What Attracts Bed Bugs
At the end of a long day when you lay your head on your pillow to get some rest, the last thing that you want to be thinking about is the possibility of a
bed bug infestation.
Bed bugs are tricky creatures that will often come out from their hiding spots while you’re sleeping. Have you ever woken up with unexplained bug bites? Bed bugs are often the culprit. Let’s learn more about what attracts bed bugs.
What is the Diet of a Bed Bug?
Bed bugs consume the blood of a warm-blooded human or animal. In general, bed bugs prefer to feed off humans. When you go to bed at night, your body heat and the carbon dioxide that you’re exhaling will let them know that you’re nearby.
If they’ve hiding out in your box spring or mattress, they don’t have very far to travel to get their next meal, and they eat pretty frequently each day. Once you’ve woken up in the morning, you’re covered in a series of itchy and red bites, and they’ve gone back to their home.
Dark and Safe Places
Aside from finding their next meal, bed bugs know that they have to find a safe location to hide out during the day while you and your family are moving around in the house. Mattresses, box springs and bedding are common locations for bed bugs, but you can also find these pesky critters in the cracks that are located underneath baseboards, in between planks of flooring, in the corners of carpet, etc.
Look for the bugs themselves or their waste to try and narrow down where they are.
How Did They Find You?
You’re probably puzzled as to how bed bugs found you in the first place. They’ve excellent hitchhikers, so they probably came into your home on you or your belongings. If you were recently on a trip, your suitcase may have carried home a bed bug or two. They make their way out of your suitcase and are multiplying before long.
Bed bugs have also been found at movie theaters, airports, shopping malls and they could even be at your other family member’s homes. Many of these places take appropriate steps to prevent a bed bug infestation from occurring, but it only takes one person bringing a single bed bug into a location for that problem to quickly take off.
If you suspect that you have a bed bug problem, start looking for where they’re located. Frequently clean your home very thoroughly. Wash bedding every couple of days in hot water. Vacuum your mattress and box spring. Try not to give them a comfortable environment to reproduce in. You can also contact a professional to help you get the problem under control if you’re overwhelmed.
Sometimes it helps to have a thorough inspection performed of your entire home. This will help give you a better idea of what you’re dealing with. It can also allow for the proper plan to be put into place for the future.
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