It’s November, which means the holidays have begun! Over Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and other winter holidays, you may be traveling or getting visitors. Travel is great; we love seeing our friends and family after a long separation. But travel can also be dangerous. One pest that can easily appear out of nowhere during the traveling season is the bed bug. Bed bugs are traveling pets. They love to hitch rides on unaware humans as they move through hotels, airports, and bus stations. If you are traveling or have guests coming over, bed bugs could end up in your home.
Bed bugs are incredibly small, black bugs. They live primarily indoors, which means they can survive year-round because cold weather doesn’t affect them the way it does other pests. They feed on blood, usually from humans. They live in soft, warm areas like furniture, carpets, bags, clothing, and of course, bedding. Often bed bugs make their home in a mattress or on pillows and blankets. When you sleep at night, they’ll feed, and you’ll wake up with itchy bites that can bother you for days.
These bites aren’t usually harmful to humans in that they do not typically transmit diseases, but that doesn’t make them okay. Bed bugs can bite many, many times, so you could have itchy bumps all over your body. Bed bugs can also cause allergic reactions in some people from their shed skins and droppings. And long-time exposure can result in health problems due to their persistent biting.
Bed bugs are tiny pests so it can be hard to spot them until it’s too late. Rather than closing off your house and saying you won’t have any guests this holiday season, train yourself to inspect for bed bugs. The sooner you spot these bugs, the easier it will be to get rid of them. Check for black specks on bedding, in cabinets, or in furniture any time you travel. Check your home after guests come by and be sure to clean well after people leave.
Ultimately, there’s no way to guarantee that bed bugs will never make it into your home. The good news is, you aren’t alone in dealing with bed bugs. Arrow Pest Control has been dealing with bed bugs for years and we know exactly how to get rid of them. Do-it-yourself methods are rarely effective. They might kill the adult bed bugs, but when the eggs hatch you could have a second round of infestation, and the cycle can continue endlessly. We at Arrow Pest Control can kill bed bugs in every stage of life. Plus, we can complete an inspection to determine exactly how big your bed bug problem is. We can treat one room or your entire house, depending on the need. Keep letting guests come celebrate with you this season. Meanwhile, we’ll help you keep away the bugs.