryer.
If you’re worried that you or a family member has brought home a stray bed bug, toss clothes in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes. (Note that this won’t get rid of a full-blown infestation, though!)
Report bed bug sightings.
If you see a bed bug in a public place, alert management immediately. It may not be an infestation (one bed bug doesn’t mean there’s an infestation); however, it’s still important to let them know so that they can address the problem.
Call in the experts.
Because bed bugs are so difficult to get rid of, we recommend getting help from a professional pest control company. A pest expert can help you identify and locate the bed bugs in your home and can give you a treatment plan to get rid of the bugs permanently.
Call Us Today
Contact Scherzinger Pest Control, a trusted pest control company in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas, including Dayton, OH, and now Columbus, OH. We’ve been pioneers, engineering new standards for ways of eliminating and controlling bugs and pests. Contact us by phone at 1-877-748-9888 or through our website, Facebook, or Twitter.
