It is a common assumption that bed bugs are attracted to filth. However, you will be surprised to find that even the cleanest of homes can have a bed bug infestation. This is because bed bugs are not picky at all regarding where they will set home. All they need are some hosts to feed on.
What’s even worse? Bed bugs can travel effortlessly into your house, and you may not even notice. So to avoid an infestation, you need to first understand where bed bugs may come from.
Bed bugs are commonly found in public places. So, what are some places you might carry home bed bugs from? Let’s find out. In this article, you can read where bed bugs usually come from – so you can be careful.
How Do Bed Bugs Infest?
You will generally not find these pests wandering outside. Bed bugs do not thrive well in outdoor environments. They prefer staying near a source of food (blood) and warmth, often indoors and near humans.
Wondering how a bed bug infestation starts? Well, bed bugs are expert hitchhikers. If you go to a place with bed bugs, the bugs will latch onto your clothes, bags, and other belongings. They can start feeding on your blood immediately, and once you reach home, they will begin reproducing there. Bed bugs have been around for over 3550 years. As humans migrated across the globe, bed bugs travelled along.
Even though bed bugs are rarely found outdoors, it is still possible that you carried them while you were out. Bed bugs can be inadvertently carried outside by people and their belongings. They can also roam outdoors if an infested upholstered furniture or mattress has been discarded.
But how do you identify a bed bug infestation? You can go through some of the common signs that indicate that you have a problem. Or you can call a professional pest control company in Singapore to inspect the situation and guide you on the next steps.
Common Places From Where You Can Bring Bed Bugs Home
School or Workplace
Bed bugs are likely to spread from public institutions like schools and workplaces. Many people visit these places regularly; some may come from apartments infested with bed bugs. When someone from a bed bug-infested house comes to work or school, they unknowingly bring along the bed bugs to the institution.
The high human traffic in these places makes them highly prone to bed bugs and enables the bed bugs to pass to more and more houses. Someone living in a home with an active infestation regularly will bring the bed bugs to their school or workplace via clothing and backpacks.
If you notice bed bug activities at home and are wondering where they came from, you may want to check your workplace or school to see whether they are facing the same problem. You can also suggest that the institution hires a pest exterminator to treat bed bugs and avoid further inconveniences.
Public Transportations
Public trains and buses are also where people from different places come together. Bed bugs use this opportunity to transfer from one carrier to another. They latch onto clothes and bags of a new carrier and ease their entry into a new home, where they reproduce and set home.
What’s more, bed bugs can spread on floors and seats of buses, trains, or taxis and hitchhike their way into the homes of daily commuters. No wonder people who use public transportation often suffer the wrath of bed bugs.
Hotels, Motels, Hostels, or Hospitals
Bed bugs can infest even the best of hotels. Anyone can bring bed bugs into a hotel. Not to mention, the risk only increases with more affordable options such as motels and hostels. Hospitals are also high-threat places where people may carry bed bugs unknowingly.
These are high-traffic places where people come and go frequently. There is no way you can determine who is carrying bed bugs. So, you should keep tabs on the telltale signs of bed bugs if you go to a hotel or hospital. Take precautionary measures such as washing your clothes at a dry cleaner before returning home.
Neighbouring Apartments
It is true that bed bugs will not crawl into your house from the yard or street, but they can migrate into your space from neighbouring apartments through active dispersal. If a neighbouring unit in your building has a concerning bed bug infestation, the bed bugs can enter your home.
A bed bug colony’s rapid growth forces some bugs to leave their territory. This is when they might enter your apartment searching for shelter and food. They can use electrical outlets, small cracks between the units, or even light switches as entry points.
Second-hand Items
Another notorious way bed bugs can enter your house is through second-hand items, especially furniture. You ought to get a good bargain if you often buy things from yard sales and flea markets. But, unfortunately, there is a big downside to buying second-hand items: they are highly likely to have bed bugs!
The seller will make the item look clean, and in good condition, so you might not be able to spot the presence of bed bugs. If you cannot resist such deals, you must take preventive measures before bringing the pre-owned goods home.
Final Takeaway
You can never know for sure where the bed bugs in your home came from. However, there are some obvious places where bed bugs often transfer from. This includes public institutions, public transportation, hotels, and even hospitals.
Even the cleanest and most hygienic locations can have bed bugs – thanks to the high human traffic it sees every day. However, you can avoid this by taking some simple preventive measures.
There are hundreds of ways bed bugs can enter your personal space. Unfortunately, most people do not pay heed to the possibility of a bed bug infestation until their homes have been infiltrated. Therefore, it is recommended that you get your home professionally inspected for bed bugs annually. Do not ignore signs of bed bugs. When you notice them, take immediate action by contacting a pest control service provider.
