Fact vs. Myths: Bed Bugs In Washington D.C.
01/20/2022
Bed bugs are small parasitic pests that often resemble an apple seed to the naked eye. They have a wingless, oval-shaped body with a reddish-brown ...
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Bed bugs are small but fearsome pests that can easily make their way into your Maryland home when you aren’t looking. It’s important to understand the basics of bed bugs to prevent them properly.
What to Know About Bed Bugs
Bed bugs may be small, but they bring with them several common misconceptions and a few serious risks to your Maryland home. Many individuals think that bed bugs can only appear in dirty homes, but the truth is that bed bugs infestations can happen to anyone. This pesky insect is adept at hiding out and hitchhiking from place to place either in your clothing or luggage, meaning that it is easy to pick up bed bugs and transport them back to your home or business.
Bed bug hotspots include hotels and motels, airports, trains, offices, gyms, schools, dorms, and libraries. Bed bugs frequent these areas due to the number of people passing through regularly.
To prevent picking up bed bugs in any of these hot spots, you can follow these prevention tactics:
- You should refrain from putting your baggage on the ground in any area you travel through, especially hotels and motels. Use an elevated surface to rest your luggage on to prevent bed bugs from crawling into it while you sleep.
- Before sleeping, pull back sheets and mattress covers and check the corners. Bed bugs typically hide out here. You may also want to look for any red or rust-colored stains on the sheets, as these indicate bed bugs.
- Use a flashlight to check corners and gaps in hotel room walls and floors or the seams of furniture in other bed bug hot spots. Bed bugs typically gather in small, hard-to-reach areas, and a flashlight can illuminate them.
- Wash and dry any clothing you traveled with on high heat as soon as you return home. You may also want to keep a regular washing schedule of any clothes that have gone to the office, schools, or gyms, as the heat will kill any bed bug hitchhikers.
You may also introduce bed bugs into your home by purchasing second-hand furniture or appliances that are already infested. Once you bring these items into your home, the bed bugs will spread out and cause a full-blown infestation. Here's what to look for before moving any second-hand items into your Maryland home:
- Place all second-hand items on a white sheet outside of your home before moving them in. Check for any red or rust-colored stains on the sheet once they’ve been there for a few hours, as these stains indicate bed bugs are present.
- Use gloved hands to run your fingers along the seams and gaps in furniture and appliances. If your glove comes back stained with a red or rust color, or you unearth dead bed bugs, you shouldn’t bring the item into your home.
- Check the seams, cracks, and gaps in all furniture and appliances with a flashlight to ensure no bed bugs are hiding inside.
Expert Bed Bug Removal
Due to their small size and expert hitchhiking skills, bed bugs are a challenging pest to prevent. If you do end up with bed bugs in your home, call the professionals at American Pest. For over 30 years, we have solved pest problems with quality pest control that protects your home, family, and pets. Call us today for expert removal assistance.
