How Did These Bed Bugs Get In My Orange County Home?

When you think of bed bugs, you probably imagine an invading pest with a bad reputation that’s difficult to remove, and that is accurate. Bed bugs are extremely frustrating pests that infest Orange County homes and bite people while they sleep, and they can be nearly impossible to remove without assistance. However, there is one common misconception about bed bugs many people have and it’s that bed bugs only infest dirty homes.

But, the truth is that a bed bug infestation can happen to anyone. Bed bugs aren’t caused by clutter or filth, and they aren’t more attracted to homes with these qualities either. Bed bugs are instead usually brought inside when people pick them up while running errands or traveling. In this guide, you’ll learn how bed bug infestations begin and get some useful tips for preventing these disgusting bugs.

Bed Bug Hot Spots

The main way that bed bug infestations begin is by being picked up and brought home on items like luggage and purses. Bed bugs don’t attach to human hosts, but they can hitch a ride on many of the items we carry. While it’s possible to get bed bugs almost anywhere, including other people’s homes and almost any kind of business, there are some places where bed bugs are more common than others.

These bed bug “hot spots” include:

• Hospitals
• Schools
• Buses and Transit Stations
• Hotels
• Laundromats

Because bed bugs are so tiny, about the size of an apple seed, it can be difficult to avoid picking them up. However, you can do a few things to avoid this such as transporting laundry in plastic bags, inspecting hotel rooms for bed bugs, and avoiding placing luggage and purses on the ground in public places. Do keep in mind that it’s not always possible to completely avoid picking up bed bugs no matter how hard you try, and so you shouldn't feel too bad if you get bed bugs despite your best efforts.

Another Way Bed Bug Infestations Can Start

While picking up bed bugs during general travel is the most common way for an infestation to begin, you can also bring bed bugs into your home through secondhand items that are already infested. It’s not just bedding and mattresses that can have bed bugs either. Other items such as curtains, couches, and even appliances can be host to hiding bed bugs. It’s always best to look out for signs of an infestation before bringing these items inside.

The four main indicators that secondhand items have bed bugs include:

1. Brownish colored smear marks that come from bed bugs excrement
2. Rusty stains that are left from the bloody bite marks
3. A strange, musty odor
4. Bugs themselves or their eggs (these eggs can be creamy white to dark brown in color depending on how long they’ve been there)

What To Do If You Have Bed Bugs

Even if you do everything you can, bed bugs are just a difficult pest to prevent. If you find yourself with an infestation, the safest and easiest way to eradicate bed bugs for good is with help from Cura Termite & Pest Control.

Trying to remove bed bugs on your own is rarely effective as they are a hardy pest that can hide in tiny areas like behind baseboards, so professional pest services are the best way to go. At Cura Termite & Pest Control, we provide the expertise and experience needed to remove these invading pests completely. Just give us a call or send us a text to get started. We also provide pest control for Orange County businesses.