Have you ever tracked mud into one of your friend’s houses by accident? It is an easy thing to do, especially on rainy, muddy days. The same is true about bed bugs, except these pests can be carried inside regardless of how wet, dry, or stormy the weather is outside. How do they do this? By hitchhiking rides on everyday items that people carry around. What is interesting is that bed bugs do not travel intentionally. They gravitate to things that have traces of carbon dioxide and are warm. For instance, if you go to the gym and change before coming home, bed bugs might be drawn in by your warm gym clothes. The same is true about recently worn backpacks, frequented furniture, and luggage used for travel.

Once aboard an item, bed bugs do their best to stay out of sight. When things stop moving they think it is safe to come out, they emerge and look for potential feeding opportunities nearby. One example of a feeding opportunity is you sleeping in your bed.

One thing that every homeowner should know is where bed bugs congregate. You are most likely to find these pests where people sleep, including hotel rooms, apartments, and hospitals. You may also come in contact with these pests while they are in transit, such as at a restaurant, bus station, or movie theater. You are unlikely to find bed bugs in outdoor, less-traveled areas like hiking trails and unoccupied beaches. In short, wherever people are, bed bugs could be.

Now that you understand where you’re likely to find bed bugs, let’s discuss ways to avoid these pests while out and about.

Here are a few places to start:

• When traveling, check rooms you will be staying in for signs of bed bugs before bringing your luggage inside.
• While out in public, be careful not to leave items like luggage in one place for more than 20 minutes.
• When travleing, store used clothing inside an airtight bag before returning home. When you get home, dump this clothing into the washer and run it at high heat.
• Inspect used furniture, clothing, and other items before buying them from second-hand shops.
• Teach your childten to inspect their backpacks for bed bugs before coming home from school.
• Talk to your family and friends about bed bugs so they can avoid bringing an infestation into your home.

Sometimes bed bugs get into homes regardless of what homeowners do to avoid them. If this happens to you, do not try to handle these pests on your own. Bed bugs are notorious for their resistance to traditional pest control and have the ability to survive for months in hiding without a blood meal.

To make sure these pests are handled right the first time, call the pest control experts at Pro Pest Control, Inc. We have been dealing with bed bugs in Margate, FL for a long time and would be happy to put our expertise to work for you and your South Florida home.