Bed Bugs: The Last Thing You Want to Cozy Up To
This Valentine’s Day, after you share a romantic dinner with your spouse, paint the town red with your besties or land a last-minute Tinder fling you hope will become more, the last thing you want to find when you head to bed is bed bugs.
The 411 on Bed Bugs
As recently as the end of the last century, Americans didn’t have to worry about bed bugs interrupting their Valentine’s Day after-hours activities, as bed bugs had been almost completely eradicated.
However, the 1990s and early 2000s saw a sharp rise in the bed bug population, and nowadays they are just as irritating a problem as ever.
And “irritating” is exactly the word for what they are. Thankfully, although the lentil-sized vermin feed on blood (much like mosquitos), bed bugs do not transmit diseases like many other parasites. Bed bug bites, however, can turn into big, itchy welts that take up to two weeks or longer to heal.
Although there is still a social stigma associated with having bed bugs, the reality is that bed bugs themselves don’t discriminate. They’re just as happy to make a home in a ritzy mansion in the suburbs as they are an urban apartment.
Bed bugs are drawn to beds mostly because that’s where their primary food source – people – sleep. It’s no surprise, then, that bed bugs are most active at night. Although they do not build nests, they like to congregate and hide in the many folds and seams found in and around our beds and mattresses, venturing out after dark in search of a meal.
Bed bugs spread so easily in part because they are excellent hitchhikers. All it takes is for one or more bed bugs to crawl inside a pants pocket or seam then, once the wearer has changed locations, crawl back out and start a new colony. This is why hotels can easily become hotbeds of bed bug activity, with so many travelers coming and going.
Break Up with Bed Bugs
Preventing and treating bed bugs isn’t a terribly difficult task, especially if you remain vigilant and catch any infestations before they become overwhelming. The first step is to give your bedroom a full visual inspection. You’re looking for small, oval, reddish-brown bugs about the size of an apple seed. If you live separately from your romantic partner, encourage them to do the same.
Bed bugs love to catch rides in book bags and purses, so if you can’t leave yours at home on date night, at least be sure to place it on a table or other hard surface and not stash it on a bed, chair or sofa. Also be sure to check it when you get back home, just in case.
Another important precaution when spending the night elsewhere: tossing your clothes into a hot dryer for up to 30 minutes will kill off any stowaways you might have picked up.
The best way to enjoy Valentine’s Day is with peace of mind and not having to worry about taking precautionary steps against bed bugs.
At JP Pest Services, we are constantly on the lookout for any risk factors and pests – and we’ll be happy to check the bedroom if you suspect bugs. Our service professionals undergo extensive training on how to effectively search for these blood-sucking pests and are ready to come to your defense when you need it.
Check out our Bed Bugs 101 page for more information about bed bugs and how they spread.
