Would you willingly sleep in a bed that has bugs in it? Definitely not! Would you sleep in a bed that has bugs in it if you didn’t know about them? Probably. Although this seems silly, many homeowners around Sacramento sleep near bugs every night. How is this possible? Well, for one, the bugs we are referring to are quite sneaky. If you have never taken a moment to think about bed bugs and the problems they cause, today is your day to do so. Here are some things you should know about these pests, including how to protect your home against them.
The Reason Bed Bugs Invade Homes
Bed bugs need two things to survive: blood and a comfortable place to live. Where are these things most commonly found? Inside our homes. You should know about bed bugs because they are resilient against pest control products but not built to live outdoors. Unlike other blood-feeding pests like fleas and ticks that love living out in nature and feeding on animals, bed bugs lack the ability to get around quickly and survive in the harsh elements. For this reason, these pests are almost exclusively found inside man-made structures like homes and businesses.
How Bed Bugs Get Around
Bed bugs are interesting pests, mostly because they don’t invade homes in traditional ways. They don’t fly inside through windows or crawl through gaps or cracks. More often than not, these pests come straight in through your front door. The kicker is, you are the one who opens it for them. How is this the case? Well, bed bugs get around by hiding in items that people carry. These pests can use anything from a backpack to a sofa to travel from place to place. These pests might be staying at the hotel you are renting a room from, at the movie theater, underneath your hospital bed, inside your kid’s locker at school, and anywhere else people are found.
Are Bed Bugs Dangerous?
There have been a few studies done that explore the possibility of bed bugs being dangerous. What was found is that the majority of these pests are mostly harmless. In a few certain cases south of our border, bed bugs were found to carry Chagas disease. Beyond this, these pests only threaten a person's sleep quality, and if an infestation is severe enough, anemia can result. This is a condition that occurs when too much blood is removed from the human body.
Is It Possible To Prevent Bed Bugs?
It is possible to prevent bed bugs. Here are a few things we recommend you do to keep these pests out of your home.
- Learn what signs bed bugs leave around areas they infest, such as bloodstains, fecal droppings, and eggs.
- Search hotel rooms for signs of bed bug activity before settling into them.
- Do not leave your bag or any other items in one place for more than 20 minutes while out in public.
- Wash used clothing in high heat after traveling home from vacation.
- Inform your family and friends about bed bugs so they can avoid carrying an infestation into your home.
How To Eliminate Bed Bugs
There is only one reliable way to get bed bugs out of your home, and that is to hire a pest control professional. At Neighborly Pest Management, we offer effective and affordable bed bug solutions to get rid of infestations. We also offer detailed inspections to help you identify these pests around your living areas.
Call us today for more details or to schedule your Sacramento home for a service visit.