Although many people think that bed bugs can only be found in dirty beds, this is completely false. Bed bugs are solely attracted to anywhere blood can be easily accessed, so no matter the cleanliness of your bed, you'll still be at risk.
Most people believe that you get a bed bug infestation if your house is dirty, however, this is not the case. The truth is that bed bugs can make their way into any home, regardless of how clean or dirty your house is. To get bed bugs in your home all you have to do is to come in contact with them.
They can come from other infested areas or from used furniture. They can hitch a ride in luggage, purses, backpacks, or other items placed on soft or upholstered surfaces. They can travel between rooms in multi-unit buildings, such as apartment complexes and hotels.
Technically, bed bugs can live through a cycle in the washing machine. The truth is that while washing your clothes or linens will kill most of the bed bugs, the heat of drying your items is what will ultimately exterminate any and all remaining bugs. As we mentioned above, bed bugs do not tolerate heat.
'It is contamination from other bedbug-infested environments that primarily causes a home to have bedbugs,' says pest control professional Allan Bossel of Michigan Bed Bug Specialists. 'When you are exposed to items or homes with bedbugs, you unknowingly become a means for them to spread to new locations.
A bed bug treatment using heat kills bed bugs immediately, but there is no residual. A chemical bed bug treatment can take a few weeks, but it leaves a residual which provides continued protection from bed bug re-infestation.
If you've already gone inside your home, use a steamer to clean the carpets, drapes, linens, and mattress. Wrap your mattress in a bed bug proof cover. Place bedbug interceptors on the feet of your bed for a few nights just to be sure you killed everything.
Extreme temperatures are the best way to kill bed bugs. Washing your clothing and bedding in a high heat wash should effectively kill off any bugs, as well as any eggs they've possibly laid. It's important to exercise caution in moving infested linens during the process to avoid spreading the bed bugs to other rooms!
You may be thinking, can you get bed bugs from not washing your sheets? No—bed bugs have absolutely nothing to do with cleanliness levels. However, washing your sheets regularly gives you the opportunity to look for and remove any possible bed bug infestations.
Each infestation is different from home to home, but generally, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a month for signs of the infestation to show up. If the infestation is small to start, the signs won't be immediate.
Heat – Bed bugs use sensory structures on their antennae to detect body heat. Body Odor – Bed bugs are also attracted to the various odor molecules produced by our bodies. Body odor is also why bed bugs are twice as more likely to be attracted to dirty laundry than to clean laundry.
Other Homes and People – Just because you do not travel doesn't mean that you may not be exposed to bed bugs from visiting someone else's home, or having someone with a bed bug infestation visit your property. Buying Used Items – Bed bugs are outstanding hiders.
One out of five Americans has had a bed bug infestation in their home or knows someone who has encountered bed bugs at home or in a hotel.
Q: Do I have to wash and dry all the fabrics in my entire house? A: No. Bed bugs tend to hide as close to the bed as possible, so only launder the fabrics in the immediate area – your bedding, and clothing in dressers near the bed. Hanging clothes in closets can usually be left there, but wash anything on the floor.
Bed bugs do not typically hide on the body. They prefer to feed, then move back to their hiding place until they are hungry again.
Myth: Bed bugs won't come out if the room is brightly lit. Reality: While bed bugs prefer darkness, keeping the light on at night won't deter these pests from biting you.
A: The strong scent of dryer sheets is believed to act as a repellent, making the environment less appealing for bed bugs. However, this method is not guaranteed to work and is not a permanent solution.
The answer is yes – Lysol can help get rid of bed bugs. In fact, it's one of the most effective products for killing bed bugs and other types of insects. Lysol is a disinfectant that contains active ingredients such as ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol, both of which are proven to be toxic to bed bugs.
Bed bugs are biting insects that feed on the blood of people while they sleep. Bed bugs can bite only one person in a group of people sharing a bedroom. They rarely bite pets. If they are not exterminated, they reproduce and spread rapidly.
Bed bugs hide once they have fed, so it's almost impossible to find evidence of live bed bugs during the day. If you want to know how to find bed bugs during the daytime, look for the signs such as blood stains, faeces and shed skins that may be visible on the mattress, bed frame and other furniture.
It has been shown that bed bugs in all stages of life die at a minimum dryer temperature of 113 degrees Fahrenheit — as long as that temperature is consistent for at least 30 minutes. So if your dryer isn't the best at drying your clothes, it may not reach the temperature needed to kill bed bugs.
Get a mattress and box spring cover
An effective way to keep bedbugs that are hiding inside your bed from biting you is to invest in a good-quality covering for your mattress and box spring. The best option is to use a cover with a good seal that zips around your mattress and box spring.