All The Problems Bed Bugs Bring To Your El Centro Home

If you had bed bugs, would you be able to tell? Unfortunately, most people don’t know that you rarely actually see bed bugs that are infesting your bed. Plus, you probably didn’t know they can actually inhabit most of the other furniture in your house as well. As it turns out, there’s a lot that people don’t know about bed bugs, but the more you learn, the safer you’ll be

Tagalong Terrors

One of the many bed bug misconceptions out there is that bed bugs will only invade dirty homes. However, they could not care less about a dirty house or a clean house: they are only interested in feeding on human blood. Since they’re small and can’t move quickly, they’ll actually hitch a ride on any sort of object they can to get closer to their next meal. That’s why bed bugs don’t care if your house is dirty or clean. They only care if they can find a way in.

Out of all the ways that bed bugs can ride into your house, stowing away on your luggage is probably the most common. Travel hubs like airport terminals and bus stations are usually high-risk areas for picking up bed bugs. If you leave your bag up against someone else’s for too long, bed bugs will migrate from their bag to yours pretty easily.

Another way you can carry bed bugs into your house is by purchasing secondhand furniture. Even if it seems like a great deal on the Internet, you’ll want to check the piece for any signs of bed bug activity, like rust-colored stains from their excrement or small bloodstains from their feeding. Also, keep in mind that bed bugs will inhabit almost any sort of furniture, so you don’t just have to worry about buying used mattresses, you’ll want to check anything you bring into your house, even office chairs and kitchen appliances.

Being careful about what you bring into the house is the only form of bed bug prevention you can do on your own, and it’s very important to do so. You see, while bed bugs have never been linked to disease transmission, they can cause health problems over time:

• Insomnia (which can remain once the bed bugs are eradicated)  

• Secondary infections from itching and scratching at the bites

• Anemia (in the case of a prolonged infestation)

Getting Them Out For Good

Homeowners who seek professional help with a bed bug infestation can avoid these health concerns by dealing with the problem quickly and completely. However, many people make the mistake of trying to get rid of bed bugs on their own with home remedies or store-bought sprays. While the Internet may suggest their effectiveness, these methods simply kill the pests on the surface of the furniture.

Unfortunately, though, most bed bug infestations inhabit the entire mattress or furniture cushion, far below where a vacuum or spray can be effective. Bed bugs will also lay eggs within your furniture, so home remedies will only buy you a few days of reprieve from the nightly attacks. Once the eggs hatch and the bed bugs feel safe to come out for another feeding, your sleep cycle will be interrupted all over again, putting you at risk of prolonged health effects.

While there are times in life where “if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself,” getting rid of a bed bug infestation just isn’t one of those times. The only prevention and eradication methods that can get the job done completely the first time are provided by El Centro pest control professionals. If you’ve got pests in your business or home, call Imperial County Pest Control at the first sign of infestation.