It is a simple fact: if you leave your home and go out into the public for work or pleasure there is always a slight risk that bed bugs may come into contact with you or your belongings and that they could accidentally be introduced into your home. We aren’t telling you this to scare you or make you want to live as a hermit; we are just trying to make you aware. Being aware will help you to take some necessary steps to help protect yourself and your family from bed bugs and reduce the chances of an infestation occurring in your home!

Bed bugs can be found in any place where there are large groups of people. Common places to come into contact with bed bugs include libraries, movie theaters, shopping centers, schools, airports, bus stations, hotels, motels, and even hospitals. In fact, just recently a hospital in Salisbury, North Carolina, became infested with bed bugs after a patient introduced them into the hospital. However, due to the hospital’s quick action the infected areas were treated by an experienced exterminator and all bed bugs were eliminated.

Since bed bugs have the potential to be in so many public areas, it is best to always be vigilant and try to protect yourself against them; just like you would try to prevent yourself from catching a cold from the grocery cart! Some tips to protect yourself and your family from bed bugs include:

• When out in public keep your belongings with you (coats, bags, purses). Don’t place these items on the floors of public places.
• Inspect upholstered seats for bed bugs before sitting down on them.
• Before bringing luggage into a hotel room inspect the room, mattresses, and box springs for bed bugs.
• Keep your luggage up off of the hotel floor.
• Wash all clothing in hot water immediately after returning home from a trip.
• Vacuum and wipe down your suitcase before storing it away in your home.
• Routinely wash outerwear that you and your family wear on a regular basis.

It is important to remember that bed bugs don’t care about the cleanliness of the environment that they are in. They will live in a cluttered home, a budget motel, a 5 star hotel, or even in a sterilized hospital environment as long as one thing is available- a blood source. Bed bugs solely feed off of the blood of people; so as long as people are present they will be able to feed, breed, and thrive. The only true way to get rid of bed bugs whether you are a homeowner or business owner is with the help of a professional pest control specialist.

If bed bugs do ever hitchhike their way uninvited into your home, the best defense against them is to take quick action, don’t be embarrassed, bed bugs can infect any business or home. Active Pest Control can get rid of bed bugs from your home through our experienced and effective bed bug control program. Our professionals will inspect your home locate where the bed bugs are and then provide treatment services that include conventional methods and/or bed bug heat treatments. After an infestation is eliminated having routine inspections performed by our professionals will help to stop future problems with bed bugs from occurring!

For more information about bed bugs and how Active Pest Control can help you to control bed bugs in your home contact us today!