Main Causes of Bed Bug Infestation – Bed bugs are blood-sucking insects commonly found in cluttered environments. Bed bugs hide near their food source until it is safe to come out and feed. Young bed bugs are hard to be located as they have a very tiny and transparent body. Once bed bugs get to their adult size, they feature a reddish-brown body that is easier to detect.
Are bed bugs dangerous?
Although bed bugs do not cause serious harm to humans, they can still cause some health complications. The two major health complications brought by these insects are anemia and sleep loss. Blood loss through skin bites is the cause of these conditions. Other health conditions include itchiness on the skin that causes discomfort.
While it is likely that you will find bedbugs in filthy places, these parasitic insects appear in clean and neat environments too. Bed bugs are hardy insects. They can live up to a year without food. This survival technique helps bed bugs stay in one place until food, which is human blood is available. It is, therefore, worth understanding the causes of a bed bug infestation and ways to avoid them.
Causes of Beg bug infestations
• Frequent travel
it is possible to collect bed bugs when on a flight or when traveling by ship, vehicles and trains. The large number of people who use these travel facilities may introduce these agents, primarily through luggage. It is possible to have a bed bug infestation after traveling upon the collection of bed bugs in any stage.
Global travels are at a higher risk of containing these agents than local trips. This is because some parts of the world have higher cases of infestation than others. A study done in the U.S, for example, shows that global travel is one of the significant factors contributing to bed bug infestations for the past two decades. To avoid this potential cause of bed bugs infestation, one should vacuum the entire luggage, especially after a long-distance journey.
• Purchase of second-hand furniture
Furniture pieces, especially those in homes, may stand in one place for a very long time. Some people also like squeezing furniture in dark corners to save on space. These reasons make furniture a potential breeding site for bed bugs. Despite this being a potential cause of bedbugs infestation in homes, many people overlook it.
Homeowners and business people introduce these agents to their spaces when they buy old furniture from infested areas. Although bed bug-infested items are supposed to be marked, not all furniture sellers do it. Again, it is advisable to inspect and vacuum second-hand furniture before purchase.
• Piled Clothing
People who like throwing their clothes into piles should be on the watch as this may lead to a bed bug infestation. Clothing form the first attachment area for bed bugs, especially when they are in a quest for human blood. The warm conditions present in piled clothing make these piles a perfect site for bedbugs to breed.
To avoid this, clothes should be hanged or arranged in drawers regardless of whether they are clean or dirty. You should also make a point of washing your dirty clothes before they pile up. If you notice any signs of bed bug infestation in your clean and arranged clothes, you should clean them again with warm water and vacuum the storage space before rearranging.
• Beddings
Beddings are the other items frequently used in a house. It is due to this that many bed bugs infestations occur in bedrooms. The duvet, sheets, blankets and pillows can be a source of these parasites, especially if many people share them. Bedbugs when introduced to a bed through beddings hide and breed under the bed frames.
Did you know that bed bugs can also be in very prestigious and highly maintained restaurants? This is true as a person carrying these parasites may visit such hotels leaving these agents there. When in such places, you should avoid storing your items in bedside drawers. You should also clean and dry the sleeping attires used in these places on high heat to prevent the transfer of these parasites.
Main Causes of Bed Bug Infestation – Conclusion
Bed bugs are notorious parasites that can infect any area, whether clean or untidy. From the above points, we can see that the primary cause of bed
Bug infestation is the sharing of infested facilities and items. Since this is inevitable in our day to day life, the surest way to ensure that bed bugs are out of your living space is to inspect and clean any item coming in thoroughly.