Why Bed Bug Infestations In Washington Homes Are So Difficult To Prevent

Most bugs come into your home from your yard. They build their populations near your foundation and climb in through gaps, cracks, and holes that have been created by other pests or they hitchhike into your home on you, your kids, your pets, or on rodents that chew their way in. For these types of pests, it is possible to control them with routine pest control treatments. But bed bugs control is entirely different. Bed bugs don't live in your yard and they don't hitchhike into your home by getting on you when you're out in your yard. They go from home to home, home to business, and business to home. Let's take a look at how this works and some of the many ways bed bugs can get into your Washington home.

Ways Bed Bugs Get In

This is by no means a comprehensive list of ways bed bugs can get in. These are examples that can give you insight into how bed bugs spread.

• You are probably aware that an infestation can begin when you come back from a trip. This is the most commonly known transmission route. When you stay in a hotel or motel, bed bugs can get into your belongings and be transported to your home. What you might not know is that bed bugs can be found in resorts and 5-star luxury hotels. These insects don't just infest dirty or rundown businesses, they can be found in the cleanest of environments. This is because they're not drawn to filth, they are drawn to areas where people sleep or relax.
• If you have a college kid, you can get bed bugs when he or she returns from school or comes home for the holidays. Dormitories, fraternities, and sororities are attractive to bed bugs because there is often lots of clutter to hide their presence and lots of opportunities to get a blood meal. These are also common locations for bed bugs to take root because students come from all over the world—and some of the countries they come from do not have the level of pest control we have in the United States.
• If you have an elderly relative who lives in a nursing home or retirement home, they could bring bed bugs with them when they visit. Bed bug bites don't have the same effect on most elderly people. While you or your kids can get big, uncomfortable welts, they may only get small bite marks on their skin. This makes homes that house elderly people an easier target for bed bugs.
• If you drop your children off at daycare every day, they could come home with bed bugs. Many daycares have a sleep time. This can allow bed bugs to move from the clothing of one child to the clothing of another while they sleep. Daycares also provide opportunities for children to get close to each other or to put their bags and other items close to items of other kids. If a child comes from a home with a bed bug infestation, they may not know it and they could unwittingly spread bed bugs to your kids.
• If you have children who attend school or spend the night at other kids' homes, you could become exposed to a bed bug infestation for the same reasons listed for daycares.
• If you have a relative or a friend come visit, they could bring bed bugs with them from their home. They may not know they have bed bugs.
• If you go to work and put your items next to your coworkers items, you could get bed bugs. Once again, this is because your coworkers may not know they have a bed bug infestation.

Why Bed Bugs Aren't Immediately Detected

A bed bug infestation can begin from a batch of eggs or from adult bed bugs that hitchhike in. In both cases, the majority of bites that will occur at first will be from newly hatched bed bugs. These immature nymphs do not administer as much anticoagulant as adult bed bugs. (It is the anticoagulant that causes the allergic reaction from a bite.) This, along with the fact that initial exposure to this anticoagulant is less severe than repeated exposure makes it easy for bed bugs to leave bites that aren't noticeable.

Bed Bugs Control

If bed bugs have taken root in your Washington home, reach out to Prosite. We serve Ellensburg and the surrounding area with expert bed bug control. We'll help you get those bed bugs… the first time.