To prevent bed bug bites, you must know the things that attract these pests. These include carbon dioxide and warmth, which a sleeping person produces and is a sign for bed bugs that their blood meal is near. Scents like baby oil and body sweat are also some of the things that attract bed bugs because the smell helps bed bugs trace their host. Bed bugs are also attracted to hiding places and clutter because of the safety it gives away from their predators.
Used bedding and furniture bought in a thrift store also attract bed bugs because they are dirty, not maintained, and have not been used for a long time. Poorly maintained houses are the favorite places for these pests because they can quickly spread and build their habitat. Lastly, the environmental factor that attracts bed bugs is the temperature. Warm and properly regulated temperatures are an ideal environment for these insects.
You should be responsible for how you will prevent bed bugs inside your place.
Are you curious about what attracts bed bugs to your home? Why are these pests attracted to you, especially when you are sleeping? This article explores the numerous things that attract bed bugs to your home, presenting awareness of their behavior and sufficient methods to protect your living area.
TABLE OF CONTENT
- 7 Things That Attract Bed Bugs Inside Your Home
7 Things That Attract Bed Bugs Inside Your Home
Bed bugs are well known as being notorious and persistent pests. They can be attracted to your home for several reasons. There are seven possible factors that affect them inside your home.
Maintaining your living place clean, being aware and cautious with secondhand or used items, inspecting your belongings as well after traveling can help you lessen the risk of a bed bug infestation.
There are seven possible factors that attract them inside your home:
#1. CARBON DIOXIDE AND WARMTH
This is the air we release when we breathe, where the bed bugs get attracted. This is also the signal that a suitable meal is nearby.
The warmth of our body that we release, especially when we are sleeping, lures bed bugs more to get near to us.
Warmth
Bed bugs are allured to warmth, which is why they are commonly found in areas where humans sleep. Your body releases heat, and bed bugs are automatically worn to this warmth. They choose temperatures that are typically maintained at home.
Carbon Dioxide
When you perspire, you exhale carbon dioxide, and bed bugs utilize this as a sign to trace their hosts. They are commonly active during the night when carbon dioxide is basically higher due to the attentiveness of sleeping human beings.
#2. BLOOD
This is the primary food source for bed bugs. To get the necessary nutrients for their reproduction, growth, and survival, they are fed by blood.
Animal blood is also their source of food, not only humans. However, bed bugs can survive even if they do not feed themselves for about a year.
Feeding Needs
Bed bugs feed entirely on blood, making the existence of a possible host a main attraction. While they can live for many months without eating, they are extremely motivated by the food needed. They are particularly energetic at night when humans are sleeping.
Scent
Bed bug insects are also attracted to certain scents that are related to people’s skin, body oils, and sweat. This odor helps them trace the possible host more effectively.
#3. HIDING SPOTS AND CLUTTER
These are critical elements for imprudent or unorganized things and objects that are scattered in living areas.
This inserts the mass of clothes, newspapers, stacks of books, and other assorted things. These are some of the bed bug hiding spots.
Clutter
Bed bugs are produced in the surrounding area where they are not easily seen. Cluttered places give several hiding places, making it hard to detect and exterminate an infestation. Particular places contain stacks of newspapers, masses of clothes, and under furniture.
Hiding Places
During the day, bed bugs usually hide in cracks and crevices, appearing only during the night to feed. They are commonly found behind wallpapers, headboards, bed frames, and mattress seams. Untidy surroundings make it easier for them to hide themselves and more difficult for the homeowners to find and eliminate bed bugs.
#4. USED BEDDING AND FURNITURE
These are a remarkable danger for bed bug infestations. They can live here in and out making for them to have the possibility to be brought to a new house.
This is one of the fastest ways of spreading bed bugs from one place to another that causes wide infestations.
Secondhand Items
Bed bugs are famed for pulling rides on secondhand items like furniture, especially upholstered items and mattresses. When obtaining used bedding or furniture, it is significant to inspect these things completely for bed bug signs.
Infested Items
Bed bugs can be scattered easily to contaminated things, so it is necessary to be careful when buying new or used things inside your home. Examining and medicating these things before putting them inside can help you avoid infestation.
#5. TRAVEL AND LUGGAGE
This is a notable component in the spread and initiation of bed bugs. These pests are extremely able to move and can have a ride on clothing, luggage, and other personal belongings.
So, we need to make sure that our travel things and other personal belongings are protected from bed bugs and even your hotel room.
Travel
Bed bugs are expert travelers and can have a ride in personal belongings, clothing, and luggage. Hospitality industries like motels, hotels, and rental properties can be the particular sources of bed bugs, as these living areas give several chances for bed bugs to travel between visitors.
Preventive Measures
To avoid bed bugs from traveling with you, check your hotel room carefully, more on the furniture and mattress. Keep your luggage lifted from the floor and away from the bed. Consider also using protective encasements and covers for your luggage.
#6. POOR MAINTENANCE AND HYGIENE
This has exceptional roles in making pests infestation easier. These factors contribute to the problem of bed bug prevention.
Poor maintenance and hygiene give bed bugs more ability to build a habitat inside your home.
Lack of Maintenance
Establishments with poor maintenance and sanitation can be more vulnerable to bed bug infestations. There are some entry points for bed bugs to make them spread easier, like the gaps around windows and doors, cracks in the walls, and leaky pipes.
Hygiene
Having poor hygiene is not necessary for a bed bug sign. Keeping cleanliness can help lessen the hiding areas and make it easier to find early signs of an infestation. Cleaning and vacuuming your place can prevent possible homes for bed bugs.
#7. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
These have a major role in affecting the existence, behavior, and bed bugs spread. Though bed bugs are highly flexible and can live in a span of situations, some surrounding elements affect bed bugs.
There are really some factors in the environment that make bed bugs uncontrollable; that is why we need to apply high temperatures to exterminate bed bug infestations.
Temperature Extremes
Bed bugs have high-temperature sensitivity. High temperatures can be a hindrance, as bed bugs fight to live in high temperatures. However, high temperatures are commonly not found in regular indoor environments.
Humidity
Bed bugs do not have high humidity in which to live; they like better surroundings with slight humidity. Uncontrolled moisture can make situations that are beneficial for other pests that may not directly lure bed bugs.
Bed bug insects are attracted to warm temperatures and carbon dioxide that a person exhales. To keep bed bugs away, you need to have a well-maintained, clean living area, careful handling of secondhand things, and regular inspections. If you identify an infestation, immediate action and professional pest control services may be required to obtain sufficient results from the issue.