What causes bed bug infestations?

Bed bugs are present in all 50 states and continue to be one of the more difficult pests to treat. So, what is the main cause of bed bugs? Travel is widely recognized as the most common source of bed bug infestations. Often unbeknownst to the traveler, bed bugs will hitchhike on people, clothing, luggage, or other personal belongings and be accidentally transported to other properties.

Bed bugs can easily go unnoticed by humans. As small, wingless insects with flattened bodies, they can hide in tight, secluded spaces that are often out of sight, such as behind headboards or deep in upholstered furniture. Their flat bodies also help to protect them from being smashed if one of their hosts rolls over onto them in the middle of the night. 

Although bed bugs prefer to remain hidden, they will move out of their hiding spaces to feed when a host is nearby. But even then, bed bugs are cautious about their actions. To avoid detection, the reddish-brown insects typically wait until the middle of the night before moving toward a host for a blood meal. When they bite, they inject their victim with a mild anesthetic to help them remain unnoticed while they feed.

Travel 

Increased global travel is often cited as one of the biggest contributing factors to the increase in bed bug infestations in the U.S., with the pests making a resurgence around the world in the last decade. Lack of awareness and the “it will never happen to me” attitude has greatly contributed to the spread of bed bugs.

Arriving on the luggage of travelers from all over the country, these tiny pests can make their way into the cracks and crevices of hotel furniture and underneath mattresses, bedding, and pillows unnoticed. In fact, hotels and motels are among the top areas where you will most likely run into bed bugs. 

Since bed bugs are a frequent and costly issue for hotels, housekeeping staff must remain vigilant and follow the proper protocols when cleaning rooms to identify any signs of bed bug activity.

Bed bugs in healthcare facilities

There is constant traffic in healthcare facilities as patients are received and discharged every day, so this industry is certainly not exempt from a potential bed bug infestation. Often brought in on patient, staff,  or visitor belongings, bed bugs are usually found in patient rooms on furniture such as beds, couches, and curtains.

It’s essential for healthcare management to carry out regular detection and monitoring protocols in areas that are most prone to bed bugs. Such areas include lounges, patient and family waiting areas, storage areas for housekeeping and laundry areas.

Bed bugs in colleges and universities

Bed bugs on college campuses can be a real issue due to the transient nature of universities. With students coming and going for spring, winter, and summer break, bed bugs are often transported via luggage and furniture moving in and out of dorm rooms. Once brought into a dormitory, bed bugs can then easily travel from room to room and eventually to the common areas on campus. Holidays and summer breaks at universities are a great time for college campuses to hire a pest control company to perform bed bug inspections and treatments on school grounds.

Second-hand furniture

Another common cause of bed bugs is the popularity of second-hand furniture. Bed bugs can often be introduced to a property when an infested piece of furniture is brought into a business.

Likewise, rental furniture can also be to blame if it is rented to a property where bed bugs are present and then inadequately inspected upon its return before being rented out again. Bed bugs can survive for many months without a blood meal, so simply isolating an infested piece of furniture will not get rid of bed bugs.

The experts at Rentokil can help to prevent bed bug infestations at your property. Contact us today!