Germs aren’t the only thing that spread around the holidays. Pest control companies often see an increase in bed bug services around the holidays. Bed bugs spread in many ways, but one of the most common ways they spread is through travel. Holidays bring an increase in travel.
For all of your bed bug inspection and bed bug extermination, call Done Right Pest Solutions 651-342-9489.
Table of Contents
- Recap of how bed bugs spread
- Why it is important to take precaution
- We’re here when or if you need us
- Conclusion
Recap of How Bed Bugs Spread
Bed bugs can be a major nuisance, but with awareness and education, you can avoid taking them home with you. If you do ever get them, we are here for you.
Just like college students may bring bed bugs home with them when they leave the dorms for summer break, bed bugs spread at the holidays.
While bed bugs spread in a variety of ways, the most common ways bed bugs spread are through second-hand items, luggage, and sleeping accommodations.
Second-hand items: Like cockroaches, bed bugs can also be spread through second-hand items. It is important for a second-hand store staff to inspect all items for this reason. It is also important that you inspect your purchased items for these insect pests as well.
Luggage: With the frequency of travel increasing in the 21st century, bed bugs can travel too, through luggage. Bed bugs and cockroaches can jump from suitcase to suitcase.
Sleeping accommodations: Sleeping accommodations are one of the biggest spread of bed bugs. Through hotels, motels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, or just staying at a friend or family’s home, bed bugs can easily be tuck themselves away in your items and come home with you.
With the rise of travel, this is important to know and be aware of, especially around the holidays. We get it, you haven’t seen your family in a while, maybe even over a year with COVID precautions, but it’s important to be careful with bed bugs too, not just germs.
While bed bugs are invasive pests, disrupting us at our most vulnerable, rest easy as they do not spread any illness or disease. They can cause stress and stress related trauma related to bed bugs like PTSD and delusionary parisitosis.
Why It Is Important to Take Precaution
Just like preparing yourself health-wise like eating healthy, exercising, taking supplements or a multi-vitamin; or beach-wise like putting on sunscreen, bug spray, wearing sun glasses, sitting under an umbrella; it is important to prepare for pests. By being informed on things in life you can eliminate stressors.
It is the same for pests. If you are informed about the warning signs of what a pest infestation looks like and you know what to do if you come into contact with them, you can be less stressed about it. The situation can go a lot more smoothly.
Did you know that 1 in 5 people will have bed bugs in their lifetime? Bed bugs affect a large percentage of people during transition (college, travel, renting experiences).
I would like to make myself clear: I am not for treating for bed bugs if you don’t have bed bugs. We only want to treat if you have bed bugs, but you can know the warning signs that they leave and then we can treat accordingly. Information is everything.
Warning signs of bed bugs are casings, fecal markings, and blood smudges.
Casings: As bed bugs molt, they leave their casings behind. Some may be left in wall voids, but mostly they may be left around baseboards, bed frames, and feet of the bed. These casings are usually clear, but may have light tan or light brown pigments.
Fecal markings: After feedings, it is natural for insects to deposit fecal material. Bed bugs are no different. If you have bed bug activity, you may find black spots forming along the sides of your mattress or box spring. You may see these black spots in the crevices of mattresses as well.
Blood smudges: People react differently to bed bug bites. Some may not notice or have any itching at all, while others have more swelling with the bites and itching. But, something that is universal with bed bug bites is some blood smudges on the sheets. Bed bugs are after your blood, so after they bite you, before your blood clots near the bite puncture, it will most likely get on your sheets. This is a prime way to tell if you have active bed bugs in your home or not.
Bites: One of the most tell-tale signs of whether you have bed bugs or not is bed bug bites. A bed bug bite can be misconstrued as a mosquito bite or spider bite. A bed bug bite is different, but can look similar depending on a number of different factors.
Bed bugs often bite in a line or a clump, as shown in the photo below.
We’re Here When or If You Need Us
Done Right Pest Solutions is here to put your mind at ease. Pests are stressful and bed bugs are among some of the most stressful pests.
If you just want peace of mind after the holidays we can perform a simple inspection to take any stress or anxiety away. But if you do need a bed bug service, we are the pros in this department as well. We have 15 years of experience eradicating invasive pests like bed bugs, cockroaches, and mice from multi-family housing complexes. We can take care of your home, too.
Our bed bug service is hassle free: No prep work, 1st Visit, 2 week follow-up, and 3 month warranty.
The reason why we require no prep work is because bed bugs can get spooked and go into hiding. We want to see the activity on a normal day, so we request that you go about your business as normal and the bugs will too. Then, when we come in, we can see the full level of activity and determine how best to treat.
1st visit: Our expert technicians may use a roach and bed bug vacuum to suck up all bed bug activity if they deem it necessary, from live to dead bugs and casings. This provides a level of immediate gratification, though we ensure that if the activity is high, you will see some activity going forward until the 2 week follow-up.
Once the bed bug activity is removed, our technicians use a liquid product applied to baseboards, head boards, bed frames, box springs, and other areas the technician sees fit. Our product typically dries within 45 minutes to an hour, and then is safe to the touch. Keep in mind that it is a chemical and is designed to kill pests and is therefore recommended not to be touched when wet.
2 week follow-up: The technician thoroughly inspects the home for any additional bed bug activity and treats accordingly.
The 2 week follow-up is vital to bed bug eradication. Bed bugs hide their eggs in hard to reach areas and wall voids. So when the eggs are hidden, they aren’t treated so the product doesn’t penetrate the shell to kill the bed bug. It takes 5-6 days or so for the bed bug to hatch, so the 2 week follow-up ensures that those bed bugs will die before they can reach sexual maturity and reproduce.
The 3 month warranty gives our customers peace of mind. We do not charge trip fees, so if you see any activity after the 2 week follow-up, give us a call!
Conclusion & Next Steps
You’ve learned a lot about how bed bugs spread during the holidays. We explained a recap from our Bed Bug Guide, you learned why it is important to take precaution, and we gave a step-by-step explanation of how we treat for bed bugs.
We want to help keep you stress free by keeping your home pest free. Pests cause unnecessary stress and bed bugs even more so because they attack you at your most vulnerable (when you’re asleep).
If you ever think you have bed bugs, please call the experts at Done Right Pest Solutions. With caring staff who listen to your concerns and experienced technicians who can get the job done right the first time, we are the best in the industry.
Don’t just take our word for it! Check out our testimonials or Google reviews. Call or text us at 651-342-9489 or email us at donerightpestsolutions@gmail.com to start the conversation today.
We are here to help, whenever you need help.
Done Right Team
Have you ever had bed bugs after traveling for the holidays? We would love to hear of your experience in the comments. How did you get rid of them?
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