From retail stores to five-star hotels, bed bugs can be found anywhere you can find their favorite source of food: people. According to a 2018 report by the National Pest Management Association, 97 percent of pest experts had been called to a location to eradicate bed bugs within 12 months of the investigation. The same report found that 84 percent of pest controllers surveyed said they wanted to exterminate a different type of pest just to discover a bed bug infestation, and 66 percent of pest controllers who participated in the survey said the number of pests were bed bug calls they received , increased.
While getting rid of these nasty pests once they occupy your home isn’t easy, it’s easier than expected to make sure they don’t become unwanted guests in your space. Read on to find out which pest control items might invite bed bugs into your home. And if you are concerned about inviting pests into your home, you could have bed bugs smelling this in your bedroom.
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You may return home from those long journeys with more than just jet lag. Nancy Trojan, PhD, BCE, a board-certified entomologist at Western Exterminator, says bed bugs often dock a luggage ride and infest private homes when their owners return.
To avoid this, Troyano recommends opening suitcases far away from upholstered furniture when entering a hotel. “Look for bed bugs before you put your suitcase down [and] Check your suitcase, luggage or other items for bed bugs after your trip, “she says. Troyano also recommends drying the contents of your suitcase for 15 minutes in high heat” to kill any bed bugs attached to a trip home Them. “If you’d like more pest control tips straight to your inbox, subscribe to our daily newsletter.
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Don’t hang the new outfit in your closet until you’ve thoroughly checked it for bed bugs first.
“Be sure to look at the clothes before you buy them – but you may not be able to see the bed bugs or bed bug eggs,” says Troyano. To prevent bed bugs from coming home with you from clothing stores, Troyano says, “Run everything through the dryer on high heat for 15 minutes to kill bed bugs before doing the regular wash cycle.”
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This beautiful padded headboard could hide some nasty surprises – especially if you buy used.
“Furniture – especially soft and upholstered – from unknown sources may contain bed bugs or bed bug eggs that you may not see right away,” says Troyano. Your recommendation? “If you find a cool vintage product to take home, talk to a pest control professional about doing an inspection to put your mind at ease.”
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If you want to make sure you don’t invite bed bugs into your room, thoroughly check out any wallets you take home with you.
According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), when purses are placed on furniture or the floor, bed bugs can dock a ride and nestle in seams and pockets unnoticed until they settle in your house. And if you want to know if you need an exterminator when you see this in your yard, prepare for a bug invasion, says USDA.
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These vintage stuffed animals might look cute, but they could be the free entry of a bed bug into your home.
The NPMA says bed bugs can nestle in stuffed animal fur, potentially causing an infestation in any home they are later brought to. If you want to prevent this from happening, the bandage recommends hot washing and drying stuffed animals when they first arrive at your home. And for more insight into how to deal with household pests, if you see this bug in your home, don’t step on it, experts warn.
